[SOLVED] Thunderbird cannot access old data-directory

JZL240I-U · 07-31-2016, 10:51 AM

TB stores mails etc. in a folder in /home/<user>/.thunderbird/<gibberish>.default and one of those I saved a year ago. The <gibberish> part of my current installation differs form the old one. I copied the old one into the current TB-folder and tried a) rename the old file to the current name and b) editing "profile.ini" to contain the old name. TB can't open the old mailbox in either case and crashes. What do I do wrong?

beachboy2 · 07-31-2016, 11:35 AM

JZL240I-U,

Post #9 on here should help you:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...er-4175583606/

JZL240I-U · 08-01-2016, 01:10 AM

That is exactly what I did, see:

Quote:

Originally Posted by JZL240I-U

... b) editing "profile.ini" to contain the old name. ...

And TB crashed.

syg00 · 08-01-2016, 02:20 AM

Sounds ok to me - I've even moved accounts between Windows and Linux (both ways) like that without any trouble.

beachboy2 · 08-01-2016, 02:41 AM

I just noticed that there was a typo in the earlier thread, namely a space between Path= and abcd1234.default.

This maybe still does not solve your problem, but currently I am not able to edit the earlier post.
I have reported it.

The earlier post should have read:

Quote:

You need to access the .thunderbird folder on the original hard drive.

Open the Home folder on that drive, View > Show Hidden Files > open the .thunderbird folder.

Then copy the abcd1234.default folder to a USB stick or similar.

On the new computer, click on Thunderbird to open it and then immediately close it.

The copied profile folder must then be pasted inside the NEW .thunderbird folder on the Home folder of the new hard drive.

Assuming that your new default folder is wxyz5678.default , the existing profiles.ini file should be modified and then saved as follows:

Code:

[General] 
StartWithLastProfile=1 

[Profile0] 
Name=default 
IsRelative=1 
#Path=wxyz5678.default
Path=abcd1234.default

When you reopen Thunderbird, all your old email accounts, emails and address books etc will be there as usual.

JZL240I-U · 08-01-2016, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Sounds ok to me ...

How do you mean? TB crashed.

@beachboy2 I noticed that blank. I had none in my profile.ini, I made sure of that, but thanks for coming back

.

syg00 · 08-01-2016, 03:50 AM

What you did sounds like what I did, ergo "Sounds ok to me".

JZL240I-U · 08-01-2016, 03:53 AM

Hmm. I'll try and start TB tonight without extensions ("--safe-mode" or so). Maybe that helps.

descendant_command · 08-01-2016, 05:38 AM

Start it from a terminal (you can also specify the profile) and see if any of the info provides clues.

erik2282 · 08-01-2016, 07:23 AM

When I move Thunderbird/Icedove to a new computer, I create the new profile by signing in and then only moving the files I need to the new profile. The files I move are:

These are under /home/username/.thunderbird/
First rename the below files from history.mab to history.mab.backup for example

Code:

abook.mab
history.mab
key3.db
logins.json

and under /home/username/.thunderbird/ImapMail/youremailsever/

Code:

msgFilterRules.dat

JZL240I-U · 08-01-2016, 08:20 AM

Good idea, erik2282, I'll try that tonight.

JZL240I-U · 08-01-2016, 12:34 PM

Tried it, doesn't work

I backed up the existing /.thunderbird/<gibberish>.default and used a copy of that in which I deleted the five files you pointed out. Then I copied over the five old files with the same name into the previously emptied /.thunderbird/<gibberish>.default -- and got the "modern" contents after starting TB. Why? This is frustrating, it really is.

<edit> No criticism of your help and suggestions intended, it's just me

. </edit>

erik2282 · 08-01-2016, 12:45 PM

Try starting over. Rename the gibberish.default file to gibberish.default.backup and it will create a new .default file when you open thunderbird again. and then start over with renaming and copying over.

JZL240I-U · 08-01-2016, 12:49 PM

Ah, well, but then I might lose my current mails when I activate the old ones (or I'll have to redo it again to switch back...).

erik2282 · 08-01-2016, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JZL240I-U

Ah, well, but then I might lose my current mails when I activate the old ones (or I'll have to redo it again to switch back...).

Are you using POP or IMAP? I was assuming you were using IMAP when I gave my suggestion.