Hey everyone!

I hope you can help me... I've been using Thunderbird for quite a while
now and I love it. Last week, however, I bought a new computer and
tried to re-install Thunderbird onto it. I downloaded the setup file
from the site. Even though all the installation process was successful
- including all the account setting process (I was able to check my
email in all my three accounts,) when I closed the program and tried to
open it again, all the information (account setup, mail... everything!)
had been deleted. It was as if that were the first time I'd used it! I
tried to re-install the program some four or five times (I even tried
different languages!) but to no avail. What's goind wrong??? Please,
help me! I want my TB back!!!

Many hugs,
Ricardo
(S=E3o Paulo, Brazil)

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RicBrazil wrote:
> Hey everyone!
>
> I hope you can help me... I've been using Thunderbird for quite a while
> now and I love it. Last week, however, I bought a new computer and
> tried to re-install Thunderbird onto it. I downloaded the setup file
> from the site. Even though all the installation process was successful
> - including all the account setting process (I was able to check my
> email in all my three accounts,) when I closed the program and tried to
> open it again, all the information (account setup, mail... everything!)
> had been deleted. It was as if that were the first time I'd used it! I
> tried to re-install the program some four or five times (I even tried
> different languages!) but to no avail. What's goind wrong??? Please,
> help me! I want my TB back!!!
>
> Many hugs,
> Ricardo
> (S=E3o Paulo, Brazil)

First, when you close TB, did you get a message that the current
profile is in use?  If so, then you may have created a NEW profile.

All your settings, prefs, mail, etc, are stored in an area called the
TB Profile.

So, make sure TB is closed, and look in the task manager [ctrl+alt+del]
and make sure its closed.  Now, click on Start, Run and enter exactly:

thunderbird.exe -p

this will bring up the TB profile manager.  How many profiles do you
see? If more than one, click on one and see if that is your profile.
If not, then close TB and repeat.  You can remove any profiles that are
not your main one.

Have you found your profile?

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Hi Peter

Thanks a lot for you post, but I guess it didn't work. I did what you
said, but what I get is no profile at all! I set up a new account and
it works. When I finish working on TB and close it, everything
disappears! I checked whether it was really closed as you said
[ctrl+alt+del] and ran the profile manager as you taught. Nothing!
Everything was gone!

Is there a change that this file might be corrupted?

Thanks again,
Ric

Peter.Potamus.the.Purple.Hi...@gmail.com wrote:
> RicBrazil wrote: 
>
> First, when you close TB, did you get a message that the current
> profile is in use?  If so, then you may have created a NEW profile.
>
> All your settings, prefs, mail, etc, are stored in an area called the
> TB Profile.
>
> So, make sure TB is closed, and look in the task manager [ctrl+alt+del
]
> and make sure its closed.  Now, click on Start, Run and enter exactly:
>
> thunderbird.exe -p
>
> this will bring up the TB profile manager.  How many profiles do you
> see? If more than one, click on one and see if that is your profile.
> If not, then close TB and repeat.  You can remove any profiles that are
> not your main one.
>=20
> Have you found your profile?

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

RicBrazil wrote:

> Peter.Potamus.the.Purple.Hi...@gmail.com wrote: 
le[vbcol=seagreen] 
l[vbcol=seagreen] 
to[vbcol=seagreen] 
!)[vbcol=seagreen] 
I[vbcol=seagreen] 
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][vbcol=seagreen] 
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e[vbcol=seagreen] 
>=20
> Hi Peter
>
> Thanks a lot for you post, but I guess it didn't work. I did what you
> said, but what I get is no profile at all! I set up a new account and
> it works. When I finish working on TB and close it, everything
> disappears! I checked whether it was really closed as you said
> [ctrl+alt+del] and ran the profile manager as you taught. Nothing!
> Everything was gone!
>
> Is there a change that this file might be corrupted?
>
> Thanks again,
> Ric
>

Please bottom-post, thanks.

Make sure you can see the Profile folders:
<http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...arnmore/tips/h=
iddenfiles.mspx>

Locate your profile:
<See:  http://mozilla.edmullen.net/moz_profile.html>

Do you have more than one profile?

Does either of them have a file in them called "parent.lock"?

If so, making certain that TB is not running (do CTRL+SHIFT+ESC in=20
Windows XP to launch Task Manager, look for thunderbird.exe,=20
right-click, choose End Process). Try running TB (Start - Programs -=20
Mozilla Thunderbird - Profile Manager - select a profile if more than=20
one).  Ok?

Please report back.

--=20
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
AMNESIA: condition that enables a woman who has gone through labor to=20
have sex again.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Ed Mullen wrote:
> RicBrazil wrote:
> 
le[vbcol=seagreen] 
to[vbcol=seagreen] 
!)[vbcol=seagreen] 
>
> Please bottom-post, thanks.
>
> Make sure you can see the Profile folders:
> <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...arnmore/tips/h=
iddenfiles.mspx>
>
> Locate your profile:
> <See:  http://mozilla.edmullen.net/moz_profile.html>
>
> Do you have more than one profile?
>
> Does either of them have a file in them called "parent.lock"?
>
> If so, making certain that TB is not running (do CTRL+SHIFT+ESC in
> Windows XP to launch Task Manager, look for thunderbird.exe,
> right-click, choose End Process). Try running TB (Start - Programs -
> Mozilla Thunderbird - Profile Manager - select a profile if more than
> one).  Ok?
>
> Please report back.
>
> --
> Ed Mullen
> http://edmullen.net
> http://mozilla.edmullen.net
> http://abington.edmullen.net
> AMNESIA: condition that enables a woman who has gone through labor to
> have sex again.

Hi Ed

Thanks a lot for you support. So far, what I've done is: I was able to
follow the directions and open the profiles folder. The file is called
lww.3638z.default. I doubled clicked on it and I was able to find a
folder called MAIL. I double-clicked on it, and I was able to see 9
(nine) folders with the name of my mail server (maybe all my attempts
to install it.) Well, there is the file called parent.lock, but I
didn't know what to do with it. Am I supposed to delete it? Also, when
I tried to run TB and profile manager, nothing appeared. Well, I feel
that I'm getting closer to getting it to work, but nothing has happened
so far...

Again, thanks a lot, and I'll really appreciate if you can keep trying
to help me.

Hugs,
Ric

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

RicBrazil wrote:
> Ed Mullen wrote: 
hile[vbcol=seagreen] 
e[vbcol=seagreen] 
ful[vbcol=seagreen] 
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d to[vbcol=seagreen] 
ng!)[vbcol=seagreen] 
! I[vbcol=seagreen] 
ed[vbcol=seagreen] 
,[vbcol=seagreen] 
e[vbcol=seagreen] 
el][vbcol=seagreen] 
y:[vbcol=seagreen] 
[vbcol=seagreen] 
[vbcol=seagreen] 
are[vbcol=seagreen] 
ou[vbcol=seagreen] 
nd[vbcol=seagreen] 
s/hiddenfiles.mspx>[vbcol=seagreen] 
> Hi Ed
>=20
> Thanks a lot for you support. So far, what I've done is: I was able to
> follow the directions and open the profiles folder. The file is called
> lww.3638z.default. I doubled clicked on it and I was able to find a
> folder called MAIL. I double-clicked on it, and I was able to see 9
> (nine) folders with the name of my mail server (maybe all my attempts
> to install it.) Well, there is the file called parent.lock, but I
> didn't know what to do with it. Am I supposed to delete it?=20

Yes!

> Also, when
> I tried to run TB and profile manager, nothing appeared. Well, I feel
> that I'm getting closer to getting it to work, but nothing has happened=

> so far...

Let's solve one problem at a time. Delete every "parent.lock" file you=20
find.  I'm assuming from your reply that you only have ONE profile=20
folder and that you have only found one "parent.lock" file.  Ok.  Delete =

it, just make sure that all instances of TB are ended.

--=20
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
That's the beer that made Mel Famie walk us.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Ed Mullen wrote:
> RicBrazil wrote: 
hile[vbcol=seagreen] 
ful[vbcol=seagreen] 
d to[vbcol=seagreen] 
ng!)[vbcol=seagreen] 
! I[vbcol=seagreen] 
ed[vbcol=seagreen] 
el][vbcol=seagreen] 
y:[vbcol=seagreen] 
are[vbcol=seagreen] 
ou[vbcol=seagreen] 
nd[vbcol=seagreen] 
s/hiddenfiles.mspx>[vbcol=seagreen] 
>
> Yes!
> 
>
> Let's solve one problem at a time. Delete every "parent.lock" file you
> find.  I'm assuming from your reply that you only have ONE profile
> folder and that you have only found one "parent.lock" file.  Ok.  Delete
> it, just make sure that all instances of TB are ended.
>
> --
> Ed Mullen
> http://edmullen.net
> http://mozilla.edmullen.net
> http://abington.edmullen.net
> That's the beer that made Mel Famie walk us.

It's working now! Thanks a lot!
Ric

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

RicBrazil wrote:
> Ed Mullen wrote: 
>
> It's working now! Thanks a lot!
> Ric
>

Excellent!

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
Disco is to music what Etch-A-Sketch is to art

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]