Need to save emails from Tbird, then delete entire program

[saganco]

I've screwed up everything because of a portable hard drive, and need to fix it - it's driving me crazy! I've messed it up by having the darn program on two places on my "C" drive, AND my portable "F" drive - and have changed the path from the portable back to "programs" on the "C" drive - but if I don't plug in my "F" drive, it won't let me check mail. I've managed to make a BIG MESS of my entire thunderbird program and it's driving me batty. I just want to have it all on my "C" drive without any reference to my "F" drive at all. I kinda think now that the only answer is somehow to save all the emails and delete the entire program from all THREE locations, and reinstall it ONCE! But I'm not as computer savvy as you guys and gals, and cannot figure out how to do all this and save my sanity! Any (simple instructions) for a fix would be EVER so much appreciated!

[DanRaisch]

Uninstalling and reinstalling the application has absolutely no impact on your Profile, which is where saved data such as account settings, message files, etc are stored.

Clear the browser cache and the Windows Temp directory.
Delete the directory C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird
Shutdown any anti-virus software you are running.
Download a new copy of the full installer from www.mozilla.com
Run the installer.
Restart the anti-virus program.

Note that your saved messages, settings, passwords, etc (if any) are stored in a different directory from the program files and will not be removed by deleting the directory identified above.

This thread viewtopic.php?f=39&t=996475&p=5239885#p5239885 has a more detailed version of the above instructions if needed.

Once you have eliminated the duplicate program installations, you can consolidate the data from all three locations to one profile you intend to retain. See this article -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_ ... hunderbird and this one -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_folders

[saganco]

Ohhh Dan, this looks really complicated (especially those last two links)! I have a copy of the profile in all three locations and don't know which one it's actually using when I open the program (except for the fact that it won't open the program at all unless I have the "F" drive on the computer). How will I know that I'm not deleting the wrong program, and thus all my current and past emails? I'm lost on the last two links - after I delete the "program files" version of tbird, and reinstall the full installer - what happens to the "my documents" version of tbird? Should I manually delete it as well? Why am I not using "add and remove programs" instead of a manual deletion?

Then once I've deleted one or both of the "C" drive versions, am I supposed to use the "F" drive to restore the profiles? I think that puts me back in the same problem doesn't it? It already has an abnormal dependency on the "F" drive even though I've changed the path for my mail in my profile folder to point to "program files" location of tbird. Now can you see why I'm confused? No, probably not, you guys are way smarter on this kind of stuff than me. I need R-E-A-L-L-Y simple instructions (think explaining it to a non computer savvy child - if one of those still exists)!

Thanks in advance - from a very frustrated non technical person!

[DanRaisch]

Uninstalling and reinstalling the application has absolutely no impact on your Profile, which is where saved data such as account settings, message files, etc are stored.

You can delete the two installations of the program on the hard drive without touching the stored messages and settings. The program is normally located under C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird. (The only reason you can not do the same thing with the flash drive copy is that the portable version stores the profile and the application in the same directory structure.)

Changing the path for the profile structure does NOT tell Thunderbird where to find the program, it only tells it where to find the data. Not the same thing.

The difficulty with explaining in detail what you need to do is that we can not see your computer. We don't know where the two hard drive installations are located or what location you have entered in Thunderbird that is causing it to look for the F: drive. Please start the process by deleting the program files as I described above. In addition, delete any desktop shortcuts that you may be using to launch Thunderbird. When the new copy is installed it should locate one of the existing data locations and make that available to you, launching from the C: drive. Once this is working, post back here and we'll try to help you in consolidating the data from the multiple instances of Thunderbird.

[saganco]

I'm kinda scared to delete everything, then have it go back to the portable again. I thought there was two programs on the "C" hard drive, but after searching the hard drive so I could post the whereabouts of the programs, it appears that it's only in "Program Files" on "C" and on the "F" drive.

So I delete the tbird on the "C" drive and any shortcuts, shut the computer down, plug in the "F" drive and let it find the data on the portable? Do I need to set up a new profile when I install the new version, or will it find everything it needs from the "F" drive? Sorry for the many seemingly stupid questions - I used to be better with a computer before my mind started having so many bad sectors (rotflmao)...

Oh, one other question - should I delete tbird off the "C" drive using "add and remove programs" or just manually delete?

[DanRaisch]

No, it won't find the data on the portable drive as that is a non-standard location for a profile. It WILL find any message data in the profile (if there is one) on the hard drive. Once it does that you can use the links I posted above to migrate data from the flash drive profile to the hard drive profile.

Remove the Thunderbird program on the hard drive by using the procedure I posted above. It starts with "Clear the browser cache and the Windows Temp directory."

[saganco]

Dan, I finally have time today to do this thing, but I'm really scared I'll loose all my emails. I have no clue how to "save" them somewhere because I'm not sure which profile is the current one with all the existing mail (vs. a profile backed up some time back without current emails). I have a lot of important stuff in these emails and loosing them all because I did something wrong will be awful. If I delete the program off "C" as you suggested, and (assuming) that the correct profile is on "F", how will I get the newly installed tbird to find it without linking the program back to the "F" drive as the problem has been for so long now? Sorry to sound like a wimp, but I guess I am! I just want it all working on "C" drive with no need for the "F", but WITH all my current mail. I'm just scared I'll get thru with all this and have no mail (whine, cry...). I know you previously said that the profiles are stored differently than the actual program, so that makes me feel a bit safer, but how to know WHICH profile is the right one??

[DanRaisch]

Open Thunderbird and right click on the Inbox folder name in the left hand column of the main Thunderbird window. From the context menu that appears, select "Copy Folder Location". Next, open Notepad and paste the contents of the clipboard into that Notepad document. (Just press Ctrl+V after clicking the cursor into the Notepad window.) The directory displayed in that Notepad window is the location of the currently active Thunderbird profile.

[saganco]

Well, I did the deletion and reinstall of Tbird today. Unfortunately it still requires the "F" drive to get to my mail. I get the same old tired message about Tbird already running, so I must restart the computer when I try it without the "F" drive. I'm way past frustrated... I guess we start over again - and I did follow your directions to the letter... Stupid computer - GRRRRR!

[DanRaisch]

See this article: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_in_use

[saganco]

I feel so darn stupid - these instructions just baffle the phoey out of me. I guess I'm doomed to deal with my "F" drive forever (sob...)

[roparr2]

You're not stupid. Many people don't learn the basics when they start computing, because they don't come with manuals. It's really hit-and-miss except for the dedicated.

The problem of "already running is a diff problem." Let's concentrate on your profiles first.

Do you know how to look at your filing system in My Computer or Windows Explorer? I can walk you through finding your emails and 2 profiles, and which is in use.

Is your F drive an external HD or a flash drive?

Dan, how can s/he have a profile on an F drive?

[DanRaisch]

I've messed it up by having the darn program on two places on my "C" drive, AND my portable "F" drive - and have changed the path from the portable back to "programs" on the "C" drive - but if I don't plug in my "F" drive, it won't let me check mail.

[roparr2]

Forget something, Dan?

[DanRaisch]

No, I didn't forget anything. I was quoting the OP on how he wound up with a profile on an F drive.