Closed Bug 1653558 Opened 5 years ago Closed 4 years ago

Entire Address book data missing after update from TB 68 to 78

Categories

(Thunderbird :: Address Book, defect)

Product:
Thunderbird
Component:
Address Book
Type:
defect

Tracking

(Not tracked)

Status:
RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

People

(Reporter: kim, Unassigned)

References

Details

(Keywords: dataloss)

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:78.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/78.0

Steps to reproduce:

On Ubuntu 16.04 software updater updated from 68 to 78

Actual results:

Address book now missing

Expected results:

Address book should still be there (20 years of address now lost)

We've had a least one report of this in support, maybe more. Steve, did you field some of those?

I also helped someone but I can't remember where - maybe it was the same person.

Blocks: tb78found
Component: Untriaged → Address Book
Flags: needinfo?(sfhowes)
Keywords: dataloss

it was bug 1653234 aka https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1295073 but that person had already been on beta for a long time.

Severity: -- → S2
Flags: needinfo?(sfhowes)

It wasn't me, this is the first time I have had this problem

Summary: Address book missing → Entire Address book data missing after update from TB 68 to 78

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #1)

We've had a least one report of this in support, maybe more. Steve, did you field some of those?

I also helped someone but I can't remember where - maybe it was the same person.

I don't think I've replied to loss of address books. I installed 78 in a separate folder, created a new profile, and copied in abook.mab and history.mab from another profile. Both were recognized when TB was restarted. If the upgrade is unreliable, which I expect it to be at this stage, the general recommendation should be to create a new profile for 78 and transfer data manually.

Bug 1653234 reports similar/same issue (can't check right now)

See Also: → 1653234

re If the upgrade is unreliable, which I expect it to be at this stage, the general recommendation should be to create a new profile for 78 and transfer data manually.
The public are not going to be impressed by doing that. Many people have enough trouble with the UI never mind going into file structure of hidden files.

Has there been a stop put on auto updates ?
Why was 78 released too early?

re If the upgrade is unreliable, which I expect it to be at this stage, the general recommendation should be to create a new profile for 78 and transfer data manually.

foremost (at least for us here), it is essential to ensure the user keeps the testcase. It would also be helpful to have the person be present in the bug report so that developers can have direct contact. This will help speed the resolution of what is causing the problem.

Has there been a stop put on auto updates ?

There are no auto updates provided by thunderbird.net - so there is nothing we can stop

Why was 78 released too early?

Given that we have no previous reports of this prior to releasing (at least none that I recollect), I don't conclude that 78 was released too early.

At the current time I am unable to send e-mail and my address book is missing, this was supposed to be a stable release

To test a fix:

  1. download and extract https://firefox-ci-tc.services.mozilla.com/api/queue/v1/task/WAxn9pUkSVix7EHar9_6PA/runs/0/artifacts/public/build/target.zip
  2. Navigate to the Thunderbird directory and run thunderbird.exe directly from there
  3. Please post your results.

After testing, at the point where you want to get back to version 78 or 68, you'll need to use --allow-downgrade at the dos command prompt.

Flags: needinfo?(kim)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #7)

re If the upgrade is unreliable, which I expect it to be at this stage, the general recommendation should be to create a new profile for 78 and transfer data manually.

foremost (at least for us here), it is essential to ensure the user keeps the testcase. It would also be helpful to have the person be present in the bug report so that developers can have direct contact. This will help speed the resolution of what is causing the problem.

Has there been a stop put on auto updates ?

There are no auto updates provided by thunderbird.net - so there is nothing we can stop

Having lost address book and calendar functionality by an auto update from 68 to 78 (how I don't know) on 3 computers I uninstalled 78 and downloaded and reinstalled 68 from https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/68.0/releasenotes/. 30 minutes later I'm back on 78. The only option I can see to stop updates is to notify before install. I now have 3 profiles (all backed up) plus a daily computer backup of my profile before any update including abook.mab. I will try uninstalling 78 completely, including data folder and then reinstall 68 not connected to the web before copying abook.mab to see if I can get a working version. I can try an update to 78.

Why was 78 released too early?

Given that we have no previous reports of this prior to releasing (at least none that I recollect), I don't conclude that 78 was released too early.

I found the loss of gmail calendar functionality frustration until a workaround appeared on GitHub

(In reply to richard.cosier from comment #10)

I found the loss of gmail calendar functionality frustration until a workaround appeared on GitHub

Completely agree - definitely frustrating for many people.

30 minutes later I'm back on 78.

Something on your computer is downloading thunderbird 78 and installing it. Antivirus? Some other security or management software?

(In reply to richard.cosier from comment #10)

30 minutes later I'm back on 78.

Are you using Linux?

The reporter stated that they updated via the Software Updater on Ubuntu 16.04.

I have not been able to find any documentation that Ubuntu has updated users to 78.0. They have been being updated to 68.10.0 during the last week. Myself included.

Ubuntu alert USN-4421-1 (thunderbird)

Alerts for other distros can be found at The LWN.net security alerts database

Flags: needinfo?(richard.cosier)

(In reply to WaltS48 [:walts48] from comment #12)

(In reply to richard.cosier from comment #10)

30 minutes later I'm back on 78.

Are you using Linux?

Windows 10. I installed TB68 on a clean machine off line and noticed in Tool/General /Update that the default was autoupdate, hence why my other computers were updated. I've changed it to Notify updates and am now trying to copy in a address book from older working daily computer backups.

Flags: needinfo?(richard.cosier)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #11)

(In reply to richard.cosier from comment #10)

30 minutes later I'm back on 78.

Something on your computer is downloading thunderbird 78 and installing it. Antivirus? Some other security or management software?

I'm using Windows 10. Clean install of TB 68 from https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/68.0/releasenotes/ on a machine not connected to internet with all updates and AV off. Looked in Tool/General/Updates and saw the install is automatically set to auto update, hence what was happening on older machines. Next step copy and paste a working profile from another computer backup

(In reply to richard.cosier from comment #14)

Looked in Tool/General/Updates and saw the install is automatically set to auto update, hence what was happening on older machines. Next step copy and paste a working profile from another computer backup

That setting by itself doesn't cause Thunderbird to update.

We have server side settings that determine if you get updated, and to what version. Therefore Help > About should be updating you only to version 68.

Flags: needinfo?(richard.cosier)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #15)

(In reply to richard.cosier from comment #14)

Looked in Tool/General/Updates and saw the install is automatically set to auto update, hence what was happening on older machines. Next step copy and paste a working profile from another computer backup

That setting by itself doesn't cause Thunderbird to update.

We have server side settings that determine if you get updated, and to what version. Therefore Help > About should be updating you only to version 68.

Certain the clean install of 68.10.0 I have just done will not update when forced. That was a clean install of a download from thunderbird.net I can't explain why 2 computers went to TB78 on 22nd July. I have no downloads of TB78 on my computers, so will not have manually updated. Th eonly download I have on my computer is Thunderbird Setup 52.8.0.exe that I installed for the first time 8th June 2018. All updates since then have been through Thunderbird.

Flags: needinfo?(richard.cosier)

I've uninstalled 68.10.0 and deleted the AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird folder and installed 52.8.0, with a notify to update option. On line it has ntoified update to 60.9.1 and then to 68.10.0 but no further. That was with the "Use a background service" box checked. So why did 2 computers update to 78.1.0? Anything to do with being on a Firefox development / beta channel in 2018?

I got round my issues by uninstalling TB78 and the AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird folder, installed TB 68.10.0 downloaded from thunderbird.net, deleted everything in the default folder and then copied and pasted the contents from the last working backed up profile ".default-release folder.
Two points; I had to google Thunderbird 68 to get a link from thunderbird.net and googling "Thunderbird" just offers a download of 78.0

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #15)

(In reply to richard.cosier from comment #14)

Looked in Tool/General/Updates and saw the install is automatically set to auto update, hence what was happening on older machines. Next step copy and paste a working profile from another computer backup

That setting by itself doesn't cause Thunderbird to update.

We have server side settings that determine if you get updated, and to what version. Therefore Help > About should be updating you only to version 68.

I thought I was back to normal with a clean install of TB68 with a previous profile that included all my calendars and address books. Update preference set to "Notify" and background installer off. After 48 hrs TB suddenly updated to 78 without warning and of course I lost all my calendar sand half my address books. If ther eis a server side setting that prevents this, why does it keep happening?

re : After 48 hrs TB suddenly updated to 78 without warning .... why does it keep happening?

You probably have something installed on your computer that performs the check. EG: Kaspersky Internet Security has a software updater that can auto update.

richard.cosier - please only post comments that are relevant to the bug report. This is not the support forum for Thunderbird.

(In reply to Anje from comment #20)

re : After 48 hrs TB suddenly updated to 78 without warning .... why does it keep happening?

You probably have something installed on your computer that performs the check. EG: Kaspersky Internet Security has a software updater that can auto update.

Software updater off. Address book lost in update.

Yes, you have already said the update to 78 lost the address book. You do not need to repeat this information. It is a bug and it has been reported. People are working on a fix. In the mean time use version 68.10.0 as advised and make sure you do not have some updater program allowed to update Thunderbird.

See Also: → 1654005

The udate bug is Moxilla Maintenance Service installing with TB 687.10.0 and then by-passing unchecked "Uuse B S M"

I've been using TB for many years, at the workplace, at home, on various Windoze nnn systems, and Linux. I've been very happy with it because it can be customized (if you know how), even by my astronomically huge family of fellow idiots (we breed, even faster than Furbeys). I had a similar problem when I held my nose and took the plunge with the 78 update. I was immediately struck my the new look and feel, and my immediate reaction was "Oh God, another pimply faced kid who knows everything but still has no clue as to what good software is". It was reminescent of the MS OS monopoly trials when Gates declared that "the Users want it". (Yes, good software, but not the Borg company that assimilates and corrupts everything.)

Forgive the tirade, but I come from an age where tools to easily transition TB to new systems or different platforms did not exist, so I had to do it the hard way. Before I discuss that - and I did revert to the old (68.10.0 in W10), let me say that this is not for the faint of heart and I thought "Disaster!" many times along the way. I did manage to restore everything successfully to a version of TB that I was happy with. When I say restore, I mean all address books and all old emails in named local directories. If you are looking to perform the same miracle, however, you need to have copies of vital Thunderbird files backed up.

Backups are a problem, but maybe that's because I'm used to doing my own with DOS and xcopy commands. They don't work as well as they used to, and PowerShell is not the answer. W10 and previous W versions have not been able to execute broad "COPY" commands without "abort on error" failures for many years (Microsoft corrupts everything!)

To remedy any TB problems, one needs to be aware that the solution lies outside the capabilities of most people for the reasons stated above.

Let's drill down to the fix:

  1. If you rely on TB automatic updates, maybe the fix has happened and tomorrow everything will be fine.

  2. There are ways to restore old TB releases, but these ARE NOT backward compatible , so the pimply faced kids have won.

  3. Sorry - can't think of any thing else...

We didn't have other reports of unexpected updates (tb does not provide updates from 68 at this time). There's some other software doing whatever it's doing on your system.

Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 4 years ago
Resolution: --- → INCOMPLETE

I found Mozilla Maintenance Service was over-riding "Tell me when updates are available" even with background service unchecked. Uninstalled MMS = no problems since

To determine whether the update came from Thunderbird, visit Help > Troubleshooting > Show Update History, screen shot it, and use "Attach New File" to the bug report. See bug 1658081 comment 5 for an example.

Flags: needinfo?(kim)

Kim, do you have a backup/copy of your version 68 profile?

Flags: needinfo?(kim)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #28)

To determine whether the update came from Thunderbird, visit Help > Troubleshooting > Show Update History, screen shot it, and use "Attach New File" to the bug report. See bug 1658081 comment 5 for an example.

For some reason I can't see anywhere to add an image. Howver, my screenshot is exaacly the same as bug 1658081 comment 5 execpt my timing was TB 68.10.0 installed July 1 2020; TB 78.0.1 installed 22 July 2020; TB 68.0.1 installed 4 August 2020 (this was my uninstall 78.0.1 and reinstall 68.10.0 with with a backup profile from 21 Jul 2020). Since I uninstalled Mozilla Background Service, I have sat stably on TB 68.10.0 with a manual update to 68.11.0

re: address book missing
In 'profile name' folder are there files called 'abook.mab.bak' and 'history.mab.bak' ?
Do they have reasonable file size?

For people who are still having difficulty, it would be useful for you to post your results using instructions from bug 1678939 ...

Your address books went through an upgrade process the first time you opened Thunderbird 78. Obviously this has gone wrong somewhere. There should be backup files in your profile folder, so you can try to do the upgrade again. I'd suggest doing just one initially so you can see if it's working or not.

Here's the steps to do:

  • In Thunderbird's config editor find the entries for a particular book, they'll be named ldap_2.servers.something.…. Change the one named dirType from 101 to 2. Change the one named filename from something.sqlite to something.mab.
  • Close Thunderbird.
  • In your profile folder delete something.sqlite and rename something.mab.bak to something.mab.
  • Open Thunderbird and see if it worked. If not, open the Error Console (under Tools, Developer Tools on the menu) and see what's written there. Copy and paste it here as it may help us figure out what's happened.
Flags: needinfo?(kim)
See Also: → 1676987
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