Latest release deleted e-mails (6-2-20)
My Thunderbird program was set for automatic update. After the update to 68.8.1, all my archived emails from the past 20 years were missing. I could not find a link to change to reflect that all my Thunderbird emails were at C:\emailtb1. Also, more important, before the automatic update I had about 500 emails in my inbox. Only 150 now appear. The other 350 are gone!
My email account is ronsteinbach2@att.net. AT&T uses yahoo.com for its emails. I went to yahoo.com and I discovered that the Thunderbird installer also deleted about 1,000 of my emails at Yahoo, leaving only the same 150.
I uninstalled the version 68.8.1 of Thunderbird, and found 60.5.3 on my computer which I installed. I found the place to change my file location (missing in 68.8.1) to C:/emailtb1, and the old program found my 20 years of old emails (saved under Thunderbird under separate file names each with about 500 emails).
My 350 missing emails in my previous inbox were not found by 60.5.3 either. I am an attorney and I need the missing emails.
Also, when I load the old Thunderbird program, it automatically reverts to the "Profile" under the newest release and I have to again set up the same "Profile" for the old version. And the program again re-loads, one by one, each of the same 150 remaining emails.
I have used Thunderbird since its inception with no problems. I almost forgot that my address book is now empty, both under the new version and the old version which I re-installed!
Ron Steinbach, ronsteinbach2@att.net
P.S. I have used computers since 1984. Deleting files on an install is not acceptable.
All Replies (3)
Thunderbird does not delete anything when it installs. So if we can start with that I might be able to assist you. Otherwise, I am out of here.
For Thunderbird to be able to access C:/emailtb1 you must be using an admin account. I will not lecture you on that, but needless to say it is a very bad idea. Leaves you and your clients open to malware and is not HIPPA compliant for those in the USA.
Thunderbird 68 has a profile per install. It is troublesome to say the least. But it is also rather easily tamed. See https://thunderbirdtweaks.blogspot.com/2019/09/i-lost-my-profilemail-on-update-to.html
I found the place to change my file location
I have no idea what this means at all as There are no changes in such things as the "local directory" setting. Despite my vehement opposition to it remaining as a user choice. Accessing the profile manager also works as it always has, although the about:profiles is a significantly better way to manage profiles. But if you are changing the "local directory" you are really setting yourself up for issues long term.
A large part of your current posting is about what happens when your profile changes and you don't revert the profile, just locate the "local directory" you changed the mail to. That does not recover profile items like calendars and address books. But I am reaching, because I am assuming what you have, not what you said you have.
I disagree with your first statement that "Thunderbird does not delete anything when it installs." Since only the last 14 days of my inbox and 0 days of my sent box were saved, it appears that the programmers had the install "over-write" my files. You may claim that does not constitute "deleting", but I disagree.
The proof of deletions is that my internet Yahoo account deleted about 1,000+ of my old emails. That certainly required an active command from the install program. And, no, they are not in my Trash folder -- just all gone except for the last 14 days of my inbox, and no sent messages. Right away there is a logical inconsistency in that happening. I call it a major "bug" that needs to be investigated.
Based on other comments, the new version takes us back to 1984 software writing. It is no longer user friendly. The new version should not have been released. It is only at the pre-beta stage. To foist this on users through automatic updates is not right. There is no logical sense to "profiles" in terms of day-to-day use.
My question is unsolved. How do I recover my missing 350+ incoming emails, and probably a similar number of sent emails? Were my original files saved under other names? If so, where are they? There is nothing in my Recycle Bin. Nothing in my original file location either.
Ron Steinbach
visit help > troubleshooting > about:profiles see if there are multiple profiles there