Thunderbird has lost all my settings and files.
Dear Mozilla, My 27" iMac crashed suddenly on Wednesday last week (when I wasn't actually using it) and would not boot up. A message referred me to Apple and I made an appointment in Glasgow to take my Mac for the repair. I plugged my Mac in before I left - and it recovered itself!
However all my Thunderbird emails, files and settings have totally disappeared! Apparently a Thunderbird update is responsible. I have spent hours on the phone trying to get help. I have spent hours with CHATDGP talking me through stuff. The data seems to be on my machine but whatever I do I can't get Thunderbird to work. I am at my wits end. I have all my work files in Thunderbird and have no access to anything.
This is the second time recently that my Thunderbird files have vanished. I had to pay an expert to come to my house and restore the first time, but he is very ill at the moment and unable to leave home.
Please help me. I would be very grateful to have my Thunderbird back and working correctly. I am on macOS Monterey, version 12.7.6 (21h1320).
kind regards Helen 07836 707504 UK
All Replies (2)
Sometimes, on an update, the prefs..js file is not upated, possibly due to interference by antivirus or firewall. when that happens, thunderbird starts fresh, even though al the content is there. You might look in the profile to see if thee is a prefs-1.js (or prefs-2.js). If so, you can browse it with a text editor to see if it has your account info. If so, delete the prefs.js (with thunderbird not running) and rename the other one to prefs.js. This isn't a guaarantee, as the problem may lie elsewhere, but would be my first place to look.
Thank you very much. Appreciated! I can see that file and it has stuff in it. I will ask my son to help me now so I don't mess it up.
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