How did you perform the migration? Sometimes simpler is easier: copy the Thunderbird folder from it's old location in .../AppData/Roaming to .../AppData/Roaming on the new system, while TB is closed, after deleting any existing Thunderbird folder. AppData is hidden by default under C:\Users\windowsusername on Windows computers. As long as you aren't migrating between OS X or Linux to Windows, this should be sufficient.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

As said, initial part was carrying the application and settings over via the easeus todo pctrans, followed by mozbackup for folders, rules, calendars etc.

This brought literally every across from an older near dead win10 laptop to a new surface pro. The near dead laptop has only 1/3 operational keyboard and barely functioning mouse from battery swelled hardware delaminations.

I am the worlds worst user, 59 gb of email, nearly a hundred folders on my primary account, constant culling of 300-400 emails recieved daily after server side filtering,

IIRC i tried your method migrating to the older laptop I just transfered from with unsatisfactory results. that is not some 4 years plus ago, so my memory is vague to say the least. In that transfer I think emails were missing or folders and filters were missing. it was a half way solution and left me with hours more configuration.

I may be wrong, and would be happily corrected if you can tell me all what is brought over using your method. The link does not specify, and the sheer magnitude of data involved makes me leery of this method without knowing what comes over

Oh! another observation, the version of TB is 52.9.1 (holy old batman!) and is not auto updating (that laptop was mostly sitting while I got by with a lenovo yoga which will create additional issues after this is resolved)

Thanks so far, let me know.

The Thunderbird folder in the Roaming directory includes all user data and settings, and the profiles.ini file that points the TB program to that data. If you're moving from a TB 52 setup to one with TB 60, I believe you should delete the pkcs11.txt file if it exists in the TB 60 profile folder, due to differences in how passwords are stored between 52 and 60. This file is automatically recreated when TB is restarted.

To make sure all files are copied from the source computer, I usually right-click the Thunderbird folder, Add to zip archive (or equivalent), then transfer the archive and extract it on the new computer.

Allow me to reiterate, the transferred sw version is 52.x.x, not 60. todo pctrans moves/copies the application and app properties. SO the relocated version is also 52.x.x My presumption is the password storage difference noted does not apply, but it is noted.

Interestingly the system appears to be connecting to the server, just not downloading emails (like a zombie work online) and I had updated passwords via tools>options>security. That copy had not been in service for a year.

So, options at this point are: 1 - I delete 52 on this new laptop install 60 and transfer as discussed previously, which I hope brings all elements across without issue, possibly needing to delete the pkcs11 file.

2 - Delete 52 here, install 60, using the mozbackup file(s) sitting on my NAS using mozbackup on 60, possibly needing to delete the pkcs.txt file mentioned above.

1 and 2 beg to ask - will I need to do anything to ensure 52 is completely removed and not cause an issue with a new install of 60?

3 - ascertain why the log is not operating, fix it, then determine where the true issue is and resolve that.

I don't recommend using a 3rd-party app to transfer the TB program or the profile folder. Just install whatever TB version you wish on the new computer and copy over the Thunderbird folder, as already explained. Apart from a possible issue with pkcs11, it doesn't matter if TB 52 or 60 is installed on either computer. Uninstalling and re-installing the program does not affect the profile data, as they are stored in separate locations.

One user recently performed a similar transfer but mistakenly copied the Thunderbird folder to .../AppData/Local instead of AppData/Roaming. The Thunderbird folder in the Local folder contains mostly cached data and can be disregarded for the transfer.

1 critical question - how to get a complete delete in order to get a clean install of 60?

Obvious concern, clearing whatever the issue is in current install that is preventing email from being pulled from the server and log from recording any activity.

2 Is there ANY other place (aside from registry keys which I HOPE get cleared) that ANY TB files are placed aside of main program install location and the roaming location?

Uninstall TB from the Start menu or Settings. Do not check the box to remove the profile folder with all user data, unless you wish to do so. Delete the TB Program Files (x86) subdirectory if it is still present. There may be a few registry entries left over if TB was set as the default mail client.

"unable to open the summary file for inbox. Perhaps there was an error on disk, or the full path is too long"

Thats where I am stuck at now.

Dealt with this ? Solution?

I suggest you remove Thunderbird. press the windows key +R and type %appdata% and press enter. Delete the Thunderbird folder from app data. You are now back to exactly where you start. all data and program are gone.

Now forget your third party customized programs that might of might not get it right. We know Mozbackup is fundamentally broken. The guy that wrote it posed the information on the download site.

Now install Thunderbird on your new machine. You can get a current version download from thunderbird.net in your language.

start the program after install and cancel out of the account setup dialog. and close Thunderbird.

undertake the transfer of the profile folder as shown in the youtube video here. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer

Start Thunderbird.

Do you still see this same issue? Try disabling the anti virus mail scanner.

minionsweb said

"unable to open the summary file for inbox. Perhaps there was an error on disk, or the full path is too long" Thats where I am stuck at now. Dealt with this ? Solution?

Haven't dealt with this before, and can't find definitive solution after searching on the error message.

Matt said

I suggest you remove Thunderbird. press the windows key +R and type %appdata% and press enter. Delete the Thunderbird folder from app data. You are now back to exactly where you start. all data and program are gone. Now forget your third party customized programs that might of might not get it right. We know Mozbackup is fundamentally broken. The guy that wrote it posed the information on the download site. Now install Thunderbird on your new machine. You can get a current version download from thunderbird.net in your language. start the program after install and cancel out of the account setup dialog. and close Thunderbird. undertake the transfer of the profile folder as shown in the youtube video here. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer Start Thunderbird. Do you still see this same issue? Try disabling the anti virus mail scanner.

@Matt We are beyond this but thank you for your input.

It is an apparent issue within the appdata TB transfer from old and new installation.

I have now used 3 different methods to transfer all with the same result.

@sfhowes & @matt:

Is there a versioning repository? Wondering if the step from 52 direct to 60 is too much.

If that won't work I have to ask how this can be escalated to development??

Someone created the error prompt, there must be a known condition to trigger it, which would permit me to trace its root cause.

(I am a program developer and technologist for 35 years on and off - mostly on)

This is how we (development team) would handle such an issue which is not resolved at 1st tier.

OK, some resolution here - after migration of this size and difference of iteration, a reboot is REQUIRED. It is not mentioned anywhere.

I was having child issues last night and reboot was backburnered while dealing with the kid.

Just full shut down and boot, opening TB, the summary file issue is gone, passwords need to be updated, but I will do that on an account by account basis.

FYI, I did NOT have to touch the pkcs11 file. What I am finding now, is lots folder issues interfering with my filter rules.

Yes, I know the properties repair tool for the .msf files. What I am wondering is, is there a bulk repair tool?

Honestly I have a sh*t ton of folders, doing each individually is/will be a time consuming mess.

So, bulk repair tool?

A method for deleting all .msf files is given here. Keep in mind that when TB restarts, rebuilding the index for an IMAP folder involves downloading the folder, which could take time, depending on the folder size and whether you synchronize full messages or just headers.

Directory of all TB releases.

Cool, thanks for the central repository or releases link.

I have concern with the dealing with msf files method you pointed me to - you imply this is imap oriented. No offense to you, IMO imap s#cks. Worst replacement protocol ever, it is simply not well suited for multi location utilization, yet another example of standards implementation heavily propped by a defective does evil tech co.

Back to the point - I believe the mass deletion of the msf files and recreation/build-from-new will remove and undo the parse flag to unread/parse and once again download the prior transferred email(s) again, creating a duplicate dl on the client.

IME that is an ugly experience, causing multiple TB client crashes with repeated attempts to transfers the emails multiple times, resulting in many copies of the same email(s) until they finally all d/l.

Yes it can be addressed, but the re-d/l process will take days (I have a huge repository of email, 22 years worth)

Rebuilding the msf files isn't exclusive to IMAP, and I haven't found there is a duplication of downloaded mail. The read/unread status is unchanged. With POP accounts, deleting the popstate.dat file would prompt a re-download, if they're still on the server, with all messages marked as unread.

It's probably better to do regular archiving of mail and keep the active folders small, to avoid lengthy syncing of decades of mail.

You're right regarding the archiving, but I need a better scheme than the tb one.

My rules move all mail from incoming to a sub folder and subsequently sorts to many folders from there.

My host and I have agreed to relo and remote backing up of emails 2x a year, so the syncing is now only a day or so IF I run into a re-install again.

In the meanwhile, old stuff is copied over, old accounts from that iteration that were imported as discussed, now running into a new issue - adding more accounts are NOT working.

Have tried connecting to my server and to gmail (not tried yahoo account yet) and getting same error message in servers set up "Configuration could not be verified - is the username or password wrong?" I have looked this up but with no solution working, especially the configuration setting to be applied to gmail both on my machine and in google gmail settings.

Adding an IMAP gmail account should work if you apply OAuth2 authentication and allow cookies in TB. Allowing 'less-secure' apps may be necessary if you encounter problems.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Using_Gmail_with_Thunderbird_and_Mozilla_Suite

using pop, not imap, still hate imap, nothing has changed since the beginning of you helping in that regards. I have all the parameters for connecting either way, neither works.

Now allowing cookies in TB was not something I looked at, where is that in tools options privacy yes? I have them accepted in web content, is mail content toggled on to accept or added as an exception? If as exception, what should the exception read as?

I believe cookies for *.google.com must be allowed in the Privacy options for OAuth2 authentication to work. More details in the mozillazine article.

I have been thru the article repeatedly, tried every option and followed all references cited.

Nothing is working. As far as I can tell this is an issue with thunderbird, not the servers.

1st, I have tried adding existing accounts on my host using pop secure (995 w ssl/tls) and smtp (same but port 465) and get the same error message "Configuration could not be verified - is the username or password wrong?"

for giggles, i have changed connections to not secure connection changing ports accordingly, and bingo bango boingo, connected with no problem outside of warning prompt.

Attempting to change the settings to secure connection after connecting via insecure method, account is again broken and will not retrieve emails.

HOWEVER, on both the gmail account we have been talking about and this server hosted account, secure outbound connections work - I can send email with either account via secure SMTP.

Another symptom - POP3 connection parameters to the gmail account are not being saved into the password storage

This confirms my suspicion that the POP3 protocol connector in TB is not working correctly. I am seeing a number of instances of the same behavior being reported elsewhere with no resolution Now the question is why is it broken and how can it be fixed/dealt with?