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Thunderbird update4d but failed to bring old versions local folders and emails back

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  • Last reply by David

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When Thunderbird self updated to ver. 68.12.0 it did not retrieve the previous versions local folders and their contents. How do I get the old local folders and their contents back?

When Thunderbird self updated to ver. 68.12.0 it did not retrieve the previous versions local folders and their contents. How do I get the old local folders and their contents back?

All Replies (10)

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visit help > troubleshooting > about:profiles

1. What profile names are listed? 2. Which profile name is show as "in use"? 3. What happens if you restart using the one named "default"?

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David said

When Thunderbird self updated to ver. 68.12.0 it did not retrieve the previous versions local folders and their contents. How do I get the old local folders and their contents back?

Profiles folder shows 0tb4aiuw.default, so I assume that that is the one in use.

this is the ini file

Install8216C80C92C4E828] Default=Profiles/0tb4aiuw.default

[Profile0] Name=default IsRelative=1 Path=Profiles/0tb4aiuw.default Default=1

[General] StartWithLastProfile=1 Version=2

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Wayne Mery said

visit help > troubleshooting > about:profiles 1. What profile names are listed? 2. Which profile name is show as "in use"? 3. What happens if you restart using the one named "default"?

1. this is the only folder listed under profiles > 0tb4aiuw.default 2. profiles.Iini as follows:

[Install8216C80C92C4E828] Default=Profiles/0tb4aiuw.default

[Profile0] Name=default IsRelative=1 Path=Profiles/0tb4aiuw.default Default=1

[General] StartWithLastProfile=1 Version=2

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David said

Wayne Mery said

visit help > troubleshooting > about:profiles 1. What profile names are listed? 2. Which profile name is show as "in use"? 3. What happens if you restart using the one named "default"?

1. this is the only folder listed under profiles > 0tb4aiuw.default 2. profiles.Iini as follows:

[Install8216C80C92C4E828] Default=Profiles/0tb4aiuw.default

[Profile0] Name=default IsRelative=1 Path=Profiles/0tb4aiuw.default Default=1

[General] StartWithLastProfile=1 Version=2

Perhaps you could answer the question asked instead of listing the contents of profiles.ini. While profiles.ini may be considered the ultimate arbiter, the information does not answer the question. What is the name of the profile that is in use in the current session?

SO lets get that out of the way, along with did your accounts and contacts survive the migration?

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I am sorry, I guess I really don't know the answer to your questions. Where exactly do I find the specifics of what you are looking for. I am really lost here, I have never had this problem with Thunderbird since I started using it maybe 20 years ago, so I have never looked under the hood so to speak. I am very sorry if I am waisting your time. I just didn't see a problem listed and answered that exactly matched what I have experienced.

Under About Profiles it says Profile: default Root Directory shows this: C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\0tb4aiuw.default If I go to this folder it has 11 folders and 70 files

Local Directory shows this: C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Thunderbird\Profiles\0tb4aiuw.default If I go to this folder it has five folders listed as Cache, cashe2,OfflineCache,safebrowsing and startupcache and two files .startup-incomplete 0K and _CACHE_CLEAN_ 1k

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you can generally completely ignore the files stored in local. They are all temporary files of one kind and another.

In Thunderbird when you go to account settings are your accounts still showing? In Thunderbird click on your address book. Are you contact still there? Go into account settings. IN the "local Folders" account what is the local directory showing as? I would expect it to be C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\0tb4aiuw.default\Mail\Local Folders. But if you have changed it at some time it may be the drive or folder you changed it to is no longer available.


If the local directory is as I assume;

  • Go into Help > Troubleshooting and clicking on the show button for profiles
  • Close Thunderbird.
  • Rename the foldertree.json and restart Thunderbird.

Does local folders show up now.

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Hi Matt, Both my wifes and my account settings are there. Our contacts appear to be all in the address book. In Account Settings in the local folder is listed as : C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\0tb4aiuw.default\Mail\Local Folders-1 No the local folders that we had before do not appear under local Folders

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now it is time to dig into the hard disk contents.

Use the Help menu > troubleshooting information route to click the show button for your profile. this removed the need to display hidden files and folder and has no chance the wrong profile folder will be opened.

Check that the profile that opened matched the path C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\0tb4aiuw.default I would expect it to, but in may or may not.

Next open the mail folder in the profile and check out the folder. "local folders, as well as local folder-1.

My guess is the "local folders" folder will have all your old mail in it. If that is the case, go back to Thunderbird, change the local directory to be "local Folders" not "Local Folders-1" and restart Thunderbird. You mail should be back where you expect it to be.

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I am sorry Matt, the folders do not have the same files in each (pictures below) but I switched them anyway and the result was pretty much the same. Still no sub file folders under the local folder so I switched back to Local Folders-1

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Let me go back to your instructions from 9/12. Which folder or file did you want me to rename?(Rename the foldertree.json and restart Thunderbird.) In case I misunderstood you instructions was it Folder 0tb4aiuw.default or File folder Tree.jsm? Sorry to go back but I am starting to second guess if what I am following your instructions correctly.