Well, for the second time in several years, I have lost all my contacts and saved emails in Thunderbird and there doesn't seem to be anyway to retrieve them. I've tried everything on I've seen on this forum. I guess I need to (somewhat reluctantly - I like T-Bird when it works) start anew with a different email client.

re : I have been successful with everything except Thunderbird. Even tho I found what seemed to be my old profile,

Did you find profile in 'windows.old' folder ? Did you do the following?

If you had to redo OS then it is likely it created a 'windows.old' folder. You should be able to locate your profile in that folder. It would have this location: C://Users/User Account name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird Copy the 'Thunderbird' folder.

If Thunderbird is running then exit it.

Access the 'Roaming' folder: C://Users/User Account name/Appdata/Roaming It will contain the new default 'Thunderbird' folder - delete it Then paste the copied 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder Start Thunderbird

Please make sure your 'Anti-Virus' product has the Thunderbird program set as 'allowed'.

Thanks for the response. I have been unable to locate the "windows.old" folder on my computer. Also, I have a subscription to Carbonite for backing up my computer. I downloaded a profiles folder for Firefox which got my bookmarks back. But altho I downloaded the TBird profiles, they don't seem to work with Thunderbird. Since they may have come from a slightly older version of T-Bird, I was wondering if that could be a problem. OR perhaps I don't fully understand how to replace the new Tbird profile with the older one...

re :But altho I downloaded the TBird profiles, they don't seem to work with Thunderbird.

If you did not backup the entire 'Thunderbird' folder containing all the profile information, then perhaps you mean you only backed up the actual 'profile name' folder which usually has a name something like this: 123abc4.default

It would have been located in the 'Profiles' folder:

• C://Users/User Account name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/'profile name'

In which case you would need to add it by using one of the following methods.

Option 1: Best used on a fresh installation where there is a new default profile.

• Access the backed up copy of 'profile name' folder and open it to see contents.
• Copy all the files and folders in that 'profile name' folder - they would look similar to image below.

• Exit Thunderbird now if it is running.

• On computer, access C://Users/User Account name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/'profile name' folder so you can see contents.

This is assuming the 'profile name' folder was the same default profile created when you initially installed Thunderbird.

• Delete all the contents - all files and folders - they would look similar to image below.
• Now paste in all the 'copied' files and folders - so replacing all default files and folders with copied backup.
• Start Thunderbird.

Option 2: Use this method if you do not want to write over other profiles or think any might be corrupt.

• Access the backed up copy of 'profile name' folder - copy that 'profile name' folder.

• Exit Thunderbird now if it is running.

• On computer, access C://Users/User Account name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles folder.

It contains the actual 'profile name' folders.

• Paste the copied 'profile name' folder into the 'Profiles' folder.

• Start Thunderbird.

At the moment it will not know anything about the profile name folder you have just pasted into the 'Profiles' folder.

• Help > Troubleshooting Information
• Under 'Application Basics' section near bottom - Profiles - click on 'about:profiles'

It will open in a new tab

• Click on 'Create a new profile' button
• Give it a name or use the 'User Default'
• click on 'Choose Folder'
• locate and select the 'profile name' folder you have just pasted into 'Profiles' folder.
• click on 'Select Folder' button
• click on 'Finish' to create profile.

The new profile will be added to the list in 'about: profiles'

• Below the new profile - click on 'Set as default' button
• Below new profile - click on 'Launch profile..' button

The new profile will open in a new Thunderbird window.

• Close the original Thunderbird window.

I really appreciate the time you are taking to try to help me. Unfortunately I have still been unable to get the new TBird to load my old profile. So I am assuming at this point that I have lost my contacts and stored emails.