re : TB sent regular update invitation for TB 78.10.2 but it installed rather than updated and even generated a pop-up telling me the "old profile has been deleted".

That does not sound like Thunderbird is in control of the updates because it never touches the profile as it is not part of the program; the program and the profile are not stored in the same place. Even uninstalling and reinstalling would not delete the profile.

It sounds like you have some other software on your computer which is controlling updates for programs on your computer. Some Anti-Virus products have this ability. I suggest you only allow Thunderbird to tell you when an update is ready and choose settings to update when you allow it. Check settings:

• Menu app icon > Options > General
• Scroll down to 'Updates' section
• Select 'check for updates, but let me choose whether to install'
• Uncheck the checkbox 'Use a background service to install updates' - do not select it.

Regarding Profile: Are you using the correct profile name folder ? You mention "when I look at the profile I can see all the old emails using notebook" When you look in profile folders, what is the name of that 'profile name' folder which contains the accounts and mbox files? Are you talking about a pop account or an imap account?

In Thunderbird

• Help > Troubleshooting Information
• Under 'Application Basics' section near the bottom - Profiles - click on 'about:profiles'

It will open in a new tab. Make sure window is big enough to show all information. Post an image so we can see all the info. Then we can see what is set up as default and what other profiles have been created.

If the profile you said contains emails is not the same profile as currently set up as default:

• Locate that profile as listed in 'about:profiles'
• below it will says 'Set as default profile' - click on that button. Then click on 'Launch profile...'
• A new Thunderbird window opens.
• Close the original Thunderbird window.

If the profile you said has emails is exactly the same profile as the current default: Check you do not have any filters obscuring emails:

• Menu app icon > View > Folders > 'All'
• Menu app icon > View > Threads > 'All'
• Make sure there are no icons selected on the 'Quick Filter Bar'.

Check the account settings are pointing to the correct location: Note: the setting might be pointing to correct profile name fodler, but not the correct 'account name' folder.

• Account Settings > Server Settings
• Bottom right locate..'Local directory:'
• Expand the width of the window so you can see all of the text.
• Now post an image, so I can see which set of folders that account is using.
• If you notice it is using correct profile name, but not pointing to the correct account name folder - the one which you know has emails in profile - click on 'browse' button to open on current selection. Go up directory one level and select the correct account name folder.

Click on 'Select folder' button. Restart Thunderbird.

Please post images and tell me what you discovered.

Hi Toad-Hall

I had Automatically install updates selected (Now changed to Check for updates). Have never used a background service.

This is a POP account

Folder (with path) where I can see my old stuff is: Users>All Users>[myname]>AppData>Roaming>Thunderbird>Profiles>wa5o9dvp.default>Mail.[MyDomainName]>Inbox.sbd>Info.msf

I have six folders under Mail. The one currently being accessed by TB is path as above but with "Mail.[MyDomainName]-1". I was tempted to add the -1 to the older folder and delete it from the current folder but felt I may be getting a bit out of my depth.

Below is data from About Profiles screen> > Restart > About Profiles > This page helps you to manage your profiles. Each profile is a separate world which contains separate history, bookmarks, settings and add-ons. > Profile: default > This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted. > Default Profile yes > Root Directory C:\Users\[myname]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\wa5o9dvp.default > Local Directory C:\Users\[myname]\AppData\Local\Thunderbird\Profiles\wa5o9dvp.default > Profile: default-release > Default Profile no > Root Directory C:\Users\[myname]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\n3v16csk.default-release > Local Directory C:\Users\[myname]\AppData\Local\Thunderbird\Profiles\n3v16csk.default-release n3v16csk.default-release is the profile that was active after TB78-10-2 installed. wa5o9dvp was the only other profile available to me.

The profile set up as default is the one which contains the old emails

Have selected Menu app icon > View > Folders > 'All (Was already selected). No icons that I can see, can't even see a quick filter bar, only the quick filter icon.

Local directory is: C:\Users\[myname]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\wa5o9dvp.default\ImapMail\mail.[MyDomainName]

Ah! \ImapMail\mail.[MyDomainName] might be a problem? Should I delete the ImapMail\ and if so, is there anything I should put in its place or use the path in para 3 above?

May be of interest:

mail.[MyDomainName]-1.com has disappeared along with one other folder. Now only 4 folders under Mail in path at para 3 above.

Under ImapMail, four folders mail.[MyDomainName], mail.[MyDomainName]-1.com throu mail.[MyDomainName]-3.com and two .msf files, one for mail.[MyDomainName].msf and mail.[MyDomainName]-2.com.msf

What would you advise T-H ?

Bob203

PS Tried to change to POP (which is what is should have been); went up one level and selected what I thought was the correct mail folder ( Users>All Users>[myname]>AppData>Roaming>Thunderbird>Profiles>wa5o9dvp.default>Mail) .

Guess I got it wrong somewhere as I ended up with a msg "This is not a mail folder".

Having screwed the profile, I renamed it as OLD and resorted to using the backup copy so now back to square one.

Valuable lesson learnt - make backup before you try doing something you don't fully understand.

Bob203

Hi T-H

After a good night's sleep and with the backup copy in place of the damaged one, followed your advice and got it right this time :-)

Can now see my emails going back to 2016.

Many thanks

Bob203