No, I'm still 'following' your question.

At this point it seems clear that version 68 is not wanting to use that default home profile. So in effect asking you to create a new profile and add mail accounts.

Please access: C:\Users\Bob\Appdata\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\dyegibl4.home folder You will see a file called 'compatibility.ini' Please open using 'Notepad' Please Post image showing contents.

Can i assume at the moment, you have uninstalled 68 and reinstalled 60.9.0 in order to get access again?

Yes, I've uninstalled 68 and am using 60.9.0. Compatibility.ini attached.

Lets try a really radical step. The developers of the profile per install actually created an off switch. Something that is basically undocumented and I at least was unaware of until the last day or so when it was mentioned on the Enterprise mailing list. But if this does not work, then the issue is something other than what we have been looking at here.

So lets try turning off the option for profile per install and see if it works for you to get the profile loaded in V68. Once loaded the variable is almost certainly not required as you profile will again be your profile.

Create an environment variable (I feel like it is 1990 again)

Windows key+ R Type control system and press enter. In the control panel click advanced system settings on the right list. In the advanced system settings that opens click the environment variables button on the bottom right. Click new In the variable name add MOZ_LEGACY_PROFILES In the values box type 1

Click ok and save everything on the way out of that maze of dialogs and windows.

Just for a test to make sure it all worked. Windows key + X Click command prompt from the menu. at the command prompt that opens type (or paste) %MOZ_LEGACY_PROFILES% and press enter. it should return with a 1 Close the command prompt and update to V68 again.

You are my guinea pig with this, but I feel it will work.

Followed your instructions, Matt, and there's no change. I really think the problem is with the way 68 is installing, since I still can't access Troubleshooting (if I could do that, I could select a profile). Now, should I remove the MOZ_LEGACY_PROFILES variable, so that it doesn't do any damage?

Does anybody have any more suggestions? TB 68 continues to try to install, but always comes up empty and no access to Troubleshooting, so I can't tell it to load my Profiles. It simply isn't installing correctly.

Come on, guys. What is so different about the installation routine between TB 60.9 and 68.x.x? I've tried updating to every version of 68 as it comes out, and I always get the same result: My profile won't load (even using thunderbird -p) and the Troubleshooting button and the hamburger button (among many other things) won't work. So I revert to reinstalling 60.9 and it works every time. What is the change in the installation routine that won't allow me to use 68? Is there a way around it (such as emulating 60.9 to install 68)?

At this stage we've spent enough time that probably the only path is to share your profile directories, minus the passwords and actual emails, to someone with the skills to troubleshoot it. It's worked before.

BTW, please do not delete anything - as I wrote in September, it is important that we get at the root cause of this, and for that we need the data to reproduce the problem.

Thanks

Sorry if I said this before.

Perhaps rename the global-messages-db.sqlite file in the profile folder and try it again.

Saw it reported as a workaround on a bug report. It might be worth trying.

That did it! I now have TB 68.2.2 working correctly. Thank you to all who helped on this (and no, I hadn't tried this last suggestion before)!

horseybob said

That did it! I now have TB 68.2.2 working correctly. Thank you to all who helped on this (and no, I hadn't tried this last suggestion before)!

How large is that File HorseyBob?

Bug 1578539 refers

The old global messages file was 36,256 KB; the new one is 53,888 KB.

horseybob said

Thunderbird performed an automatic update to 68.1 from 60.9 today. Upon restart of the program, TB came up in 68.1 with empty fields. No mailboxes. Won't start Options. Can't start Troubleshooter. Everything from 60.9 is gone, and I can't figure out how to bring it all back in 68. I can uninstall 68 and reinstall 60, and everything goes back to normal, but then the automatic update cycle starts again. Please help!

I have this problem too as of FEb 3 2020 - I haven't solved it I seem to be getting emails but my accounts are gone all I see is a blank shell and tool bar is greyed out?

SeedSound said

I have this problem too as of FEb 3 2020 - I haven't solved it I seem to be getting emails but my accounts are gone all I see is a blank shell and tool bar is greyed out?

Did you try deleting the sqlite file as suggested above?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rebuilding-global-database