difficulties with profiles after update to v78.4.1

[ghuareg]

Very recently I found Thunderbird updated; I think automatically, to version in heading. A profile 'ca2sj6sf''sits in both
C:users\me\Appdata\Roaming\Profiles, and in \Local\ Profiles too. In :users\me\Appdata\Roaming\Profiles is also profile 'ay3kzm78.default'.

An Attempt to backup all my Windows 10 files and folders failed because it was waiting for non existent C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local
\Thunderbird\Profiles\ca2sj6sf. Could 78.4.1 have anything to do with the backup failure?

AS can be seen above, 'ca2sj6sf'' is not listed as default. Can I Revert to 'ay3kzm78' safely, and remove 'ca2sj6sf'? In Appdata\Roaming\Profiles is also nfj8jza0.default-release. What should happen to it.

May i safely revert to 'ay3kzm78' as default? What else do you recommend to solve these problems?

I await your reply. Please gentle with this old codger.

[tanstaafl]

What version did you upgrade from?

There was a big change after version 60 that made Thunderbird want to create a new profile in many cases, and also cause problems with reusing existing profiles. There are workarounds that we can explain.

Help > troubleshooting information -> open folder (profile folder, not upgrades folder) opens at which profile directory?

When Thunderbird updated did it say anything about you needed to create a new profile, or automatically run the new account wizard?

[ghuareg]

tanstaafl
Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm not absolutely sure about the version I upgraded from (it's been very vague since non-covid indiposition from March. However, profile 'ay3kzm78.default'. has in a screenshot a moderated 28/2/2020 date.

It points to C:\Users\....\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\ca2sj6sf.

As far as I Recall nothing said about new profile or wizzard.

[tanstaafl]

My turn to apologize for the late reply

Its unclear what your configuration is. Try using a --allow-downgrade command line argument in the shortcuts properties. http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... #p14873656 explains how to edit the shortcut.

After you do that go to help -> troubleshooting information and click on about:profiles (its a improved version of the profile manager that doesn't require you to use command line arguments to launch it). Find the profile you want to use and press the associated "set as default profile" button.

If that works backup the profiles, wait a couple of days to verify you're not missing anything and then use about:profiles to delete the unwanted profile. Its not safe to just delete the profile using windows explorer as profiles.ini will still point to it.

If this doesn't help please tell me what error message you get when you try to use the 'ay3kzm78' profile. It would also help to post the contents of profiles.ini. Its normally 2 directories above where your profiles are stored (C:\Users\....\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\).

If my instructions are unclear please tell me where you get stuck and I'll try to elaborate on what you need to do.

[ghuareg]

I'm an idiot. I deleted the unwanted profiles too soon including 'ay3kzm78', so leaving only 'ca2sj6sf'.

What the devil do I do next? May be a complete uninstallation of TB?

[tanstaafl]

Occasionally making mistakes is normal, especially if you don't have a good idea of how something works

Try selecting the remaining profile using about:profiles in help -> troubleshooting information.

Do you use POP or IMAP accounts? If IMAP, the original messages are still stored on the mail server (even if you deleted the account and need to add it back again)

[ghuareg]

Thanks for the kind words, as TB has me spinning. Profile 'ca2sj6sf' is the sole occupant and set to default.

I use IMAP throughout.

[WaltS48]

Thanks for the kind words, as TB has me spinning. Profile 'ca2sj6sf' is the sole occupant and set to default.

I use IMAP throughout.

Well a profile name needs an extension behind it. Yours should be 'ca2sj6sf.default'.

I would launch the profile manager and try renaming it.

[tanstaafl]

I don't think the directory name needs an extension.

The profile I'm using on the laptop is at C:\Users\Donald\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\c9yxz55g.68 new profile. If I go to rename it using about:profiles it claims the existing name is "68 new profile". The corresponding entry in profiles.ini is:

[Install8216C80C92C4E828]
Default=Profiles/c9yxz55g.68 new profile
Locked=1

[ghuareg]

Thanks for the kind words, as TB has me spinning. Profile 'ca2sj6sf' is the sole occupant and set to default.

I use IMAP throughout.

Well a profile name needs an extension behind it. Yours should be 'ca2sj6sf.default'.

I would launch the profile manager and try renaming it.

In About Profiles it is listed as the default without any extension

[ghuareg]

tanstaafl What comments do you have on my post preceding WaltS48's diversion?

[tanstaafl]

I assume you deleted 'ay3kzm78' using Thunderbird (rather than through windows explorer). Check whether Thunderbird has just forgotten about the "deleted" profile or whether the 'ay3kzm78' directory (and its contents) is gone (physically removed as a side effect of deleting the profile).

If the former you can always use about:profiles in help -> troubleshooting information to create a new profile, exit Thunderbird and copy the contents of 'ay3kzm78' to it. If the latter, since you're using IMAP add any missing accounts and you'll get any missing mail back. You might be missing some contacts (due to using a older address book) but unless you have a backup you didn't mention you'll need to manually add the missing contacts again.

[ghuareg]

Yes, deleted in TB , but copy made.

[tanstaafl]

If you made a copy use about:profiles to create a new profile, open windows explorer at its location, exit Thunderbird, copy the contents of 'ay3kzm78' into the new profile and then use about:profiles to select that profile as your default profile.

[ghuareg]

I thought everything had started to get better day before last evening after a problematic day in which several messages concerning inability to load profiles were seen, and hard copies of passwords pasted in to account settings were continuously rejected.

Yesterday, with 'ay3kzm78' in emptied 'ca2sj6sf' (now the sole one). TB asked me to set up my existing accounts. I started, using the hard copies of the data mentioned above; seemed OK so far.

This morning I attempted to send an email, but the password i thought saved to the account was again rejected, and also the SMTP server details required by my ISP were absent and in place the assumption
of TB account set up.

Any trace of Help etc and Profile Manager are not to be found at all.

I am reaching the conclusion, that any trace of any version of TB needs to be removed from my computer and the registry cleaned before a fresh install.

Do you agree?