thunderbird migrate fail
Using this: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer
I moved profiles from old to new computer. When I restart on the new computer, it is just starting over, doesn't know anything from my old computer's thunderbird.
Both windows 10. New computer says 78.11.0 (64 bit) Old computer says 78.11.0 (32 bit) Note both computers are 64 bit.
Top left on old computer is old style "File Edit View Go Message ..." Underneath that are tabs like inbox and troubleshooting information"
Top left on new computer is a tab saying home, the tab body says welcome to thunderbird.
So I gather there is incompatibility of the data between 32 and 64 bit? Is there a place to download the 32 bit?
Am I confused what the real issue is?
Chosen solution
Replacing the paths with a path to my profile got me running. I expect I broke something since I didnt have a default-release profile, all profiles point the same place.
I hope this trail of trial and error is useful to the next person caught in this trap.
I also hope the valuable and appreciated thunderbird staff creates an actual migration tool.
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What are the exact steps you did? Please explain what you moved from where to where. Provide the exact full path and name of the folder(s).
On old computer, open profile folder led to here: C:\ProgramData\thunderbird\Profiles\c32o01lp.default Per directions, I took a copy of the entire thunderbird folder.
On new computer, opening profile folder led to C:\users\15122\appdata\roaming\thunderbird\bla\bla.
I replaced the thunderbird folder under roaming with the thunderbird copy from old computer.
Fyi, I ruled out 32 bit/64 bit making any difference.
Kind of stumped. I used tbird many years, and this isnt my first migration, but is first failed one.
On old computer, open profile folder led to here: C:\ProgramData\thunderbird\Profiles\c32o01lp.default
That isn't the profile folder. To find the profile folder on the old computer see https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_how-to-find-your-profile
There is a folder at C:\Users\bill\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird per using the %appdata% method, but its profiles folder is empty. The folder I used was arrived at by opening thunderbird, going to help and troubleshooting information, clicking open folder at the profile entry. That profiles folder has about 16 gigabytes, so that seems to be my profile.
I will pursue the appdata difference on the other pc. I note on the new pc it has the annoying property that new windows pcs wont let you use anything but a windows live id to start up the system, hence the 51226 prefix from my old phone number, but then I changed it back to the old standard local user id.
It is confusing to find multiple locations of thunderbird folders. I expect that my location is grandfathered due to the long period I have used it?
I will post again when I can investigate it a bit more.
The folder I used was arrived at by opening thunderbird, going to help and troubleshooting information, clicking open folder at the profile entry. That profiles folder has about 16 gigabytes, so that seems to be my profile.
Yes, what's the path to that folder including the folder name?
The old path is as I reported above. I arrived there following the instructions, and it indeed has years worth of email data. Its date is updated every time I get a new email. Im very sure my email is there, where old thunderbird says it is. C:\ProgramData\thunderbird\Profiles\c32o01lp.default
A couple of things its not, I thought the discrepancy from windows user name and the folder name may be an issue. It took a half day to make those align. I thought I had left the newly created empty profiles, so repeated the procedure, deleting the thunderbird folder on the new computer. Copying fresh old profiles thunderbird folder.
The behavior is when thunderbird starts the first time with a newly copied profiles folder tree, it creates a new folder with extension .default and another with extension .default-release.
If I stop thunderbird, and delete the two new profiles, in at leas one trial I entered a state where thunderbird refused to start saying profile was missing.
As near as I can tell the ONLY new files or folders under thunderbird/profiles (going by creation date) are the two new .default and .default-release folders and contents.
Additionally, and probably the source of the diversion, in my old thunderbird folder, there is ONLY a profiles folder. In the new systems copy, thunderbird adds a "crash reports" folder (non empty), a pending pings folder (empty) and two files installs.ini and profiles.ini both pointing to new profiles .default folders. I have not yet monkeyed with those .ini files.
I'm still researching. Under old computer appdata/roaming/thunderbird are the same files thunderbird recreates. installs.ini contains [8C30DEEF359C36FC] Default=C:\ProgramData\thunderbird\Profiles\c32o01lp.default
profiles.ini contains [Install8C30DEEF359C36FC] Default=C:\ProgramData\thunderbird\Profiles\c32o01lp.default
[Profile0] Name=Default IsRelative=0 Path=C:\ProgramData\thunderbird\Profiles\c32o01lp.default Default=1
[General] StartWithLastProfile=1 Version=2
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Replacing the paths with a path to my profile got me running. I expect I broke something since I didnt have a default-release profile, all profiles point the same place.
I hope this trail of trial and error is useful to the next person caught in this trap.
I also hope the valuable and appreciated thunderbird staff creates an actual migration tool.