Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Upgraded to new Thunderbird but LOST complete profile with Archived contracts, saved e-mail, calander, and address books.

  • 2 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 18 views
  • Last reply by Ed Fultz

more options

I cannot believe you did it again!!! Months ago I updated and found all of my profiles were lost as their layout did not match the new programs. Never could recover and had to start again entering all e-mail addresses and address books. Got a message this morning that an update was available and downloaded only to discover my profile was once again lost. The profile contains an archive with contracts, warrantees, and other important data. How do I recover my old profiles. The message stated the profiles were not compatible with the new programs and had to be reconstituted. I cannot believe the people who maintain Thunderbird can write a new program but CANNOT write a program to convert the old profile to the new format. SHIRE STUPIDITY!!! Guess I need to quit recommending Mozilla and move to something else. Hate Google and Micro$oft but may have no other choice.

I cannot believe you did it again!!! Months ago I updated and found all of my profiles were lost as their layout did not match the new programs. Never could recover and had to start again entering all e-mail addresses and address books. Got a message this morning that an update was available and downloaded only to discover my profile was once again lost. The profile contains an archive with contracts, warrantees, and other important data. How do I recover my old profiles. The message stated the profiles were not compatible with the new programs and had to be reconstituted. I cannot believe the people who maintain Thunderbird can write a new program but CANNOT write a program to convert the old profile to the new format. SHIRE STUPIDITY!!! Guess I need to quit recommending Mozilla and move to something else. Hate Google and Micro$oft but may have no other choice.

Chosen solution

I cannot believe v68 wiped out my profile - address book is completely gone. I saw the dialog and I stopped. I then opened what I thought was the newer version by double-clicking on the .exe expecting it to open my existing profile with no lost data. I do not see multiple profiles available using the methods in other posts. Is my data gone forever? My folders did not get lost - just my address book. I don't know if my junk mail settings were lost. WHY would anyone think it a good idea to have ANY way to wipe out someone profile without, FIRST, doing a backup in case they made a mistake?

Thank goodness I was able to recover my address book - I took the history.map.bak and abook.mab.bak and renamed them removing the .bak. In the course of things I saw a note that Thunderbird/Mozilla recommends regularly backup up the profile - something I was unaware

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (2)

more options

Try this info: https://thunderbirdtweaks.blogspot.com/

OR start the 'profile manager' and select the correct profile In search type 'run' and select 'Run.app' Type: thunderbird.exe -P click on ok Note there is a space after the .exe


I have created a shortcut Thunderbird icon and changed the target folder so I have a quick way of opening Profile Manager. right-click on the shortcut Thundrerbird Desktop icon and select 'Properties' change the Target to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe" -P

The target info will already be there, add a space after the .exe" then type -P click on OK see image below

more options

Chosen Solution

I cannot believe v68 wiped out my profile - address book is completely gone. I saw the dialog and I stopped. I then opened what I thought was the newer version by double-clicking on the .exe expecting it to open my existing profile with no lost data. I do not see multiple profiles available using the methods in other posts. Is my data gone forever? My folders did not get lost - just my address book. I don't know if my junk mail settings were lost. WHY would anyone think it a good idea to have ANY way to wipe out someone profile without, FIRST, doing a backup in case they made a mistake?

Thank goodness I was able to recover my address book - I took the history.map.bak and abook.mab.bak and renamed them removing the .bak. In the course of things I saw a note that Thunderbird/Mozilla recommends regularly backup up the profile - something I was unaware

Modified by Ed Fultz