====== Thunderbird (TB) notes ======


<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>

===== Using TB for reading LSCE mail =====

  * You //just// have to add a new mail account to TB, using [[https://intranet.lsce.ipsl.fr/informatique/en/mail/index.php|LSCE IMAP and SMTP server settings]]

  * Adding a LSCE account can be done before or after moving the TB folder

===== Prerequisites =====

==== Showing hidden directories ====

You **must** be able to see Windows' hidden folders in order to access the configuration directory
  * [[other:win10config#displaying_hidden_folders_and_files|Windows 10: displaying hidden folders]]
  * [[other:win7config#displaying_hidden_folders|Windows 7: displaying hidden folders]]

==== Initializing TB configuration files ====

You **must** have started (**and exited**) TB at least once (in order to initialize the configuration files)

==== Finding the configuration files ====

The location of the **TB main directory** (where all the configuration files are located) depends on your system
  * **Windows 10** or **Windows 7**: ''C:\Users\<your_login>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird''
  * **Windows XP**: ''C:\Documents and Settings\<your_login>\Application Data\Thunderbird''

===== Debugging Thunderbird =====

Most people can skip this section!

  * Starting TB in [[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_Mode|Safe Mode]]: hold the ''Shift'' key while double-clicking on the TB icon
    * You can disable (and possibly) remove extensions
  * If TB behaves strangely and using the //Safe Mode// does not help, you may have to remove the configuration files mentioned in the following pages. You very probably won't lose your mailbox(es) settings and your local folder!
    * [[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Thunderbird|Standard diagnostic]]
    * [[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Toolbar_or_windows_layout_not_working|Toolbar or windows layout not working]]
    * [[https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/unable-install-add-on-extension-theme-thunderbird#w_corrupt-extension-files|corrupt extension files]]
    * [[https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rebuilding-global-database|Rebuilding the Global Database]]

===== Moving the TB configuration directory to a specific directory =====

  - <wrap hi>Make sure TB is not running!</wrap>
  - Go to the **TB main directory** (see the //prerequisites// above)
  - Locate the TB configuration directory in the ''Thunderbird\Profiles'' directory (a sub-directory named ''<random_string>.default'')
  - <wrap hi>Are you doing this operation for the //first time//, or //restoring// settings from another computer?</wrap>
    - **Restoring**: go to the [[#restoring_a_tb_configuration_directory|Restoring a TB configuration directory]] section just below
    - Doing a **clean configuration for the first time**:
      * **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 a more meaningful name
        * 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 
  - **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 =====

You have copied a TB configuration from another computer to your new computer and want to use it! We 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


===== A note about the FIREFOX profile on the Thunderbird page =====

<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 =====

You should be OK if you **correctly** followed the steps above! You can get extra information in the sections below

==== 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]]


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