Email Problem.

[#1]

@dave501 You don't know that all of the emails are stored on the email server.

I'm confused by the references to a browser. How can Thunderbird be run in a browser and why would one want to do that? I've tried searching for "Thunderbird using a browser" using Google, but can't find anything.

[#2]

Yeah I was probably wrong to suggest a browser fix, when the op mentioned Chrome I wrongly assumed a browser addon/extension was being used similar to Firefox online interface. To compound my mistake the fix I found for XPCOM error was written by someone using the addon interface https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/thunderbird-online-email/

BrightonRock was probably spot on with his/her suggestion....

@RobDickson wrote:

@dave501 You don't know that all of the emails are stored on the email server.

When you access an email account via web mail, the messages remain on the supplier’s servers until you manually remove them, uninstalling/reinstalling a browser will have no effect on the existing stored messages.

[#3]

@dave501 Correct - the solution offered by @BrightonRock is the one which will work, and it will only affect the one machine. The only problem I see is that the OP has confessed they are not 'technical' and the procedure for re-installing the correct profile needs a little 'know how'.

[#4]

First of all I want to thank everyone for their help.  I uninstalled Thunderbird and I downloaded it again and I cant install it as it asks for my password which I cant remember, I have'nt saved it either so I'm stuck as it wont let me on again without the password  I have spend hours trying different ways to install it but I can;t do it.. Any ideas would be appreciated . Google hasn't helped this time..

[#5]

@elkieluca What are you trying to install Thunderbird on? What is asking for a password - it won't be Thunderbird, as that is merely an installation package.

[#6]

I uninstalled it on the uninstall programme on windows 10  and I downloaded it on the address that was given me by someone on here and it tries to set up my existing email address.

[#7]

Ah, right. If you let it try to set up by itself, you will hit problems. You do not want it to set up from scratch, you just want to import the 'profile' from your old installation.

As it is about 15 years since I've installed a fresh download of TB, I will have to go looking for up-to-date instructions, as I know the procedure has changed somewhat. I'll see what I can do, but it may not be today - I'm due to go out in a short while.

Maybe @BrightonRock / @dave501 could help, if they are around.

[#8]

Set Up Your Existing Email Address

To use your current email address fill in your credentials.
Thunderbird will automatically search for a working and recommended server configuration.

Thunderbird will automatically search for a working and recommended server configuration.

Your full name

Email address

[#9]

See my post above - that is not what you want to do.

[#10]

@elkieluca 

I think that I know what is happening here: I suspect that Thunderbird is trying to be helpful by starting the process of setting up your email. I find helpful programs deeply annoying! It is offering something that you don't want it to do - clearly - as you had a previous installation.

If you are getting these messages when you try to run (your reinstalled) Thunderbird then - good news - you have solved most of your problems. There is just one more thing to do. If I'm right, what is happening is that Thunderbird has created a new profile. You need to copy the old one over the new.

You profile is in c: > users > [your name] > Appdata > Roaming > Thunderbird > Profiles Just click through each step individually until you get there. When you get there you will see several folders with random names. At least one will be old - that will be your previous profile (which you backed up before doing all this?) and one the new one that Thunderbird just created.

Have a look in each of them and make sure that you know which is the old and which the new; the date stamps will help with this.

Just to be on the safe side, make a copy of what you think is the old profile and a copy of what you think is the new profile.

With Thunderbird closed, copy everything in the old profile into the new profile. And try restarting Thunderbird again.

Let us know how you get on please

[#11]

I know I sound stupid but I am 80 so please bear with me.  Where do I copy c:> users > my name etc.,   Do I copy this into the computer at the bottom left.  

[#12]

@elkieluca Try this

Type run into Windows search bar "bottom left"

Top of the menu click the Run app

Copy this %APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\

Paste into the Open panel box

Click OK 

You should now have access to Thunderbird profile folders

[#13]

Thank you I’ll try that later.

[#14]

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@elkieluca wrote:

I know I sound stupid but I am 80 so please bear with me.  Where do I copy c:> users > my name etc.,   Do I copy this into the computer at the bottom left.  

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@elkieluca

You don't sound stupid; you sound sensible and careful.

It doesn't matter where you copy them to, just so long as there are copies and you know where they are. I tend to copy to Downloads. The point here is, of course, to have a copy in case something goes wrong.

Go to the Profiles folder. Right click on one of the profiles and select copy. Go to Downloads [or wherever] and paste. Repeat for the other one.

When you are copying the contents of the profile, go into it, "select all" (top right on mine) and copy. Go into the new profile and paste telling it to over-write (if it asks)