thunderbird address book deleted?

I was backing up my thunderbird via C:\Documents and Settings\1 Sarah\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles into a folder on my desktop, for export.

Instead of copying I, without realising, moved the folder. When thunderbird wouldn't open next time, I copied it back and all was well, until I opened my address book and it is empty! Tried re-starting, and re-copying the files back for a second time. The abook.mab and history.mab are there, here is a section of it:

// <!-- <mdb:mork:z v= "1.4 "/> -->
< <(a=c)> // (f=iso-8859-1)
(B8=Custom3)(B9=Custom4)(BA=Notes)(BB=LastModifiedDate)(BC=RecordKey)
(BD=AddrCharSet)(BE=LastRecordKey)(BF=ns:addrbk:db:table:kindab)
(C0=ListName)(C1=ListNickName)(C2=ListDescription)
(C3=ListTotalAddresses)(C4=LowercaseListName)
(C5=ns:addrbk:db:table:kind:deleted)
(80=ns:addrbk:db:row:scope:card:all)
(81=ns:addrbk:db:row:scope:list:all)
(82=ns:addrbk:db:row:scope:data:all)(83=FirstName)(84=LastName)

there appears to be no actual data. Both files' contents look like this.

I am wondering if I roll back my system, to the last restore point, if this would help? Otherwise I have lost touch with a lot of people!

thanks, sarah

 

I didn't find that thread helpful cos it wasn't about XP, hence posting in XP. (unless I have misremembered the thread you mean?)

sarah

 

thanks pete

 

Thanks, that is the page that I used and found my address book file from; hence me copying some of that into this post. that page hasn't helped me further though cos I dont have any data in that file. hence posting this post.

so needing some more help

 

The "section" that you provided is correct so-far. Thats how the files look like when looked at in wordpad or some other editor. Since you didn't got far enough, I can't tell if the actual data is still there or not.

Something to try: close TB, then right click on the files and make sure that they're not marked as read only.

As far as system restore is concerned, you're outta luck. It only restores programs and the operating system. It doesn't restore the Documents, data, and some Settings section.

 

This is entire contents from the file that I haven't added addresses to: I have now added some of my regular contacts back into the other files. None are "read-only ". Please let me know what you think... thanks

// <!-- <mdb:mork:z v= "1.4 "/> -->
< <(a=c)> // (f=iso-8859-1)
(B8=Custom3)(B9=Custom4)(BA=Notes)(BB=LastModifiedDate)(BC=RecordKey)
(BD=AddrCharSet)(BE=LastRecordKey)(BF=ns:addrbk:db:table:kindab)
(C0=ListName)(C1=ListNickName)(C2=ListDescription)
(C3=ListTotalAddresses)(C4=LowercaseListName)
(C5=ns:addrbk:db:table:kind:deleted)
(80=ns:addrbk:db:row:scope:card:all)
(81=ns:addrbk:db:row:scope:list:all)
(82=ns:addrbk:db:row:scope:data:all)(83=FirstName)(84=LastName)
(85=PhoneticFirstName)(86=PhoneticLastName)(87=DisplayName)
(88=NickName)(89=PrimaryEmail)(8A=LowercasePrimaryEmail)
(8B=SecondEmail)(8C=DefaultEmail)(8D=CardType)(8E=PreferMailFormat)
(8F=PopularityIndex)(90=WorkPhone)(91=HomePhone)(92=FaxNumber)
(93=PagerNumber)(94=CellularNumber)(95=WorkPhoneType)(96=HomePhoneType)
(97=FaxNumberType)(98=PagerNumberType)(99=CellularNumberType)
(9A=HomeAddress)(9B=HomeAddress2)(9C=HomeCity)(9D=HomeState)
(9E=HomeZipCode)(9F=HomeCountry)(A0=WorkAddress)(A1=WorkAddress2)
(A2=WorkCity)(A3=WorkState)(A4=WorkZipCode)(A5=WorkCountry)
(A6=JobTitle)(A7=Department)(A8=Company)(A9=_AimScreenName)
(AA=AnniversaryYear)(AB=AnniversaryMonth)(AC=AnniversaryDay)
(AD=SpouseName)(AE=FamilyName)(AF=DefaultAddress)(B0=Category)
(B1=WebPage1)(B2=WebPage2)(B3=BirthYear)(B4=BirthMonth)(B5=BirthDay)
(B6=Custom1)(B7=Custom2)>

<(80=0)>
{1:^80 {(k^BF:c)(s=9)}

 

it looks like the address book has been trashed and you lost everything. All the address entries would have appeared after this:

<(80=0)>
{1:^80 {(k^BF:c)(s=9)}

but it seems yours went missing. Close TB, then delete all the .mab files, there should be two of them. Now, from your backup, copy the 2 .mab files -- abook.mab and history.mab. Reopen TB. Anything?

 

Yeah I agree, now that I have seen what it looks like when I have added some addresses. I have already done what you suggest, as I had actually moved the files out of TB into the back up, so i copied them back again: very strange, cos it all worked before I backed it up....

any other ideas how to get the data back?
thanks,
sarah