Problems Trying To Back Up and Restore Thunderbird.

[OneTrueFriend]

I want to return my laptop to factory reset and I need to back up and restore
my Thunderbird files and folders.
Am trying to backup to DVD.
When I get to profile there are 2 entries and when I right click to copy Default,
the bottom profile, nothing happens.
Am I doing something wrong?
Is there an easier way?
Thanks.

[DanRaisch]

See this article -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_backup

[OneTrueFriend]

Thank you.
That article mentions MozBackup.
Sounds like a good solution, but is it still safe to use?
Read somewhere that it has issues.

[LIMPET235]

Hi,
MBU is no longer being supported or updated, so use at your own risk, as per the author's site announcement.
> http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/

You may have better luck with TEBE, but it hasn't been updated for a while either.
It's supposed to work with the latest Thunderbird, so .......try it?
Info > http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... #p14460929
HP > http://softwarebychuck.com/tebe/ (Read the D/L & installation instructions.)

I take it that thunderbird is closed?
All you need is the default Profile.
When you said, "nothing happens".....can you not paste it into, say, a new folder on your desktop?

[OneTrueFriend]

Hi,
Many thanks.
Will check everything out and get back.

[OneTrueFriend]

Just can't master this.
Found TEBE too daunting.
Have read numerous articles in the past week and tried various things with no luck.
When I get to Show Profile in TB Menu followed by Profiles and right clicking on that
and selecting Copy in the Drop Down Menu - there everything comes to a standstill, although I have already
turned off TB at that stage as recommended.
As a novice I still very mucch need help and it would be good, too, to hear from someone who has actually managed
to do the Thunderbird back up and restore.
Thanks again.

[DanRaisch]

The menu path should be Help->Troubleshooting Information->click on the button reading "Show folder." Is that what you've been doing? Have you tried clicking on any file in the directory (right hand pane of the Win Explorer window) and then pressing Ctrl+A to highlight all files and sub-directories?
Where is your profile stored? On your C:\ drive, on a network share?
What is it that is the "everything" that "comes to a standstill?" Are you referring to Windows Explorer?

[makaiguy]

I back up my TBird and FFox profiles using an oldie: Karen's Replicator, from Karen Kenworthy. Karen wrote a popular column in now-defunct Windows Magazine and provided a number of utilities she wrote to the community for free. Karen passed away in 2011. Her original page from which her utilities may be downloaded is long gone, but you can still find most of them available on other file sites (such as Major Geeks) via a web search.

Karen's Replicator is just a straight file copying utility that one can set to copy files on a scheduled basis.

The first of each month, I have it set to do a full backup of each profile into its own folder for the month, then a nightly backup of any changes into the same folder. I usually keep the current month's and previous month's backup, and delete anything older than that.

[OneTrueFriend]

The menu path should be Help->Troubleshooting Information->click on the button reading "Show folder." Is that what you've been doing? Have you tried clicking on any file in the directory (right hand pane of the Win Explorer window) and then pressing Ctrl+A to highlight all files and sub-directories?
Where is your profile stored? On your C:\ drive, on a network share?
What is it that is the "everything" that "comes to a standstill?" Are you referring to Windows Explorer?

Yes, that is what I have been doing in Thunderbird.
After Show Folder I go to Profiles on the page that opens.
Then I click on Default Profile and click Open on the drip down menu.
I don't use Windows Explorer, only Firefox.
My profile is stored in Thunderbird as described above.
The standstill is when I click Open in that drop down menu in Thunderbird.

[OneTrueFriend]

I back up my TBird and FFox profiles using an oldie: Karen's Replicator, from Karen Kenworthy. Karen wrote a popular column in now-defunct Windows Magazine and provided a number of utilities she wrote to the community for free. Karen passed away in 2011. Her original page from which her utilities may be downloaded is long gone, but you can still find most of them available on other file sites (such as Major Geeks) via a web search.

Karen's Replicator is just a straight file copying utility that one can set to copy files on a scheduled basis.

The first of each month, I have it set to do a full backup of each profile into its own folder for the month, then a nightly backup of any changes into the same folder. I usually keep the current month's and previous month's backup, and delete anything older than that.

Have to go out but I will search for that soonest chance I get.
I need to do a Factory Reset on my laptop and to back up Thunderbird and then restore it after the Factory Reset.
Will that programme do that for me?
The Thunderbird bit.

[DanRaisch]

After Show Folder I go to Profiles on the page that opens.

That's not a web page. It's a file manager window (Windows Explorer, not Internet Explorer).

Then I click on Default Profile and click Open on the drip down menu.

You shouldn't be clicking on anything at that point except one of the files in the right hand pane of the file manager window.

I don't use Windows Explorer, only Firefox.

Windows Explorer, not Internet Explorer. The file manager of Windows, not the Microsoft browser. And Firefox is not involved in any way in backing up or restoring Thunderbird.

My profile is stored in Thunderbird as described above.
The standstill is when I click Open in that drop down menu in Thunderbird.

If you followed the menu path I posted above there is no "Open" option. See the image below:

[makaiguy]

Have to go out but I will search for that soonest chance I get.
I need to do a Factory Reset on my laptop and to back up Thunderbird and then restore it after the Factory Reset.
Will that programme do that for me?
The Thunderbird bit.

Karen's Replicator will back up your entire profile, or whatever subset you tell it to.

What I have done in the past is to install Tbird in the new computer, then open the new profile in Windows Explorer (Win's file manager) and copy over those files from the old profile that I wish to have in the new one. See this article in the Mozillazine Knowledge Base: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_ ... hunderbird

[Dolphindave]

I just used Moz back up, I had to do it twice from the same backed up profile. But it restored everything the 2nd time.

[OneTrueFriend]

I just used Moz back up, I had to do it twice from the same backed up profile. But it restored everything the 2nd time.

Moz is supposed to be dangerous to use now as it is no longer supported.
Did you back up to a disc or a USB?
I will have to back up to something as I will be doing a factory reset on the
laptop and everything will disappear.
Thanks.

[OneTrueFriend]

makaiguy:
Thank you.
Only just got back to site.
Wanted to acknowledge your reply
before following up on your suggestions.