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other:thunderbird [2014/04/07 13:34]
jypeter created
other:thunderbird [2020/03/20 11:33]
jypeter [Restoring a TB configuration directory]
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 ====== Thunderbird (TB) notes ====== ====== Thunderbird (TB) notes ======
  
-<note tip>The Thunderbird configuration (settings, local mailboxes, address books, ​erc...) is stored by default in the user's Windows directory. It's a good idea to move it to another known place, in order to be able to back it up or move it to another ​computer!</​note>​+<note tip>The Thunderbird configuration ​folder ​(settings, local mailboxes, address books, ​etc...) is stored by default ​//​somewhere// ​in a hidden section of the user's Windows directory ​(''​C:​\Users\<​your_login>''​). 
 + 
 + 
 +It's a good idea to move this folder ​to another known place, in order to be able to back it up or move it to a new computer ​later!</​note>​ 
 + 
 +<note important>​The steps for moving/​restoring the Firefox (FF) configuration directory are the same as the the Thunderbird steps below, except that [[other:​firefox|the location of the configuration directory is slightly different]]. 
 +</​note>​ 
 + 
 + 
 +<note warning>​\\ If you are using Linux, go the the [[other:​linux:​tb_ff|Thunderbird and Firefox on Linux]] page</​note>​
  
 ====== Prerequisite ====== ====== Prerequisite ======
  
-You need to be able to see Windows'​ hidden ​directories ​in order to access the configuration directory+  * You **must** ​be able to see Windows'​ hidden ​folders ​in order to access the configuration directory 
 +    * [[other:​win7config#​displaying_hidden_folders|Displaying hidden folders on Windows 7]] 
 +    * [[other:​win10config#​displaying_hidden_folders|Displaying hidden folders on Windows 10]]
  
-  ​- Open a Windows'​ window by double-clicking on the computer icon +  * You **must** have started (**and exited**) TB at least once (in order to initialize the configuration ​files)
-    ​Windows XP: Select Tools => Folders'​ options => Display +
-    ​Windows 7: Select Organize => Folders ​and search options => Display +
-  - Enable Display hidden ​files and folders+
  
-====== Moving the TB configuration directory ======+====== Moving the TB configuration ​directory to a specific ​directory ======
  
-  - Make sure TB is not running! +  - <wrap hi>Make sure TB is not running!</​wrap>​ 
-  - Go to the TB directory +  - Go to the TB main directory 
-    * Windows XP: C:​\Documents and Settings\<​your_login>​\Application Data\Thunderbird +    ​* **Windows XP**''​C:​\Documents and Settings\<​your_login>​\Application Data\Thunderbird''​ 
-    * Windows 7: C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird +    ​* **Windows 7** or **Windows 10**''​C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird''​ 
-  - Locate the TB configuration directory in the Thunderbird\Profiles directory (a sub-directory named <​random_string>​.default) +  - Locate the TB configuration directory in the ''​Thunderbird\Profiles'' ​directory (a sub-directory named ''​<​random_string>​.default''​
-  - Copy <​random_string>​.default to a fixed and known location on the computer, preferably a sub-directory of the manually created [[other:​win7migrate#​be_ready_to_move_your_files|user DATA FOLDER]] and give a meaningful name to the directory +  - <wrap hi>Are you doing this operation for the //first time//, or //​restoring//​ settings from another computer?</​wrap>​ 
-    * We suggest: <​random_string>​.default\ => <​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB\ +    - **Restoring**:​ go to the [[#​restoring_a_tb_configuration_directory|Restoring a TB configuration directory]] section just below 
-  - Edit the Thunderbird\profiles.ini file so that TB knows where to look for the new location of its configuration directory +    - Doing a **clean configuration for the first time**: 
-    * IsRelative=1\\ => IsRelative=0 +      * **Copy** the ''​<​random_string>​.default''​ folder ​to a fixed and known location on the computer, preferably a sub-directory of the manually created [[other:​win7migrate#​be_ready_to_move_your_files|user DATA FOLDER]] and rename the copied directory to give it more meaningful name 
-    * Path=Profiles\<​random_string>​.default\\ => Path=<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB+        * We suggest ​the following copy/rename''​<​random_string>​.default\'' ​=> ''​<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB\''​ 
 +  - Edit the ''​Thunderbird\profiles.ini'' ​file so that TB knows where to look for the new location of its configuration directory 
 +    * ''​IsRelative=1''​\\ => ''​IsRelative=0''​ 
 +    * ''​Path=Profiles\<​random_string>​.default''​\\ => ''​Path=<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB''​ 
 +    * When you are finished, the content of ''​profiles.ini''​ should be the following. If there are other settings defined in the file, you can (safely) erase them, and TB will add them again automatically the next time it is started\\ <​code>​[Profile0] 
 +Name=default 
 +IsRelative=0 
 +Path=Path=<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB 
 +Default=1 
 + 
 +[General] 
 +StartWithLastProfile=1 
 +Version=2</​code>​
   - Start TB and check that everything is the same as before ​   - Start TB and check that everything is the same as before ​
-  - Later, when things seem to work correctly, remove the original Thunderbird\Profiles\<​random_string>​.default directory!+  - **Later**, when things seem to work correctly, remove the original ​''​C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​random_string>​.default'' ​directory!
  
 ====== Restoring a TB configuration directory ====== ====== Restoring a TB configuration directory ======
  
-If you have copied a TB configuration from another computer and want to use it... We assume that the restored ​TB directory is:+You have copied a TB configuration from another ​computer to your new computer and want to use itWe assume that the copied ​TB directory is: 
 + 
 +  * ''<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB''​ 
 + 
 +  - Start and exit TB, in order to have it initialize its default configuration 
 +  - Go to the configuration directory:​ 
 +    * **Windows 7** or **Windows 10**: ''​C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird''​ 
 +  - **Do some cleaning**:​ 
 +    - Remove the the ''​Thunderbird\Profiles\<​random_string>​.default\''​ directory that was created when you started TB for the first time on this computer 
 +    - Remove the ''​Thunderbird\installs.ini''​ file and the ''​Crash Reports''​ and ''​Pending Pings''​ directories (they will be automatically recreated later) 
 +  - Edit the ''​Thunderbird\profiles.ini''​ file so that TB knows where to look for the new location of its configuration directory 
 +    * ''​IsRelative=1''​\\ => ''​IsRelative=0''​ 
 +    * ''​Path=Profiles\<​random_string>​.default''​\\ => ''​Path=<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB''​ 
 +    * When you are finished (<wrap em>​don'​t forget to save the ''​profiles.ini''​ configuration file!</​wrap>​),​ the content of ''​profiles.ini''​ should be the following. If there are other settings defined in the file, you can (safely) erase them, and TB will add them again automatically the next time it is started\\ <​code>​[Profile0] 
 +Name=default 
 +IsRelative=0 
 +Path=Path=<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB 
 +Default=1 
 + 
 +[General] 
 +StartWithLastProfile=1 
 +Version=2</​code>​ 
 +  - Start TB and check that everything is OK and that you have access to your existing mailboxes and settings 
 + 
 +<note warning>​**Firefox configuration special note**! 
 + 
 +\\ When following the TB steps to restore a **Firefox** (FF) configuration,​ **it is possible that FF will create a new configuration**,​ instead of the one specified in ''​profiles.ini''​. 
 + 
 +{{ :​other:​ff_new_profile.png?​300 |}} 
 + 
 +If that's the case: 
 +  - Click on //​Continue//​ and don't worry about the creation of a new profile 
 +  - Open the profile configuration page, by pasting ''​about:​profiles''​ in the location bar of FF 
 +  - On this profile config page, locate the profile stored in ''​C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox''​ 
 +  - Click on ''​Define as default''​ to make this the default profile 
 +  - Restart FF 
 +  - Open ''​about:​profiles''​ again and remove the profile(s) that is(/are) not using ''​C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox''​ 
 +    * e.g. Remove a profile looking like\\ ''​C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\vqtxn50e.default-release''​ 
 +</​note>​ 
 + 
 +====== More ======
  
-  ​<disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB+You should be OK if you **correctly** followed the steps above! You can get extra information in: 
 +  * Thunderbird
 +    * [[https://​support.mozilla.org/​en-US/​kb/​profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data|Profiles ​- Where Thunderbird stores your messages and other user data]] 
 +    * [[https://​support.mozilla.org/​en-US/​kb/​moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer|Moving Thunderbird Data to a New Computer]] 
 +  * Firefox: 
 +    * [[https://​support.mozilla.org/​en-US/​kb/​recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile|Recovering important data from an old profile]] 
 +    * [[https://​support.mozilla.org/​en-US/​kb/​dedicated-profiles-firefox-installation|Dedicated profiles per Firefox installation]]
  
-  - Start and exit TB, in order to have it initialize the default configuration 
-  - Go to the Windows 7 TB configuration directory\\ C:​\Users\<​your_login>​\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird 
-  - Remove the the Thunderbird\Profiles\<​random_string>​.default\ directory that has just been created 
-  - Edit the Thunderbird\profiles.ini file so that TB knows where to look for the new location of its configuration directory 
-    * IsRelative=1\\ => IsRelative=0 
-    * Path=Profiles\<​random_string>​.default\\ => Path=<​disk:>​\Users\<​your_login>​\Thunderbird\Profiles\<​your_login>​_TB 
-  - Start TB and check that everything is OK 
  
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other/thunderbird.txt · Last modified: 2023/09/28 10:46 by jypeter