Thunderbird 38.3 Deleted All Profiles and Folders
Thunderbird 38.3, Win 7 64 Bit I created a new e mail account but forgot to set the folders to My E Mail\e mail address folder. So I deleted the new profile Thunderbird ask if I wanted to delete all of its files which I said yes and it did, But it also deleted 5 e mail accounts and their folders located under My E Mails. But it kept the profile.ini file with all of the profiles in it and their folder location as My E Mails\ e mail address. When I open TB the profiles are listed but will need to be re set up. Luckily I have a back up and I just going to copy over the files. BTW I believe this should not be doing this just delete the profile and its associated folders. This has happened a few times in the past few years with me. This might be a deal breaker for me.
All Replies (8)
I am not sure what you think a profile is. Thunderbird's profile stores:
your email account settings your stored email messages your address book your add-ons, extension and customizations calendar data
…so when you delete a profile, of course it deletes all these data.
How did you delete your profile? That's not a function that Thunderbird offers.
Well the profile.ini file kept the Name and the path of the e mails accounts folders. But it deleted ALL e mail accounts: ALL e mail account folders ALL stored email messages ALL address book All add-ons, extension and customizations All calendar data
No I don't think it should be deleting ALL the e mail folders. It should just the one e mail profile and folders.
It Should have only deleted only the one profile I selected to delete and its related file folders. Not All E Mail folders.
When using Profile Manager when it starts you have an option box that lists all the e mail accounts and on the left there is an option to create, rename or delete Profile.
Further from Profile manager Support: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/using-multiple-profiles#w_deleting-a-profile Deleting a profile
To delete a profile, highlight the profile in the Choose User Profile window and select Delete Profile.... Click Don't Delete Files if you only want to remove the profile from a list but keep its files. Click Delete Files to permanently delete the profile and all its data.
Sure didn't do that: It delete the one profile and all other e mail acct data.
Modified by frazld
I really don't understand why you chose to start deleting profiles in the first place. It doesn't seem relevant to your initial issue.
You say you "created a new e mail account" so you presumably added this to your existing profile. You didn't have a new profile, so attempting to delete profiles is just not useful.
Do you choose to move your mail store locations to somewhere outside the regular profile? What does "forgot to set the folders to My E Mail\e mail address folder" mean? What is there to set?
A profile stores multiple accounts. You do not need to fiddle with the profile in order to add or remove an account. When I can, I try to persuade users not to tamper with profiles. Few users need more than one profile. Moving message stores out of the profile simply makes ongoing maintenance a whole lot more difficult.
I think you will find your missing data is still on the HDD, but is currently disassociated from Thunderbird. I would understand the option to remove a profile, as offered by the Profile Manager (which you hadn't mentioned up to now) would make it vanish from the Profile Manager.
What did you expect to happen when you chose to "delete a profile"?
I expected it to delete the one and only profile that I selected to delete and its folder and not the other folders.
Yes if vanished from profile manager but. Only ONE profile was deleted but it deleted ALL PROFILES FILES.
It should not be deleting anything but the selected profile and its related files. NOT ALL PROFILE FILES
The profile.ini is still in c:\window\users\MYname\AppData\roaming\thunderbird.
Then why is there an option to change your data location when you 1st set up an profile and in the account options. Its is pointed to if from the profiles,ini file.
The data files were moved to a different drive other than C: drive. Even with Outlook they were stored & edited as needed elsewhere with no problem. NONE of my personnel files of any type are stored on c: drive. its been like that since DOS 3.2
I am sure its on the HD if in need it I can find it.
The root of the problem is that Profile manager should only delete the selected profile and its data folder (if you select to delete it) AS it indicated it would. Other wise it should say its deleting ALL Profile DATA folders.
This is the first time i heard of profile manager deleting more than the marked profile when asked to. Could you tell us if profile.ini has your other profiles listed and pointing to the right path. (can be opened in Notetab or eq)
Modified by Gnospen
Yes I has all the profiles and pointing to the location I had for the files. (Even tho files are now gone) Like E:/My E Mail/myaddress@mail.net/Mail/pop.mailserver.net The profile/ini is in the default location c:\window\users\MYname\AppData\roaming\thunderbird.
Another issue In profile manager on wife's machine she occasionally keeps hitting the Use selected profile wuth out asking at start up, The she cant access her other acct s. I then have to re setup Profile Manager. I think that button has to be moved to the left its is too close to the area to select the profile to ne used