Files and folders in the profile - Thunderbird
From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
This article is a supplement to Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird that provides more details about the files and/or folders used by Thunderbird's profile.
Files
None of these files should be read-only. If they are that might be a side effect of dragging and dropping or backing up files to removable media, and then using them to restore your profile.
Name | Description |
---|---|
.autoreg | Temporary empty file that signals a change in the installed extensions. |
.parentlock | See parent.lock |
abook.mab | Personal Address Book |
blocklist.xml | Automatically downloaded list of dangerous extensions. |
cert8.db | Security certificates |
compatibility.ini | Stores version and path of the application this profile was last used with. When the profile is loaded with an application of a different version/path, the XPCOM components registration process is triggered. This file is automatically generated and can safely be deleted. |
components.ini | Lists extension folders with XPCOM components. Replaced with extensions.ini in 1.5. |
compreg.dat | Lists registered XPCOM components. Automatically regenerated whenever XPCOM registration process is triggered. |
cookies.txt | Cookies RSS_cookies_(Thunderbird) |
downloads.rdf | Download history. Can be deleted to resolve slow downloads or program hangs (Bug 159107) |
extensions.cache | Lists installed extensions, their IDs, and the folders they are installed to, along with their last-modify time. It is used, for example, to register extensions installed by dropping a folder into one of known install locations. This file is automatically regenerated and can be deleted to resolve various issues. |
extensions.ini | Lists folders of installed extensions and themes. The file is automatically generated by nsExtensionManager and is used by low-level code to detect chrome packages and XPCOM components provided by installed addons. It can be deleted to resolve various issues.
|
extensions.rdf | Installed extension information. It can be deleted to remove "ghost" entries from the extension list [1] and to resolve various other issues. |
filterlog.html | Message filter log. If filter logging is enabled its stored in the accounts directory. |
history.mab | Collected addresses |
hostinfo.dat in News | Contains all the newsgroups available for the current server |
junklog.html | Junk mail log for that account |
key3.db | Key database |
localstore.rdf | Toolbar and Window_layout_-_Thunderbird window size/position settings. It can be deleted to resolve various issues. |
localstore-safe.rdf | Special version of localstore.rdf used in Safe Mode to set toolbars and window customizations to defaults. [2] |
lock (Linux) | See parent.lock |
mailviews.dat | Defines your current message view (you can customize it) |
mimeTypes.rdf | Action to perform when downloading certain types of files. Can be deleted to reset download actions. |
msgFilterRules.dat in ImapMail, Mail, News | Message filters |
nsmail.eml, nsmail.tmp, nsmail.html | Temporary files created when sending a message. |
nstmp | Thunderbird creates a nstmp temporary file when compacting a folder. You should not see it (or nstmp-1, nstmp-2 etc.) unless Thunderbird was interrupted while compacting. |
panacea.dat | Mail folder cache |
parent.lock | Marker showing that the current profile is in use. Can be deleted to unlock the profile. |
persdict.dat | Personal spelling dictionary |
popstate.dat in Mail | Keeps track of which messages have been left on the POP3 server |
prefs.js | All preferences. See: Modify Thunderbird settings |
secmod.db | Security module database |
signons.txt | Encrypted saved passwords, requires key3.db to work |
storage.sdb | Internal calendar data (in SQLite format) if you use the Lightning extension |
training.dat | Custom training for Junk Mail Controls |
tmprules.dat | Temporary file used when modifying message filters. |
user.js (does not exist by default) |
User-set overriding preferences |
userChrome.css in chrome (does not exist by default) |
User-set CSS to change the way the application looks |
userContent.css in chrome (does not exist by default) |
User-set CSS to change the way webpages look |
userChrome.js in chrome (does not exist by default) |
User-set JavaScript to change the way the application works |
virtualfolders.dat | Saved Search folder settings |
xpti.dat | Lists registered XPCOM interfaces. Automatically regenerated whenever XPCOM registration process is triggered. |
XPC.mfl | A cache file for components (XPC) |
xul.mfasl | The Linux version of the XUL.mfl file |
XUL.mfl | Cached user interface data. Can be deleted to resolve various issues (file location changed in Thunderbird 1.5 [3]) |
XUL FastLoad File | See XUL.mfl |
Files without specific names
Name | Description |
---|---|
(number).s | Obsolete. It used to be used for saving passwords. The "(number).s" value was specified by the signon.SignonFileName preference. |
*. in ImapMail, Mail, and News | Mbox files. They are text files that contain all of the messages for that folder. |
*.mab other than abook.mab and history.mab | User-created or imported address books. |
*.msf in ImapMail, Mail, and News | Index files for mail messages. |
*.rc in News | Subscribed groups. |
Files outside the "Profiles" folder
Name | Description |
---|---|
pluginreg.dat | Registration of plugin mimetypes. Its located in the <parent> folder containing the "Profiles" folder. Its very unusual to have any plugins. |
profiles.ini | Keeps track of the profiles location. Its located in the <parent> folder containing the "Profiles" folder, and can be edited to point to a moved profile folder. If deleted, profiles.ini will be regenerated along with a new default profile folder upon program restart. |
registry.dat | Obsolete. Keeps track of where your profiles are located. Its located in the <parent> folder containing the "Profiles" folder. |
You can store messages outside of the profile by configuring Thunderbird to store an accounts directory outside of the profile. If you do that you need to move the directories yourself, modifying the preferences in prefs.js just tells Thunderbird where to look for the files.