Thunderbird doesn't work restoring backup to profile (Mac)

[jackboltz]

I tried posting a thread but unfortunately I didn't got any traction. Maybe I've explained myself in a not so clear way? I'm going to try again, hoping to getting better luck this time around. Here it goes.

Big profile backup is out of control when restored. I'm on OSX.

Backup is a normal zip file of the profile folder, created on the same machine.

I know in theory, I should just create a new profile, quit TB, and then replace the contents of the newly created profile with my backup's contents. Next time I start it up, I should see my profiles' content.

However, that doesn't happen. And this is what I've seen after several dozen (?) times attempting it:

• the first time starting after the restore, it takes a while to start. Then I'm shown a series INBOXes named with '-n' at the end, for an arbitrary (?) number of n. Such as 'INBOX', 'INBOX-1', ..., 'INBOX-25', some 3 to 5, others 40 or 50.
  
  The last, according to this numbering, appears to be the one that contains the actual Inbox with messages. This happens in almost all accounts in the profile (about two thirds). I can also see several 'INBOX-n.msf' files (1kb) in the filesystem, with one corresponding final 'INBOX-n' file. This, as one could guess at this point, was not part of the original backup.
• after restarting TB, it takes even longer, and I lose access to all other folders. Everything below the account name disappears, except for the 'INBOX' that remains listed as a folder in the left pane, and when clicked on, shows no messages, none. For every account.
• every subsequent restart is then very quick, and I don't get access to the folders anymore. Even the maimed access the first time around seems now to be gone. There are only the empty INBOX folders, again and again.

Profile folder size goes from ~24GB to ~16GB throughout this, though in TB's folder pane, it looks as empty as it could be.

I've repeated this dozens of times, with two different profiles which lead to the same result.

I might have tried a restore once on Windows machine to test it out, a long time ago, which I think went smoothly. So I can't vouch for it now, but I'd guess the problem is in OSX. Which is a problem, because it's what I'm using.

Am I doing something wrong? Does it have anything to do with permissions? What can I do to get this restore working? Anyone experienced the same on OSX?

I feel silly going through the trouble of backing up weekly, don't feel safe at all by failing to restore these backups. When I need the backup, I don't think I'm going to have one. I've had a few scares, and one of these days, it's bound to happen.

Below are the pictures when I restore this backup in OSX, in the first run it shows a corrupted folder structure, and from then on I have no access to the emails anymore.

Would appreciate any help with this long running issue.


Here's the pictures of the situation:

First Run:




Second Run:

[jackboltz]

Anyone?

[jackboltz]

Hey, sorry, I seem to have posted this on the wrong place. I wanted to post it in general, it was a post asking for recommendations on importing profile data.

Edited this post and posted it again, for more clarity, here:

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3108843

Thanks for any help.

[Eckard]

Big profile backup is out of control when restored. I'm on OSX.

Which is (or was) the reason to replace your actual TB profile? Is your actual profile corrupted?
Which TB version are you using actually? Did you create your backups with earlier TB versions?

Backup is a normal zip file of the profile folder, created on the same machine.

It is not necessary to create a zipped backup file of your "xxxxxxxx.default-release" profile folder. A simple copy of the profile folder or - even better - of the entire folder "Thunderbird" (containing the folder "Profiles" and the file profiles.ini) from your user library is sufficient.

I know in theory, I should just create a new profile, quit TB, and then replace the contents of the newly created profile with my backup's contents.

In theory yes if you paste the contents of the profile back-up in the right place in the new profile
Or the backup is corrupted and you replace corrupted profile contents with other corrupted contents?

Am I doing something wrong? Does it have anything to do with permissions? What can I do to get this restore working? Anyone experienced the same on OSX?

I've never seen this issue in twenty years with any TB version on any Mac.
Your pictures don' t allow me to make a diagnosis of your issue. Even with screenshots of all the contents of your actual profile and the backup it would be very difficult to find the culprit(s).
It is easier and probably faster to start from scratch with a new profile.

So I suggest to create a brand-new TB profile without importing anything from your backups in a first time:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/pr ... d-profiles

You are using IMAP accounts, so re-creating these accounts and downloading messages is very simple.
In the beginning just create two of your IMAP accounts, then verify if both accounts and their folders are listed in folder pane, if messages are displayed in the thread pane and if you can open messages in the message pane. Send and receive messages between these two accounts
If everything runs smoothly you can create your remaining IMAP accounts.

Import your address books from one of the backups unless you use the "MacOS X Address Book". Ill give further details if needed.
If you used the "Local Folders" for storing messages locally, we will copy/paste the "Local Folders" folder from the folder "Mail" in a recent backup to replace the empty Local Folders in the Mail folder in yous new profile.
If you have any questions concerning the above instructions, ask me before messing up the new profile.

Addendum: I just read in your first thread from March that you also use POP.
When you have successfully created the IMAP accounts in the new profile, you can begin to create your POP accounts and I'll tell you how to import the messages from your actual profile or a backup.