Lost all my emails and accounts after migrating Thunderbird.
Hi, I have been long time Thunderbird user. Never had issues before and never had issues while moving my profile files to a new PC or new hard drive. I always have been maintaining my profiles in a separated files drive. My main hard drive used for OS/Programs is failing. To save time I decided to jump back to use an old SSD where I already had OS/ Programs, one of them Thunderbird, which i guess was not up to date. By accident I opened this old Thunderbird and even when it showed all my email folders, just asked for credentials for some accounts. I stopped all and shut down. Went back to the old HDD, loaded OS, opened Thunderbird to recover one account password and when I went back to the hew HDD, Thunderbird is asking to create new account (like the profile is new). I verified that the profile is pointing to the correct profiles folder. Shutdown again, went back to the old HDD, opened Thunderbird and, dang..! same thing. So, now I can't open any of my accounts and old emails. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
Chosen solution
Reading everywhere found one situation pointing to corrupt prefs.js file I have a total of 652 prefs files in my profile folder (as prefs-#.js and noticed that the prefs.js file was way smaller (aak) that the others (112k incrementing with the time/file #) Renamed prefs.js to old and renamed most recent file, prefs-652.js to prefs.js and that resolved my issue. Thanks anyway
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Since version 68 Thunderbird operates on a profile per installation basis which means you cannot simply use an older version of Thunderbird on a profile that used a newer version. Hence why it keep asking you to create accounts in a new profile.
To use an older version of Thunderbird on a profile that used a recent version of Thunderbird you have to start up Thunderbird in a particular way to allow the downgrade to work. Exit Thunderbird if running.
In Windows search type: Run and select the 'Run.app' Type: thunderbird.exe -P --allow-downgrade Note: there is a space before and after the -P click on OK
If you want to use the current profile on new computer then you need to install the same version as being used on the old computer, so profile on old and new will be using same version.
To get an identical copy of what is on the old computer put onto the new computer. I'm assuming on both computers you are using Windows OS and everything is in default location
1. Check: You need to be running exactly the same version of Thunderbird on both computers - this is important. 2. Exit Thunderbird on both computers - this is important.
On old computer..... 3. Access this location: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming folder. 4. Copy the 'Thunderbird' folder and paste into external device to aid transfer.
On new computer..... 3. Access this location: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming folder. 4. Delete the current default 'Thunderbird' folder which has the new profile. 5. Paste the copied 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder. This replaces the one you deleted.
When you start up Thunderbird on new computer it will be an identical copy of what you had on the old computer.
Modified by Toad-Hall
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Reading everywhere found one situation pointing to corrupt prefs.js file I have a total of 652 prefs files in my profile folder (as prefs-#.js and noticed that the prefs.js file was way smaller (aak) that the others (112k incrementing with the time/file #) Renamed prefs.js to old and renamed most recent file, prefs-652.js to prefs.js and that resolved my issue. Thanks anyway