Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

User Help for Mozilla Thunderbird
Post Reply
f3red
Posts: 8
Joined: January 22nd, 2012, 8:06 am

Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by f3red »

Following instructions at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/mo ... w-computer I moved my current profile to my brand new shiny Windows 10 computer, from an older - but up-to-date Windows 10 - computer, but when I start TB, it is utterly blank and asks me if I want to create a new email account. I tried a number of (hopefully) non-destructive things but the result is the same. Can anyone suggest the magic needed?

BTW, TB on both machines is up-to-date, at version 52.4.0 (32-bit).

TIA for any help...
f3red
Posts: 8
Joined: January 22nd, 2012, 8:06 am

Re: Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by f3red »

Um ... Whattaya mean the Firefox profile won't work in Thunderbird?

So, I think I solved my own problem, proving what an old boss told me (repeatedly): "We can make it idiot-proof, but then they just go an make a better idiot!"

Cheers,
rfp
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127166
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by DanRaisch »

No offense, but did you create the new profile as described in that article and copy the Thunderbird profile data from the old system to that new profile?
You might see if this article is helpful -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Recovering_a_ ... isappeared
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by tanstaafl »

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Move_to_a_new_PC would have been a better starting point for moving your profile to the new PC.

I suspect something trashed the profiles.ini file, which it uses to find the profile. It will not tolerate that. Delete that file. Its at %APPDATA%\Thunderbird . Make certain you don't delete the one for Firefox (at %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox)

Run Thunderbird and immediately exit from the new account wizard. It will have created a new profiles.ini that points to a profile stub. Use help -> troubleshooting information -> open folder to open file explorer at the current profile. Exit Thunderbird. Copy the contents of your old profile to that location and start Thunderbird. It will look for the profile stub and find and use your copied profile instead.

Make certain you copy the contents of your old profile, but not the profile directory itself. i.e. if your old profile was at a xyz directory and the profile stub was at abc, when you copy the old profiles contents to the abc directory it should not have a xyz subdirectory.
User avatar
makaiguy
Posts: 16878
Joined: November 18th, 2002, 6:44 pm
Location: Somewhere in SE USA
Contact:

Re: Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by makaiguy »

Guys.. from post #2, it looks like the OP discovered that he had installed his Firefox profile instead of his Thunderbird profile, and that he's now discovered his error.
Doug Wilson
Win10 64bit: FF 115.0.02 64bit, TB 102.12.0 32-bit ║ Android 13/10: FF 115.2.0/115.0.1 ║ No TB for Android available, dammit!
What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away - Doobie Brothers
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127166
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by DanRaisch »

You're right, Doug.
Frederick3
Posts: 4
Joined: November 20th, 2017, 12:05 pm

Re: Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by Frederick3 »

I suspect these suggestions above will address my predicament but let me outline what I am facing.
I had a C: drive catastrophically crash. It took with it most of the app files including those of Thunderbird. But I had made a backup and a copy of all the data on the machine, and that includes all the prefs folder. just two days earlier.
I handed my PC over to a shop and got a new SSD C: with up-to-date WIN 10 Pro. They also then --- at my request --- converted the system to Microsoft secure storage so I now have all the four (4) drives related as far as storage space is concerned. I can lose a drive and still have all the data.
I have now been re-installing all the apps and Thunderbird is an important one. I have tried to get Thunderbird up and running but all attempts kick up the same error message: "Your Thunderbird profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible". I'd rather keep the Profiles etc off the C: but can copy them over if that is necessary. What to do? It would be handy if Thunderbird would kick out a request for an address to the prefs folder or do a search for (all) the prefs folders on the system and ask for owner input.rather than curling up its toes. Please help.
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Unsuccessful Move to new Computer

Post by tanstaafl »

I suggest you delete the profiles.ini file (it will create a new one when you run Thunderbird) and then see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_p ... hunderbird . You can have the profile on a different drive.

If you enter %APPDATA%\Thunderbird at start->run it should open window explorer/file explorer at the directory with the profiles.ini file for Thunderbird. That file is used to tell Thunderbird where the profiles are. It will not ignore any errors in that file, even for unused profiles.
Post Reply