131 has upgraded to 132. This release will soon be released as a monthly update, separate from 128, the extended support release. You are safe to use this monthly version, as it will soon be formally released. I am using this version and have had no difficulties. If you prefer the extended support release, you can install it, but may have to locate a file named compatibility.ini in the profile folder and delete it.

David thank you very much for your reply. I don't really understand the difference between the extended support release and a (normal?) release, and the associated numbering. I have read the suggested link (Use of last profile with downgraded TB (131-> 128.3) but did not fully understand it.)

Can I just wait for the release of 132 and update to that. How do I stop automatic updates until I can manually install 132 when it is released?

This is a new direction, having two releases, one extended version for stability, and one with the latest enhancements updated monthly. the extended one is currently 128 and the monthly 132 (yes, 131 has already updated.) 132 is still a beta, but if you click help>about then it will upgrade to 132. To prevent future upgrades without your permission, click the settings>general and scroll down to the update area and tick the box to inform you of updates but not install without your ok.

David Thank you again. Just being a basic user, should I be on the ESR version? If so how do I do that?

With the beta version I get this warning message every time I open TB, it would be nice not to have to worry about it.

If you are seeing https://start.thunderbird.net/en-US/monthly/, just ignore it.

I suggest staying with the monthly version, as it will be regularly updated. Switching to the ESR version can be problematic and not worth the frustration. As Wayne indicated, just ignore the beta warning.

Thanks for your help. I really don't like being in the position I am in. I guess I will have to make a careful note of all my settings and uninstall the beta and reinstall the ESR version and re-create the profile.

I do wish developers did more to make it easy for Users rather than making it more complex and confusing. I feel I should not have been automatically moved from ESR to the Beta versions. Then to have a message come up recommending to go back to the latest stable ESR version (which cannot be done easily) does not make life easy for a normal User.

Just FYI, I am having the same problem, and it has happened twice that a beta version was installed automatically instead of the esr version. So far, no one seems to have an answer to why this is happening.

So far, no one seems to have an answer to why this is happening.

This is for everyone... If Help > Troubleshooting Information > Show update history doesn't show Thunderbird having updated to anything other than an esr version (currently 128), then you need to look elsewhere.

Check what programs are installed on your computer, and tell us what you are able to determine might have caused this - because we, the thunderbird team, are as much interested in learning what as happening as you.

Here is my info from Update History 5th Sept 128.2.0.esr successful 20th Sept 128.2.3.esr patch apply failed 2nd Oct 128.3.0.esr install failed 13th Oct 131.0.1 successful 30th Oct 132.0 patch apply failed.

Now every day on start up it wants my admin password to do another update (which I have to decline)

Is there any way I can keep my exsisting email history, the uninstall and re-install and set up my various accounts again? I can't afford to lose all my history.

I believe you can install 128 over the top of current installation, and then in windows file explorer, locate a file named compatibility.ini in the profile and delete it, and on starting, turn auto update OFF for now.

At least for my case, I think I have a clue about this. My university does control some updates on my machine. I asked them specifically about Thunderbird, and they said no, they don't push Thunderbird updates, but they do push Firefox updates. I checked the dates, and the dates that I get the Thunderbird "release" (not esr) updates correspond with the Firefox release dates. Could these updates be linked, so that my Thunderbird also gets updated, even though the university doesn't realize it? Can this be controlled in some way? As always, thanks for your help!

No, they're too different apps. I believe there may have been a bug when the monthly was originally introduced, as a few users did report that their esr upgrade became the monthly upgrade. I do not anticipate a repeat of that.

Here is my info from Update History 5th Sept 128.2.0.esr successful 20th Sept 128.2.3.esr patch apply failed 2nd Oct 128.3.0.esr install failed 13th Oct 131.0.1 successful 30th Oct 132.0 patch apply failed.

That history is from Help > Troubleshooting Information?

Mine reads differently....

No, they're too different apps. I believe there may have been a bug when the monthly was originally introduced, as a few users did report that their esr upgrade became the monthly upgrade. I do not anticipate a repeat of that.

We are doubting there is a bug in Thunderbird. The update rules are coded at the server end, not the client. And those rules have been in place for decades, designed in part to prevent channel jumping.

for David if possible... I parked this for a while but I now want to get a resolution. I have now got a separate laptop so I want to try David's suggestion made on 12/1/24 (december last year) to copy the profile into a new install and then delete the compatibility.ini file. I want to try it out on the laptop before I do it on my main machine so if it goes wrong it doesn't screw up my working system.

I have installed the latest esr version 128.6.0. onto the laptop. In the profiles folder there are TWO profiles nnnnndefault-esr and a nnnnnndefault. What do I do with these two files before I copy across the live current version from my working system to then delete the compatibility.ini file

I am grateful for your help and hope this works.

Ok, I am assuming you are copying the ...appdata\thunderbird folder from old PC to new PC. Since thunderbird is installed, just - enter %appdata% in search window on windows task bar - that takes you to appdata/roaming - paste the copied thunderbird folder over the top - start thunderbird. if incompatibility messaage, exit and delete the compatibility..ini file - those other profiles? just delete them after all is working. thunderbird sets up profile templates that aren't needed when you have your own.

David, thank you again for helping, I am most grateful. I am just a User and find all this technical stuff difficult. This trial on the laptop is just a test to see if I can go back to a stable esr version without loosing or corrupting all my email stored history. If it works I then want to try and do the same on my main computer that is currently running a beta version and the profiles are not backward compatible.

All I have done so far is install 128.6.0 on the laptop. I have not copied anything. I thought I just had to copy the profile across. Instead I understand you to be saying I have to copy the whole roaming/thunderbird folder across to the laptop. Is this correct? If I paste over the top of the existing won't I get a load of "file already exist overwrite" messages?? Is there a reason why I don't delete the newly installed folder first and then paste the old one?

Sorry if I seem to be slow, but I am so worried about messing things up and loosing all my history.

deleting the old thunderbird folder is fine - and you're right, it eliminates the prompt to overwrite messages. You're good to go. :) the reason to copy the thunderbird folder is that this folder also includes the control file that tells thunderbird which folder to open.

David, thank you again for your help. I have done the trial run on the separate laptop. I turned the WiFi off on the laptop so no new emails would download onto the laptop, as I didn't know if I would not then have them on my main PC. When I then ran TB I got an error message that the (later) profile did not match the (earlier) TB version. So I then deleted the compatibility.ini file and it ran OK with a couple of other error messages, one of which was because of no internet connection. The other was Folder "Drafts on Local Folders" could not be compacted because writing to folder failed. Verify enough disc space and that you have privileges to the file system. Try again. I hope this was just a minor issue being on a different machine. All my current folders and email appeared to be OK on the laptop.

Main main PC is running V131.0.1 Do just run the install for 128.6.0 or do I have to uninstall 131.0.1 first?