Thunderbird Mozilla issue in installing a Macrium backup.

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Just had an appointment with Macrium backup on their chat line.
They had no knowledge of the following issue.
When installing one of their backups I had made, when I opened up my email client Thunderbird Mozilla, this is what I was presented with:

As opposed to this:

So please has anybody encountered this problem, and if so what is the solution when using Macrium, in installing one of their backups?

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Likely to be all the fiddling with Thunderbird has changed the profile and a restore is pre fiddling.

You need to restore all the mail data, including the profile data.

cheers, Paul

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Thank you Paul.

Yes my original Thunderbird was on a Windows 7 configuration, normal password version.
Not I am trying to make back ups on a Windows 11 version with the authentication method changed to OAuth2.
This alone could have thrown the back up as you say.

So where do I go from here.
Re-installing my folders is not only time consuming, but a huge risk is this not successful.
I need all these folders, and all these emails that are in these folders.
Trying to think if there is possible a way to do this please?

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I would restore your old TB mail to a temporary folder.
Restore your profile to another temporary folder.

Check the restored mail to see what folder / mailbox structure you have. Does it look like it contains the structure you want?

cheers, Paul

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Paul T wrote:

I would restore your old TB mail to a temporary folder.
Restore your profile to another temporary folder.

Check the restored mail to see what folder / mailbox structure you have. Does it look like it contains the structure you want?

cheers, Paul

Hi Paul,

… fiddling with Thunderbird yes there was a lot of fiddling of Thunderbird.
So can I talk you through this, in what I have done, in order to get all my folders up and running again.

I have had to re-install my Windows 11 PC, with the original settings that are on my Windows 7 laptop.
So now for some reason, that having done a image copy of what is now on my hard “C” drive, new and fresh, Macrium has in the installation process, has to go to the Thunderbird site directly, which in turn dictates that Thunderbird’s current version of my email history is displayed.
Not what is actually on this image.

As far as Macrium are concerned, they cannot replicate on what I have on my PC at this moment, through a backup, in a re-install?
So this then begs the question, is this solely a Macrium issue?
Could any other backup medium successfully replicate, and re-install?
Or is a case that I would have to transfer all my folders and emails, to another email client, and see if that works?

Now to address your last message, sorry I do not understand, can I trouble you to be more explicit.
I would restore your old TB mail to a temporary folder.
This I assume you are referring to my original Windows 7 laptop email version.
Restore and temporary fold, what do you mean by this please?

Perhaps you are suggesting that I make a Macrium image backup of this “C” drive in my laptop.
And then that there is a way to look inside this Macrium backup, and see what it looks like?

But I question the validity of doing such an exercise, because already this laptop version is so out of date.
When I have had to use this version, I have then had to go through the last four months of my emails, in the cloud Gmail version.
Re-download the ones that are still relevant, and then put them into their corresponding folders.

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How did you back up the mail folders in Macrium? If you used the File and Folder method then you can browse the folder in Macrium Restore, to see if it has the arrangement you expect. If it has, you can make a temporary directory on C: (TBtest is good) and restore the files to that.

Which backup you restore is up to you. It needs to be one that has the mail structure you expect.

cheers, Paul

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Q: How did you back up the mail folders in Macrium?
A: I used an image backup with Macrium.

Regarding using File and Folder method, I have just read the following on the Macrioum site:

Please note: If you wish to backup your Operating System, Do Not use a File & Folder Backup, you must use an Image Backup. A File / Folder backup is not suitable for restoring your Windows OperatingSystem.

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Run Macrium, Restore, browse an image.
The image will be loaded as a new disk drive and you can browse to the email data to check the structure.

To restore the data, copy it from the Explorer window you are browsing to a temporary folder on C:.

cheers, Paul

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This is what I get, in these two images.

I do not know how to browse the Thunderbird folder from here please?

 

 

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Forgive me for butting in but the first item at the top left looks like it would ‘Open an image file in Explorer’ which would allow you to browse the backed up drive.

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Up2you2 wrote:

This is what I get, in these two images.

I do not know how to browse the Thunderbird folder from here please?

 

 

Thank you.

However that’s exactly whay I did, and in the process it produced the second image. I would like to know where do I go from here please?

 

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The “Backup Selection” window that lists the image files has a checkbox next to each volume.
Tick the box next to the C: backup that you want, then click OK.

cheers, Paul

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Progress – thank you.
There were four files to click on, the fourth down looks good.
Now got to here:

Then I have gone to Users/Home/AppData Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/Mail/Local Folders, and there they are:

So good so far.

So if they do exist in this Macrium backup that I made, then why are they not being incorporate in the re-installation when I do it?

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View the files in your TB profile to see if they have the same structure. The backup and the TB profile should look the same.

If they don’t it may be possible to restore to a new profile folder and then change the TB profile location.

cheers, Paul

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Thank you.

The issue here is not so much what I have restored myself, and what is currently showing on a recent backup, rather the fact that when I go to implement a Macrium backup, in the restore procedure, it does not come out with all of my individual folders and files displayed.

Sure I can do this manually, but the question that I am posing to you here is, should this be the case, that yes it is indeed impossible to reinstall the Thunderdird folders in situ, even though they are present on the backup?

If this should in fact be possible, then can I ask you please what is going wrong, and how can it be rectified?

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I have no idea what you have done in your restore / fiddling so I cannot tell you what has gone wrong.

Thunderbird restore is possible – I have moved mail to new machines without issue – so I am suggesting you start again with a fresh restore to a NEW profile folder.

cheers, Paul

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Thank you, sorry about the delay in replying, I’ve been away.

The fiddling that you are referring to, is when I updated Thunderbird Windows 11, with my Windows 7 version.
It was after that was completed, that I did a new Macrium backup.
On installing this backup, no Thunderbird folders were visible, and during this process no fiddling was done.

Now you go onto to say, I have moved mail to new machines without issue.
This is not what I was referring to.
As opposed to moving mail, what I want to know is why on a Macrium image backup, that includes all the mail, designated to all of its correct, respective folders, why when I go to restore this backup, my emails are no longer displayed in these 30 odd folders?

You go onto write:  I am suggesting you start again with a fresh restore to a NEW profile folder.
Sorry I do not understand, what you are meaning here.
This is my present profile folder:

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It doesn’t appear that way on my machine so I can’t tell you why it is doing it on your machine.

I was suggesting you restore to a new profile to test the restore matches what you see in the backup.

cheers, Paul

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Good, thank you, when you do it, no problems.
Maybe I have just been unlucky, I can try again.

You write: Restore to a new profile.
What do you mean by this please?

Are you suggesting, that with a new backup, I then install this on another blank SSD drive?
To test it again, and see if my folders are there?

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Up2you2 wrote:

Are you suggesting, that with a new backup, I then install this on another blank SSD drive?

No, restore the files and folders to a NEW temporary folder on your existing C drive. Maybe call it C:\mail-test
Do NOT do anything with the restored files apart from view them in Explorer to see if they match both the view in the backup image and your existing email profile. All 3 should have the same structure.

cheers, Paul

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You write:
so I am suggesting you start again with a fresh restore to a NEW profile folder.
Later: restore the files and folders to a NEW temporary folder on your existing C drive. Maybe call it C:\mail-test

Sorry but I am confused here, maybe I’m dumb, you’ll have to spell it out to me.

I know how to make a backup.
But you are suggesting here, that I restore a backup to a new folder. How do I make a new folder on my C drive, I don’t want on my Desktop as it will be very large?

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Up2you2 wrote:

How do I make a new folder on my C drive

Open Explorer (Win E)
Double click on C:
Right click on a blank space in the right pane and select New > Folder.
Change the name as required.
Restore to the new folder.

cheers, Paul

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Thank you, created the new folder on my Desktop.

Next step: Restore to the new folder.

How do I do this please?

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Copy from the folders in #2449631 above.

cheers, Paul

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Thank you.
Exceeded my virtual drives allocation, how can I delete these please?

When I went to do this on my last attempt, it said I had to reformat the drive.
A warning came up, saying I was going to delete the data on this Drive, please advise?

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Right click on the drive, Macrium, Unmount Macrium Image.

cheers, Paul

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Deleted all of my virtual drives – thank you.

Now a series of screen shots, in trying to carry out what I believe you are suggesting:

Please advise.

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I don’t really know what you are doing from the screenshots.

Do NOT format anything. (screenshot 3)

You copy the files from the backup image to your new folder.
The files to copy are in your post #2449631 above.

cheers, Paul

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Thanks Paul.
Yes you are right, I have no idea what I am doing now – sorry.
You are referring my post #2449631 above.
I have had a good look at it.
Made several attempts, but I cannot get it to work.
Sorry, but can I ask you to guide me through the correct steps again please?

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Browse the image. It shows in Explorer.
Copy the mail profile folder from Explorer.
Paste the folder into your new Desktop folder.

cheers, Paul

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Soory I have not come back before, my son has ADHD and I having been trying to find someone to help him.

Browse the image. It shows in Explorer.
Done, clicked on it, it states it is Empty.
Checked hidden files for Windows 11, it’s activated.

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Your post #2449631 above shows you have done this before. Follow the same steps.

cheers, Paul

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Yes you are right, just follow the same steps as in my post #2449631
Can’t do it, I think this is the end of the line, got to be an easier way to verify what’s in a backup.

But the problem isn’t the fact that all my folders are included in the backups that I am making.
The problem is when I go to restore a backup.
My personal Thunderbird folders are not recognized, why, is this just solely a Thunderbird issue, or that any POP3 email client account, that I will have the same problem?

Can’t believe others have not had this problem, in restoring a Macrium Reflect backup using Thunderbird, and if so how did they resolve it?

 

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There is no easier way to resolve this. It requires you restore the backup in a form that we can check before using it to test.

cheers, Paul

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Trying to seek a solution through other forums, hopefully I might be able to get back to you on all of this.

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