287927 - loss of e-mail on uninstall and loss of system restore functionality.

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Thunderbird :: Installer, defect)

Description

[Garth]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)
Build Identifier: 

I installed the update to Thunderbird...and started getting 
the "today", "yesterday" headings etc.
WHO needs this trivia...the messages are all dated!
Then it would no longer type in rhe correct font size..and the first line in 
every e-mail I typed was smaller than the other lines....and I could not 
correct it...and I could not get it fixed. I do not have hours and hours to 
fix these things. Then the sister program called FIREFOX started double 
imaging after the latest update on it...and having downloaded updates to that 
one I found it was installed THREE times over on my XP machine. When I 
attempted an uninstall, it took out my system restore......
With regards to THUNDERBIRD, when it uninstalled it took out my recent and 
important received e-mail...this must be a program for formally trained 
people...NOT for the average user.\
My likely penance for trying this stuff will be several days of work doing a 
complete recovery on my Vaio Computer...an undertaking that I surely 
dread...conceivably it will cost me money if I have to hire a geek to fix 
things.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
I am sorry I ever tried this MOZILLA stuff...I am now starting to read it 
as "Mo(re) Silly"
Prior to my Mozilla experience, my computer was running as smooth as 
silk...problem-free for many months - no problems whatsoever...now it is just 
a "box" of frustration...


Reproducible: Didn't try

Steps to Reproduce:
1.DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM
2.
3.

Actual Results:  
READ THE ABOVE

Expected Results:  
A nicley functioning program that the consumer does not end up field testing 
for MOZILLA

I have no formal training in this.

In terms of the frustration and agony produced, the term "crash" seems rather 
inadequate.

Comment 1

[Albert Feller]

(In reply to comment #0)
> I installed the update to Thunderbird...and started getting 
> the "today", "yesterday" headings etc.
> WHO needs this trivia...the messages are all dated!

use View-->Sort by-->Unthreaded

> Then it would no longer type in rhe correct font size..and the first line in 
> every e-mail I typed was smaller than the other lines....and I could not 
> correct it...and I could not get it fixed.

I could not reproduce that

> Then the sister program called FIREFOX started double 
> imaging after the latest update on it...and having downloaded updates to that 
> one I found it was installed THREE times over on my XP machine.

you mean, it was three times in your Add/Remove Programs panel?
this is a know bug see bug 247884

> When I attempted an uninstall, it took out my system restore......

I don't understand what you are trying to say

> With regards to THUNDERBIRD, when it uninstalled it took out my recent and 
> important received e-mail...

I guess you opened Outlook again. This is no bug, since the new emails got only
stored where they were supposed to be so: in the Thunderbird profile
If you want to have them in Outlook, you need to import them, but I don't know
if Outlook is capable of that. Ask the Microsoft Support.

reading http://kb.mozillazine.org and http://www.mozilla.org/support/thunderbird
should solve most ouf your problems

Comment 2

[Albert Feller]

mail from reporter (for the record):

> *Yes...the Mozilla Firebird was in my add/remove program file _three
> times_...as I recall it was version 1.0*
> *plus 1.0.1*
> *plus 1.0.2*
> *or whatever the variations are that result from updates...in both the
> second and third cases there was a notice that there was an update to
> install...and now it seems that everytime I downloaded and installed an
> update it was installing as a separate program. This might have caused
> the double imaging that was appearing on my screen.*
> *I picked one of the programs and used add/remove programs to uninstall
> it. It uninstalled and then a note came up that all the files did not
> uninstall and did I want to uninstall them as well? I said yes (there
> were NO CAUTIONS presented here...just do I want to uninstall them?).
> /Possibly there should have/ /been some cautions in the question...more
> detail as to why or why not? There was no indication that there files
> were possibly SHARED files./*

there were 3 items in the add/remove programs panel, but they were all refering
to the same installation of Thunderbird (bug 247884)

> /*Also, for Thunderbird, perhaps there should have been
> cautions/warnings??? (Please transport your messages etc. to whatever
> mail programme you will be using after the uninstall...otherwise you
> might lose them!)*/

as far as I know, the uninstall program ask wether you want to keep your profile
folder (that's where the emails are stored) or not

> *There seems to be an /assumption /here that /all/ users are trained
> computer operators.*
> *In retrospect, if there are no cautions, it seems like something
> similar to giving a child the keys to the car and saying push on the gas
> pedal and it will go...without telling him he has to steer and use the
> brakes...*
> ** 
> *When I say that uninstalling took out my "system restore", I am
> refering in "all programs"  to the accessories/system tools/system
> restore    function that gives an operator the ability to "go back" and
> restore the computer to the way it was in an earlier time. Since the
> uninstall, I can not go back prior to this month (March 2005) and
> previously I could go back right to the date I purchased the computer.*
> *This is in the Windows XP operating system. *
> *My Sony VAIO  RS530G computer has a program that enabled me to make ONE
> (only one) set of recovery discs, so I might be able to find and
> re-install the system restore from one of them.....but I would possibly
> be getting into something that is best left alone.*
> ** 
> *I have no idea why in Thunderbird, the first line was sudenly typing in
> a smaller font size. Even if I did the whole e-mail in one font size and
> then swept over it with my cursor, and clicked on a larger font size,
> the first line would always stay small while the remainder of the
> message took up the larger text.  It was rather strange and it was in
> THUNDERBIRD....and occurred immediately after the last FIREBIRD update*
> *One thing that I will say, is that there seems to be a regular pattern
> in the computer programmes industry, to assume that everyone knows a
> great deal of information about using computers.  I am self -taught by
> trial and error....and I think I do quite well (this is not my saying I
> know everything...but I do know some things.   I know there are millions
> of people who are not as "good" at working with computers. I believe
> people who are developing programs should make efforts to provide better
> instructions. It is a bit like George Washington's expense account...it
> would detail all the _details_ for the expenses for his headquarters
> staff...and then casually add a line..."dinner for one army". Perhaps
> the problem lies in the fact that developers/programmers are normally
> working with people who are highly conversant in computer work....and
> just continue with that approach while forgetting that the end user is
> not so capable?*
> ** 
> *I did not expect such a rapid reply.*
> ** 
> *Thanks*