open Thunderbird from the help menu select the troubleshooting information entry. Click on the show profile folder button in the troubleshooting information.

Ok that is the folder you can not locate externally.

Thank you for your suggestion. But the complete folder is missing. I had approx 8 GB data in my earlier *****.default folder. The total file/folder is missing. I could not locate the same by the method suggested by you. I tried a trial version of "E-mail recovery for thunderbird" from Adept, that showed all the e-mails with attachments but I will have to purchase the registration to recover the files, which I cannot do in Indian Rupee (INR), I cannot pay in USD.

Have you got hidden files and folders visible?

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Show_hidden_files_and_folders

then do as Matt suggested to locate Profile folder. click on 'Profiles' - see image below as aid In the example, it shows there is one xxxxxxxx.default profile name in the drop down and it's open on that profile name.

How many do you have? Please provide image.

Did you at any stage move the Profile name?

re :in my earlier *****.default folder Just to understand what occurred.... when Thunderbird started up, did it create the new default folder or did you create it? Explain clearly how you got the new default profile name. Did Thunderbird auto prompt for you to create mail accounts in the new default profile?

What is in the 'profiles.ini' file ? You can open it using notepad. Paste the contents into this question.

It is possible, that Thunderbird lost track of the mail account, but I need some information to determine this.

In profile folders, click on the 'Mail' folder. Please tell me exactly what you have in that Mail folder. you should see 'Local folders' plus other mail account names. You could just post an image showing all contents of 'Mail' folder.

Then tell me the following: In Thunderbird Tools > Account Settings > Server Settings for the pop mail account At the bottom - 'Local directory' Put cursor in the text box and use right arrow key to get to the end, which will be hidden as the full directory text box is not big enough. Then when at end, lefy click hold down and drag to left to highlight all the directory. Copy and paste that information into this question.

Thank you once again

The contents of the profile.ini is as under: Quote [General] StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0] Name=default IsRelative=1 Path=Profiles/fxnfvxxm.default Unquote The Mail Folder shows three folders, 1. Local Folders, 2. pop.rediffmailpro.com & 3. pop.rediffmailpro-1.com But these folders are created only after I re-added my mail account to thunderbird. the new default file was created with a new name only on 6th March, 2015 after the crash. The account crashed when my system supplier created some new user account under Win7 system.

if you are using a new windows account, then your old files will be in your old windows account. Not the current one.

Thank you once again.

The windows account I am using is the same without disturbing the account. The problem started when a new windows account was created and removed again.

As mentioned earlier, I can still see all the e-mails with attachment after scanning the C drive with the recovery tool mentioned in the earlier post, the problem is, I cannot identify the location or restore the e-mails without registering the trial version. I cannot buy the license in USD from India.

go to the run/search dialog on the start menu and type %appdata%\Thunderbird\profiles and press enter.

How many folders appear there in explorer?

One folder fxnfvxxm.default which is a small folder of 32 MB (newly created I feel)

ok, so the profile is NOT located anywhere Thunderbird would create it.

Perhaps in the windows trash folder?"

re; see all the e-mails with attachment after scanning the C drive with the recovery tool....problem is, I cannot identify the location

You should be able to locate the files yourself without the recovery tool. Perform a search on the computer C: drive Start > Search for files. looking for: 'Mail' folder also try looking for 'pop.rediffmailpro.com'

Make sure to check the option to include non-indexed, hidden and system files.

then report back on results.