BAD BAD BAD Thunderbird migration policy. (NO way back?)

[AnthonyB]

Thunderbird 115 forcefully migrated my older profile and did NOT leave a way to go back?

That is NOT the way to do this.

You need create a NEW profile for the NEW version and LEAVE THE OLD PROFILE ALONE!

You must also have an alert, and explain the process, transparently giving the owner of decades of e-mail the opportunity to safely upgrade AND have the opportunity migrate back if they so desire.

How DARE Mozilla treat users and their data so casually.

This is NOT the way to do this.

Currently FURIOUS that this trusted tool is designed with NO direct way to revert back to 112 except to rebuild my profile (and all the various e-mail accounts) from Flurkin scratch.

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For Comparison, Adobe has new features in every version of Premiere and when you open your massive Premiere project in a new version- Premiere lets you know it will create a new version of the project file that will not be backwards compatible. 

I can have MULTIPLE versions of Premiere available to use on my computer at any time. I can open new projects with the new version, and EASILY go back to the previous version in the older app without any extra effort. I do this all the time. 

Most importantly - Adobe is CLEAR and upfront about what they are doing with your project (WEEKS OF WORK) protecting what you have done, while also allowing you to move it forward - AND be able to go back if moving forward is bad, for whatever reason. 

Mozilla needs to be upfront, clear, and protect user's data. 
Duplicate a profile, Upgrade the new one, Create versioning so different apps know which profile is for which version of the app. And ensure that users can always go back to protected data if the need / want to. 

[uggcantstandit]

I am going to put on my tinfoil hat and say I think maybe Microsoft forced Thunderbird to do a mandatory irreversible update. For example, if Microsoft email accounts are being used in Thunderbird (eg Outlook, Hotmail etc) I bet they aren't too happy about that and are trying to force Thunderbird to change the way the program works. My Outlook accounts no longer work and are looking for browser cookies etc- I am getting Microsoft error messages that implies they want to creep around on my laptop while using their emails in Thunderbird.

[DRocket]

That sounds possible. It is a huge effort to keep Microsoft from trying to encompass anyone who uses their products, as their only software. I use my phone at work for many important urgent messages about operations. They only allow us to have Outlook isolated from our personal phone. So I have to keep entering a code before I can get into my phone and it times out quickly. I miss important messages doing this and that leads to mistakes at work.

[Meem55]

This indeed is very, very bad. Making an upgrade without a good rollback option, is totally idiotic.
A new version which you have to get used to, is one thing.
A new version that is totally ignoring previous settings, changing SO much things, messing up things and shoves itself in your face like "Here you go. Good luck and goodbye!" without any warning, is in another ballpark entirely 😠

[Roger73]

If you go to the Thunderbird profile folder and delete or rename the file "compatibility.ini" you should be able to install an old copy of Thunderbird like 102 over version 115. The easiest way to find your profile is through "Help - More Troubleshooting Information" where it is listed. Version 115 is very bad but remember there are unlikely to be any security updates for 102.

[AnthonyB]

I figured it out.

Yay TextEdit. Almost as good as ResEdit. 😉

In the Profile folder: Compatibility.ini has a version line. prefs.js has the app version noted three times. prefs.js also has a line "lastAppBuildId"

I changed the content on those lines, in my preferred, but not working profile, to content on those same lines from a new, empty profile created in 102. Launched Thunderbird 102, and it loaded my default profile without issue.

See also: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-thunderbird-profilesTo properly set your old profile as the default.

TYVM.