Here are some common issues people experience when upgrading to 3.0:
- Asking For Master Password - This appears to be an issue with manually imported certificates. A possible solution has been posted.
- Blank or Error-Filled Screen Thunderbird Screen - This can be due to the Kaspersky antispam extension which can be manually removed to fix it.
- Splash Screen Only - This means that Thunderbird is crashing on launch, usually due to an incompatible component. This will happen if you manually copy the Thunderbird 3 application files over Thunderbird 2, for example. (Always install PortableApps.com Format apps over the old version to upgrade). If you did the upgrade properly and it still fails to launch, you may have another component or non-standard add-on interfering. To fix this, delete your ThunderbirdPortable\App\thunderbird directory (after making a backup for safe keeping) and then reinstall Thunderbird Portable to the same location. That will ensure you are running a clean install of Thunderbird Portable 3 with no additional add-ons except the ones in your profile (which should be properly managed). If that fails, start Thunderbird Portable in safe mode by running
ThunderbirdPortable.exe -safe-modefrom the command prompt. Then disable all extensions until you determine which is interfering.
Additional issues will be added as users experience them.
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It should also warn people they will lose their current setup and address book, at least I did. Luckily had my setup and address book were backed up, so I reinstalled version 2 and restored my profile.
I read it on the internet, so it must be true!
PDL
That shouldn't happen, and I haven't seen it on any of my upgrades. The only thing I can think of is if there were some errors on the drive.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Did the upgrade to Tbird 3. More correctly, it was done for me -- I did not approve any upgrade. Anyway, now the data is inaccessible. When I open the file, it brings up the set-up screen and has no record of my mail, address book or settings. the data is still there, as I can access it off the thumb drive -- but Tbird Portable cannot find it. I have 64-bit Vista (Ultimate on one box, and Home on another.
I cannot revert to version 2 portable because it does the same thing -- with the data still on the drive. Help. I even tried the command prompt trick (not easy when your command prompt can;t find the "safe mode" file on the portable apps directory.
Please help.
Michael Simpson
Philadelphia, PA
... that I do not have the Kaspersky anti-virus/spy program. I use AVG Free at present, and it works fine AND
... I also tried the "clean-reinstall-after-deleting-App/Thunderbird directory- trick, and that did not work either. Same problem. AND
.... I have now installed the New Thunderbird Portable onto two different and clean USB drives. Data will not work when copied to drive on either.
Michael Simpson
Philadelphia, PA
- No Kaspersky
- Tried clean install and copy profile - No Joy (email settings gone)
- Tried several USB drives
is broken and this is needed to open the text files with the mails etc.
If you have no backup of the profile, then best thing I could advise is to recreate the account settings, point the account then to the place the mails are stored, then all should become recovered by itself.
This is however not a portable problem, it is generic Thunderbird problem.
You could also ask in their forum for assistance.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
I want to double-check this instead of naively assuming the best:
To upgrade from ThunderbirdPortable 2 to 3 (2.0.0.18 to 3.0.2, to be precise),
can I just install version 3 OVER the old version 2 and have a reasonable
expectation that everything will work OK?
I use the Enigmail extension, which from what I can tell works for both
versions 2 and 3, and the Phoenity theme, which looks like it has distinct
versions for 2 and 3.
If that is not advisable, what transfer of mailbox folders and config
files would accomplish the upgrade without having to reenter all my
email account settings?
To be safe, backup first. I'd advise switching back to the default theme, too (you can change to your custom one again after upgrading). Then just install the new one over the old one and fire it up.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
The procedure suggested seems to have worked fine. A few artifact empty folders
showed up here and there, and the default folder setup is different, but the
main point is my old saved emails and the email account settings all transferred
without having to reenter details or futz with any config files.
Thank you.
I loaded tbird_portable onto FAT32 formatted 16g sandisk cruzer and I can't get the client to recognize about 3 gig worth of existing tbird2 mail in separate account folders. I created a new profile still no luck. I have the folders backed up. TIA for any help.
geoff
upgraded to thunderbird 3. today and have woes. My files on my usb stick are unreadable, appear to be in some strange language, and appear to have duplicated and grown, says file size is 700gb. but stick is 16gb. I do not know what to do at all. I do not know where to find my inbox because I cant read the files. I cannot launch any of the files. there are many more files than there should be. ran virus checker it came up with nothing. i am lost. can anyone help?
Kathys
It could be a failing drive or simple logical errors. Backup everything you can off the drive to the local PC (don't run anything on it or write to it). Then check the drive for errors (right-click on the drive in explorer, select properties, select the tools tab, click Check Now under error-checking). It should find errors. After you fix them, you can try re-installing TB Portable 3 to the same location over the current install. If that works, you should be ok. If it continues to fail, it could be a hardware problem.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thank you john, I cannot copy the files to another folder, I get an error message saying file name is not valid or too long.
I am trying to send a picture of what the files look like, but cannot seem to paste into this box. any suggestions.
I have many, many files that are empty. all files have names that are not normal symbols to me ,
can you help, maybe tell me how to paste the picture of the files on this site?
thanks, Kathy
I have other files and folders on this drive, they work properly
Kathys
I would highly suggest checking the drive for errors before proceeding. The instructions are in my last reply. This isn't a Thunderbird problem at this point. It's a drive issue. The goal now is to determine whether it's just file system errors that can be fixed, or the start of the drive itself dying. Age of the drive and manufacturer don't matter much as, with anything, sometimes individual things aren't made quite right.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
thanks. I have now done that. It said no errors found. Now thunderbird on my stick has lost the icon, it is just a page, says file type file, size 128kb. when I click on it now it asks what programme I want to open it with. Properties now only has two tabs, general & detail. Would Windows just have deleted all the files when it ran that scan? It just ran through quickly and said no errors on drive
I think the drive is okay. I have other stuff on it it. it is an imation 16g. It is only a few months old.
Kathys
If you can backup anything, do so. Then install a new copy of Thunderbird Portable right over the old one. It doesn't change your data in the process. That should at least get you to the point of knowing what shape your data/email files are in.
You don't happen to have a recent backup do you? (Say, with the built in PortableApps.com Backup utility, for instance?)
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I have a backup, unfortunately, December. It runs okay. I think that looking at my memory stick now I do not have my emails. I copies files before I did anything today - there were 4 files that I could read. These are the only files the computer would let me copy. they are a thunderbird.com which launches the application, a file called data, a file called App, one called Other, one called help. Maybe my mail is in there somewhere, but I cannot see where.
I do not know if this is important, but on my Dec backup, my account settings said Thunderbirdportable\data\profiles\5sdof3dv,default.
I will download and install a new copy of thunderbird onto this drive now.
okay, have run that. It asked me to set up account, I put my account details in and it configured it. but no emails are there, no address book.
do you think that they might be in those files I saved off the memory stick as above?
Kathys
I give up. the thunderbird file I used to have, which I wanted to reinstall to has changed now from a file folder to a file, and when I try to select it in the setup screeen for my new download, it cannot see it. so it has installed in a new file folder. I think all my emails/addressbook etc are gone.
Kathys
All these issues you discuss point to imminent drive failure. Files don't change into folders and vice versa on their own. And Thunderbird Portable definitely doesn't cause any of that. Either that or a PC infected with a virus.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
everything else on that drive is working okay. I have run virus checker over computer and drive and found nothing. everything is working except thunderbird. the only files that were corrupted are thunderbird. can you tell me how to copy onto this screen the print out of how my files looked.
Kathys
I've upgraded to 3.0.3 over 2.0 (2.0.23?) and everything worked very well. I lost no data and am having no issues - even lightning was upgraded (by checking for updates, not by the TBP upgrade).
The only minor annoyance I'm experiencing is that I have to enter the master password twice.
I tried using the solution listed in the FAQ, but that deletes all my passwords my various email account. Upon further investigation, I found that two password boxes were actually being displayed. I canceled the first one, then entered my password and it works.
So how do i get rid of the first password box?
[EDIT]
Seems to be related to Google Calendar and not TBP: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=349641
John tells there the problem of the password.
One of the passwords belong kind of to SMIME encryption part of the TB, so you might get rid of it if you remove all encryption keys. But if you have a keypair of the 509.x key system, then you will not want to remove this, but rather enter the pw for such key at begining of the work with TB.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
I want to upgrade my Thunderbird (From 3.1 to 3.1.1) – but not in English or another language which is available as portable. Can I just install Thunderbird in my local language to my C:\-disk and copy the files to the corresponding portable folder – or should I upgrade the launcher, too?
Now I want to upgrade to 3.1.4. Should I upgrade the launcher, too?
In your case, for the non-usual language, it would be worth it just to make sure that the version reports correctly in the menu and the updater, plus to pick up any bugfixes that have been applied since.
But then, you're an unusual case, since you say you're using a language that isn't available from here.
For most users, and anyone else reading this, then it could have been answered in one word.
Always
But to add a few more in explanation:
It is never recommended that you upgrade the embedded application directly. The offical correct way is always to install the update from here.
If you update just the app, then at best, it will work, but report the wrong version number in the menu and the updater, at worst, it will actually install the app or some or all of your personal data to the local C: drive.
App-only updates should be avoided unless someone has actually gone to the effort of testing it out, testing the results of the install on the host PC, and testing the portability of the end product, and even then, only in the absence of an official update from here, and should be replaced with the official update once it arrives.
Takk for hjelpen! Jeg skal prøve det.
Rough Translation, "Many Thanks, thanks for helping me"
Small thing, but I suppose the heading "Common Thunderbird 3.0 Upgrade Issues" should read "Common Thunderbird Upgrade Issues" as there are still upgrade issues present and we're well past version 3.0?
I don't know if i'm right here with my problem but in the latest version i'm not able to send e-mails. Everytime itry to send a e-mail Thunderbird tells me that it will now attach a file and than it's over. I can only cancel the sending of the e-mail. The problem is that i didn't attach anything?!?
Is someone having a solution or a idea?!?
Greetings from Germany
This is quite dated and has been unstickied.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!