Not certain whether you copied the 'Profiles' (with an s) folder that contains the 'profile name' folders OR whether you copied the actual 'profile name' folder. The 'profile name' folder is usually something like xxxxxxxx.default where the x's are letters and numbers.

Basically, the 'Thunderbird' folder contains the 'profiles.ini' file which it uses to determine what profile to open. Hence why if you had copied the actual 'Thunderbird' folder you would have all the necessary files.

If you copied the 'Profiles' folder then you would have had to paste it into the Roaming\ 'Thunderbird' folder replacing the original 'Profiles' folder. If you copied the actual 'profile name' folder then you would have pasted it into the Roaming\Thunderbird\'Profiles' folder.

Start Thunderbird via the 'Profile Manager', so you can then select the desired Profile and Thunderbird Profile Manager will auto update the 'profiles.ini' file. Good info at this link: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-thunderbird-profiles#w_start-the-profile-manager-when-thunderbird-is-closed

Very Much appreciate your Knowledge. it has helped a lot. Because of what you said and the link, we checked the windows.old folder in the location specified and found the entire Thunderbird folder. we did need to clean up old profiles using the following to rid ourselves of a profile cant load problem message.

thunderbird.exe -P thunderbird -profilemanager

thx again marked as solved

sincerely, willreadmoreclosley