The first thing I suggest is checking the hard drive for errors.

You don't say if you are using Windows, Mac, Linux, or other.

I can give instructions for Windows, and if you tell me which version of Windows you are using.

Windows XP. I am able to use Thunderbird on a Windows 10 computer but it doesn't have all of my older e-mails. I can also use webmail via Firefox, but again, it only has current e-mails.

Now that I know it is Windows XP, doing a check disk is even more important. Any computer still running Windows XP will be old, and cannot count on being useful for much longer.

I strongly suggest moving your old e-mails to your new computer. If you want to do this, I can give you specific, step-by-step instructions for your particular situation.

First, the check disk:

Check disk in Windows XP, Vista, or 7:

Open "My Computer", right-click on the C: drive, and choose "Properties". Click on the "Tools" tab, then click the "Check" button under Error checking.

It will tell you that it needs to reboot the computer to do the check. Do so. When Windows starts it will run the check disk before doing anything else. Let it do that.

It didn't help. I tried to use system restore points from October -early Nov but the system was not able to used the restore points. So, I guess there's a more serious problem with my computer.

As a Windows computer tech, I found that trying to use system restore points in Windows XP rarely worked. Luckily it works better in more recent versions of Windows.

Recovering your old e-mails. My instructions here help you copy the actual files on your hard drive to another location to work with.

What to do after that will depend on if you want to get the old e-mails onto your Windows 10 computer, or if you want to try to get Thunderbird working properly on your old Windows XP computer again.

Since you cannot access your old e-mails in Thunderbird, Windows XP ...

1. Show Hidden Files: https://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=8036 2. Find the Windows XP Application Data folder: http://www.instantventrilo.com/support/ventrilo-server-open-appdata-xp.php 3. Go down to "Thunderbird" folder on the right side, and double-click it to open it. 4. Double-click the folder on the right side called "Profiles". 5. There is probably just one folder now on the right side here (with a random-type name). Copy that folder to a USB memory stick if transferring to another computer, or to another location on your hard drive to keep on the old computer. Or do both, just to be safe.

Now the instructions diverge depending on which computer you want those e-mails. Let me know which.

Ok, I made another file location under DOCS on the C drive and copied the contents of Profiles to that and also copied it to a Thumb Drive. I think I'd better use the Windows 10 computer but would like instructions for both. I really appreciate your help. John

OK. This is the extra steps you need to do to get it working on the old computer again. Then you will follow the steps in my next post, which will apply to both computers.

This is assuming that nothing is wrong with the Thunderbird program itself on the old computer. If things are not working properly in the Thunderbird program after following these steps, then uninstall and reinstall Thunderbird. Let me know if you need instructions for this. Download Thunderbird

Hold down the Windows key and press R.

In the run box, type:

thunderbird.exe -p

This will start the Profile Manager for Thunderbird. Click the "Create Profile" button.

Type in a new profile name. Don't name it "default" or "Default User". Use your imagination.

You can let the Profile Manager create the new profile in the default location, or you can click the "Choose Folder" button to choose where to set up the new profile. I personally put my profile folders where I want them, so it is easier for me to back them up.

After you click "Finish" select the new profile in Profile Manager and click "Start Thunderbird".

Thunderbird will now start with nothing set yet.

First up is the "System Integration" window. Click the "Set as Default" button.

Next, is the "Welcome to Thunderbird" window asking if you want a new e-mail address. Click the bottom left button, "Skip this and use my existing email". Then set up your e-mail account.

Once your e-mail account is set up AND tests OK, then pay attention to the bar at the bottom of Thunderbird asking if you want to keep the Lightning calendar extension. If you want the Calendar, click the "Keep" button.

Close the "Know your rights" bar at the bottom.

Now follow the instructions on my next post.

On the Windows 10 computer, or the Windows XP computer after following the previous instructions:

In Thunderbird, create a new folder under "Local Folders" called "Old": (Right-click "Local Folders", choose "New Folder")

Now go down to this new folder "Old", right-click it and create a new folder. Call it "Temp".

Find your Thunderbird Profile folder:

Thunderbird Menu: Help: Troubleshooting information. Click on the "Show Folder" button under "Application Basics" and beside "Profile Folder". Windows Explorer will open showing your profile folder.

Quit Thunderbird, but keep that Windows Explorer window open. In Windows Explorer, go down and open the "Mail" folder, then the "Local Folders" folder. Now find and open the folder called "Old.sbd". You will see two files named "Temp". Delete them. They were just place holders.

Plug that USB memory stick into the new computer and open another Windows Explorer window to it. The next steps will be easier if you put those two Windows Explorer windows side-by-side on the screen.

On the USB memory stick, open folders until you see one called "Mail". Open it. Under "Mail" you will see a folder called "Local Folders", plus other folders for each of your e-mail accounts that you had set up as POP e-mail accounts. Select these folders and drag and drop them to the "Old.sbd" folder in the other Windows Explorer window. You can close both Windows Explorer windows now.

Now when you start Thunderbird, all your old e-mails will be under that "Old" folder in various sub-folders. Drag and drop those old e-mails and folders from "Old" to where you want them. When all e-mails and folders are gone from "Old", then right-click it and choose "Delete".

Now for each "account" in Thunderbird, including "Local Folders":

1. Thunderbird Menu: File: Empty Trash 2. Thunderbird Menu: File: Compact Folders

If you want to recover the Address Book or Calendar data, those files are also there on the USB memory stick. I can provide instructions for them also.

I think something got lost on the USB drive. The file I saved is identified as: i7h9ou23.default. It does have a bunch of sub files and the file size is 1.2 GB. Should I be able to open old e-mails directly from one of the submenu items under "old" in the local folders menu? Or, must I move everything to another file?

1.2 GB sounds like a lot of e-mail. They are there.

Did you follow my step-by-step instructions?

Or are you just looking at the files on the USB memory stick, trying to find your e-mails and open them? The backed-up files & file names will not make much sense to you, which is why you need to follow my instructions.

I followed your instructions to the point that I verified that the folder under profiles in the USB drive are under the local folders "old" in Thunderbird. When I opened T-bird I received 24 new e-mails, so I know that it's operating. I just wasn't sure whether to proceed or not since I couldn't make sense out of the list of sub-files -- I tried opening several looking for the old e-mails, but since that didn't work, I stopped and sent you the message. I'll try proceeding with your instructions. I just thought I could leave everything in the "old" file and see my e-mails. I only have 1 account in T-Bird - the one I just created.

Keep opening the sub-folders under "Old". Eventually you will get to the e-mails.

Correction to my instructions!

Where I say:

On the USB memory stick, open folders until you see one called "Mail". Open it. Under "Mail" you will see a folder called "Local Folders", plus other folders for each of your e-mail accounts that you had set up as POP e-mail accounts. Select these folders and drag and drop them to the "Old.sbd" folder in the other Windows Explorer window.

There needs to be a change. Instead of copying the folders that are under "Mail", you need to copy the contents of the folders, one folder at a time.

Specifically, what to do now to fix my mistake, and get it right. First we delete the incorrect contents of "Old.sbd", then put the correct contents in.

1. Open Windows Explorer to Thunderbird Profile folder: Thunderbird Menu: Help: Troubleshooting information. Click on the "Show Folder" button (under "Application Basics" and beside "Profile Folder").

2. Quit Thunderbird, leave Windows Explorer window open.

3. In Windows Explorer, double-click "Mail" on the right side to open it. In it, open "Local Folders". Then open "Old.sbd". Select all the contents of "Old.sbd" and delete them.

4. Now put that USB memory stick in again. You see your folder "i7h9ou23.default", double-click to open it. Under that folder, open "Mail".

5. In that folder you will see a folder called "Local Folders", and probably just one other folder, named something like "pop-mail.outlook.com", but with the name of your e-mail server.

6. Open that folder with the name of your server, then copy its contents (select all, click and drag), and put under "Old.sbd", in the other Windows Explorer window.

7. Now start Thunderbird, and go down to "Local Folders", "Old", and you should see the correct folder structure and e-mails.

If you don't see your e-mails now, then:

Quit Thunderbird.

Go back to step 6 above, but open the "Local Folders" folder instead and copy over its contents.

--

I was having trouble sleeping, so was mulling this over. Realized where I made the mistake in my instructions. So got up.

Bruce, Thanks for your efforts and I'm sorry you've lost sleep over this. I've gotten things messed up so I now have duplicate "old" files in Thunderbird with i7h9ou23.default sub-files -- none of which have anything in them. Also, I've lost the my old e-mail server files on the thumb drive. There are still GB of files and folders contained in applicationdata\thuderbird\profiles\mail\localfolders\old.sbd (226 files & 71 folders) and \old.sbd (177 files & 21 folders).

I'm going to let this sit until after T-Day. Hope yours is a good one. Thanks, John