You must not mix and match versions of Thunderbird and Lightning from the Ubuntu repository with the vanilla ones from the Mozilla website.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try and clarify a bit. I am running TB31.7 and Lightening 3.3.3 as they are the only versions that work together. As i wrote, I run TB out of a directory into which downloaded it. Previously I ran the version of TB that was upgraded periodically and that was the Ubuntu version along w/ Lightning. Again, both from the repository for Ubuntu. It was upon an upgrade message that I clicked upgrade. First to 45.0 then 48. Both of the versions broke as I described. It was only after that that I downgraded to the Vanilla 31.7 and the addon lightning that the addon manager had. This worked. It was only after further attempts to up grade that the problem started. I removed the vanilla versions of TB & lightning completely and tried installing from synaptic, the repository upgraded versions. No calendar with either so I used the addon mgr to install the proper lighning version. Didn't work and same problem. Tried installing the repository xul-lightning with the respository TB version. Same problem and with no vanilla versions at all. So I think I've tried all the combos to try and get the repository versions to work and they don't. Even with absolutely no vanilla versions at all. I am probably missing something simple but I don't know what. Since I'm running the vanilla TB 31.7, what suggestion might you have from this point? I really appreciate the help!! :)

I removed the vanilla versions of TB & lightning completely and tried installing from synaptic, the repository upgraded versions. No calendar with either

You should ask in an Ubuntu forum.

Since I'm running the vanilla TB 31.7, what suggestion might you have from this point?

I'd do the following.

• get rid of any Thunderbird packages from the Ubuntu repository
• backup your Thunderbird profile https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile
• download and install the current release version from https://www.mozilla.org/thunderbird/all/
• create a new profile using profile manager https://support.mozilla.org/kb/using-multiple-profiles
• start Thunderbird with the new profile
• set-up your email account(s)
• carry over any more important data from the old profile, e.g. messages from Local Folders, or POP accounts, the addressbook, filter settings, etc., see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Thunderbird

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. I tried your suggestion and had actually come across something like it but couldn't recall. It makes perfect sense to install and copy over the profile. I deleted the new profile contents and pasted in the old profile contents. Almost worked. I got the calendar and it showed all my calendars and then froze and logged out the computer. I logged back in, tried deleting possible offending items in the profile, like add-ons, calendar data, etc but no luck. the only way TB 52 runs w/calendar is as a new vanilla profile w/ my email accounts. Even calendar runs but without any content. I couldn't find a way to import my calendar data other than replacing the entire profile contents so perhaps that is possible to import the calendar. Then there's the matter of all of my mailboxes in my old profile, etc. It seems that i'd have to copy over from my old profile folder and file one at a time until I hit the offender. I also tried disabling all add-ons except for lightning and the same result. Just can't get a higher version to accept my profile, specifically lightning/calendar. so back to 31.0.7

Is this a local or a network calendar?

Thanks for responding,

Both I guess. I have the local calendar and have synched it to google calendar so that I have it across all my devices. Is that a problem that I can fix? Why does TB 31.0.7 have no problem? That's not really an important question tho.

If it's a Google calendar the calendar resides on the Google server. So all you need to do is set-up the Google calendar again in the new profile. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/using-lightning-google-calendar

Thanks for the reply. I can tell that this is almost solved. almost because I'm not sure how to add all of my old profile content to a new profile without dragging the offending synch with it. Is there some file I can move or delete in my old profile that will allow me to copy everything else over into the new one and have TB and lightning work so I can then set-up the google calendar again? Many, many thanks!!

Try a couple of things.

Change the setting in options Advanced > general for hardware acceleration. That setting has no correct value and changes in Thunderbird and video drives can cause what worked to fail.

Also clear the cache. Advanced > Network and disk space.

Thanks for that advice! Everyone is so helpful and I really appreciate it :) I used a little of all of the advice and I now have a functioning, crisply new TB 52 w/ Calendar and all my email, folders and calendar functions! What I did:

• I downloaded the latest x86 64bit TB
• I opened profile mgr. and created a new profile
• I went into the TB52 folder and executed /thunderbird and the new version opened w/o content.
• I opened addons and installed gContactSync and Providerfor GoogleCalendar and restarted and ran both addons. (thankfully nothing had changed today so what they synced was up to date.)
• So now I had my calendar and addressbooks but mail was only that had come in since a few hours back. None of my older and folders were there.
• I thought about pasting my older profile data into the new one but that would mean any snafus that kept popping up as in the last many attempts in which I did replace all of the data in the new with the old. * * So I only replaced the ".thunderbird/newprofile/mail" with the ".../oldprofile/mail" and restarted
• All of my folders and structure automagically appeared and by not replacing the entire profile data I avoided the, to me, unknown glitch that kept freezing up TB and my computer (though for some reason it had gotten to where the screen pixelated and eventually opened the login splash screen-have no idea why)

I do have some old calendars that I never use but have historical info. I'll see if I can find those in the old profile and move them into the new. Or not. I'm pretty content right now and hopefully those pesky updates can be done w/o hassle like this! Thanks again everyone! SOLVED