re :Installed completely clean t-bird, ran all updates, replaced the new profile folder with the old one.

The 'profile.ini' file has no knowledge about the 'profile name' folder which you inserted. It is expecting to find the new default profile, which you just deleted, so therefore it cannot find any profile.

The usual method, is to copy all the 'Contents' - all files and folders - of the backup 'profile name' folder. The paste then into the new default 'profile name' folder overwriting all the default files and folders with all the copied ones from backup.

So it is still using the new default profile name, but it now contains all your old profile name contents.

But you could try the following where you edit the 'profiles.ini' file to point to the new 'profile name' which you inserted.

Exit Thunderbird. The 'profile.ini' file is located in the 'Roaming'/'Thunderbird' folder. Same place as the 'Profiles' folder. It will probably have the new default profile name which it is expecting to find.

• Open 'profiles.ini' file using 'Notepad'.
• Change the 'profile name' to the one you have inserted.
• SAve the file.
• Start Thunderbird.

More info: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profiles.ini_file

Sorry, I forgot to say that I opened the profile.Ini file in windows notes and put in the correct “Old” profile name and saved it . Just checked the INI file and it does show the correct profile name . I will try another reinstall with moving just the files inside the profile folder and leaving the new profile name in both files

Re-installed program and moved profile files over to new folder as you suggested. Didn’t work. Still opens asking if I would like a new email address and to configure account .