Lost addresses

User Help for Mozilla Thunderbird
Post Reply
JimmyBug
Posts: 10
Joined: January 20th, 2022, 1:47 pm

Lost addresses

Post by JimmyBug »

I just noticed that when I upgraded to the latest version of Thunderbird, it also lost all of my email addresses. Fortunately, I'd saved a copy at some time in the past, so I imported them. So I now have TWO "Personal Address Book" listed under "All Address Books" and TWO "Collected Addresses". I'm unable to delete the original versions of these two files, and I'm unable to bulk copy my data into the newer versions of these folders. So I guess I'm stuck with this situation

I don't suppose this is a big deal, except I probably lost a bunch of email addresses that I saved in Thunderbird since I last exported and saved a backup, but I don't think this should have happened.
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Lost addresses

Post by tanstaafl »

By upgrade do you mean letting Thunderbrid automatically upgrade itself? The reason why I ask is you have another thread about not being able to save passwords due to an upgrade. I'm wondering if you might have uninstalled Thunderbird, downloaded a setup program for 91.5......

What prevents you from deleting the files?

Did you try renaming the duplicate address books to something else before trying to delete them?

Do you have any mention of the extra two address books in prefs.js? Thunderbird only "knows" about the personal address book and collected address books by default, all others need to be specified in prefs.js. It won't just add a address book because it discovers a file.
JimmyBug
Posts: 10
Joined: January 20th, 2022, 1:47 pm

Re: Lost addresses

Post by JimmyBug »

By upgrade, I mean I downloaded the latest version and installed it and it said it was updating.

I didn't try renaming the address books. It doesn't give me that option. I have no idea how to look at or modify prefs.js. I just imported the two files I had backed up to my computer a few months ago.
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Lost addresses

Post by tanstaafl »

If you right click on the name of the address book and select properties you can edit the name of the address book. I suggest you edit the name of the address books you don't want, exit and restart Thunderbird, and then see if you can delete them.

FYI the prefs.js file is a 7-bit ASCII text file (don't get hung up on the .js file extension) stored in your profile and you would edit it with a text editor such as notepad. Never use a word processor (such as MS Word) to edit it. If you are ever going to edit prefs.js make certain you backup the file beforehand.
JimmyBug
Posts: 10
Joined: January 20th, 2022, 1:47 pm

Re: Lost addresses

Post by JimmyBug »

Thank goodness! I can finally get back on this forum! I've been caught in an infinite loop of signing in and then immediately being signed out. I finally found a suggestion (elsewhere) to check "log me in automatically" and this seemed to work.

Anyway, to the subject at hand.

I’m unable to delete the automatically created email address book files, "Personal Address Book" and "Collected Addresses". I now have two files named "Personal Address Book" and two files named "Collected Addresses". I’m unable to do a bulk copy from the files I imported to the files automatically created. This is hardly an end-of-the-world problem, but it seems to me that it's an issue that should be fixed.

In fact, with due respect, I'm baffled by the continued "improvement" of Thunderbird. Don't get me wrong. I've used it for years and I like it. But I had problems when I upgraded, and I see no increased functionality from a user's perspective than in the "old" version I was using, circa V69. Perhaps there are improvements behind the scene in security? I don't know. All I know is it looks the same (which is good; I hate it when the interface changes and I have to learn new ways to do the things I've been doing), and it still sends and receives emails, which is all I want it to do.

So, thanks for a good product. I appreciate everyone's efforts in maintaining this product and in responding to my issue here on this forum. If you can tell me how to fix this little problem I have, great. If you can keep it from happening in future releases, even better. Am I the only one having this issue? I'm using your basic Windows 10 HP laptop, nothing unusual, nothing special.
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Lost addresses

Post by tanstaafl »

Your problem is unusual. I repeat my suggestion you try renaming and then deleting the duplicate address books and if that fails that you take a look at prefs.js to see if you can spot the settings where it tells Thunderbird about the two extra address books.

I created a address book called Scratch and searched prefs.js for any references to address books. I found:

user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.position", 0);
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.uid", "065a6b68-260d-42df-886c-982b22166134");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.Scratch.description", "Scratch");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.Scratch.dirType", 101);
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.Scratch.filename", "abook-1.sqlite");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.Scratch.uid", "49982756-7b81-4b57-9b63-c37d84fd9741");

user_pref("ldap_2.servers.history.uid", "f1f21a4f-e434-49e2-b47d-fb5dad66cd35");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.pab.uid", "ddcd9c69-dae9-4017-93a3-c64d9e080f59");

It had added a abook-1.sqlite file. I deleted it and the four lines in prefs.js that referenced Scratch. When I restarted Thunderbird the Scratch address book was gone.

ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook is abook.sqlite (personal address book). I also have a history.sqlite file which is the collected addresses address book. Those two address books are pre-defined which is why you don't see a ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.dirType or ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.filename setting etc. for them.

If you are going to edit prefs.js make certain you back it up first.
JimmyBug
Posts: 10
Joined: January 20th, 2022, 1:47 pm

Re: Lost addresses

Post by JimmyBug »

Thanks for the suggestions.

I can't delete the address books that Thunderbird created, at least not INSIDE Thunderbird. That is, when I right-click the address books, the "delete" option is greyed out.

I really don't understand what to do with the "ldap" setting in prefs.js. Here's what that section of prefs.js looks like:

user_pref("ldap_2.servers.CollectedAddresses.description", "Collected Addresses");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.CollectedAddresses.dirType", 101);
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.CollectedAddresses.filename", "abook-2.sqlite");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.CollectedAddresses.uid", "81e4c90a-641f-479a-b503-5b4e0000aa9a");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.description", "Personal Address Book");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.dirType", 101);
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.filename", "abook-1.sqlite");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.position", 0);
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook.uid", "e9b07655-fcec-49f0-9afa-cde71f33d7a6");
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook_1.position", 0);
user_pref("ldap_2.servers.PersonalAddressBook_2.position", 0);

What do you suggest that I change to delete the address books automatically created by Thunderbird and leave those that I imported from my old version of Thunderbird.

Further, my concern is why this happened when I updated. That is, I want you all to be aware that this happened so that you can figure out why and fix it so that users don't have to go through this process to get their address books automatically imported when they update.

Again, thanks for your help with my particular installation, and if you can help me understand exactly what to change in the prefs.js file, I'll be glad to give it a try.
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Lost addresses

Post by tanstaafl »

I suggest you backup prefs.js, exit Thunderbird, delete all of the ldap_2.servers settings in prefs.js and then see if your problem is solved.

I don't fully understand why you have duplicate address books but I suspect its due to how you imported them.
Post Reply