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I cannot back up my Thunderbird profile

  • 6 replies
  • 6 have this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by charmmeth

charmmeth
charmmeth
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I have frequently backed up my Thunderbird profile, both using my backup programme (Genie Backup Minager) and simply by copying it onto an external drive. However, now (i.e. since about mid October) when I try to do this my system crashes.

I had a major system crash on 15 October and restored my data and Thunderbird profile from backups. Since then I have not managed to backup the profile, which is a bit unnerving. I do have some very large (>2GB) folders of archived mail and these seem to be causing a particular problem which I try to copy them, but they haven't increased in size from before the crash. (I am going to work on reducing the size of my mail archive.)

I have frequently backed up my Thunderbird profile, both using my backup programme (Genie Backup Minager) and simply by copying it onto an external drive. However, now (i.e. since about mid October) when I try to do this my system crashes. I had a major system crash on 15 October and restored my data and Thunderbird profile from backups. Since then I have not managed to backup the profile, which is a bit unnerving. I do have some very large (>2GB) folders of archived mail and these seem to be causing a particular problem which I try to copy them, but they haven't increased in size from before the crash. (I am going to work on reducing the size of my mail archive.)

All Replies (6)

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Try to disable anti-virus software prior to copying the profile folder. It would take anti-virus quite a while to scan a 2 GB file. That is also the reason not to let anti-virus scan the Thunderbird profile folder.

charmmeth
charmmeth Question owner
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Thank you, but I am not sure how I would go about doing this?

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Contact the support of your anti-virus software vendor or ask in their forum how to create an exception for a specific folder. For more information about the location of the Thunderbird profile folder see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

charmmeth
charmmeth Question owner
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Thank you. In the mean time I have found out how to create an exclusion rule/trusted zone and will try this as a work around. (BTW I already know where the Thunderbird profile is: if I didn't I would not know the size of my archived mail folders!)

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
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I have found out how to create an exclusion rule/trusted zone and will try this as a work around.

Is it working?

charmmeth
charmmeth Question owner
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I am travelling (three countries in three days...) and won't have time to try anything now until I am back home on Wed/Thu. Will let you know then.