Is it a simple process to install and use an earlier version of TB?

--
Ken
MacOS 10.14.6
Windows 10 21H2
Firefox 101.0.1
Thunderbird 115.3.2
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 10/19/23 03:02 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
> Is it a simple process to install and use an earlier version of TB?
>
>
>
>
If you have a backup of your profile, no it is not hard.

1. Uninstall Thunderbird.
2. Rename the folder C:\users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
3. Install the older version that matched you profile backup.
4. Don't run TB Yet.
5. Put your profile back, along with the profile.ini file you should have backed up.
6. Now you can run TB.

But you must stop TB from upgrading again.
To do that, one of the simplest ways in to create a folder in the install directory.
Normally C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird and call it distribution
Then create a text file call policies.json. Not policies.json.txt.
Put this code in the file. This will stop TB from updating automatically.

{
"policies":
{
"DisableAppUpdate": true
}
}

--
Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon
Al

On 10/19/23 2:03 PM, Big Al wrote:
> On 10/19/23 03:02 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
>> Is it a simple process to install and use an earlier version of TB?
>>
>>
>>
>>
> If you have a backup of your profile, no it is not hard.
>
> 1. Uninstall Thunderbird.
> 2. Rename the folder C:\users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
> 3. Install the older version that matched you profile backup.
> 4. Don't run TB Yet.
> 5. Put your profile back, along with the profile.ini file you should have backed up.
> 6. Now you can run TB.
>
> But you must stop TB from upgrading again.
> To do that, one of the simplest ways in to create a folder in the install directory.
> Normally C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird and call it distribution
> Then create a text file call policies.json. Not policies.json.txt.
> Put this code in the file. This will stop TB from updating automatically.
>
> {
> "policies":
> {
> "DisableAppUpdate": true
> }
> }
>

Thanks, Al. Nice to see something is still the same.

Now I have it's worth the effort in the long run, or just set up a
browser window with te webmail interfaces.

In all honesty, I'm leaning towards the browser solution.

I've never understood te reasoning, if any, for not having the disable
option in Settings.

--
Ken
MacOS 10.14.6
Windows 10 21H2
Firefox 101.0.1
Thunderbird 102.3.3
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 10/19/23 09:27 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
> On 10/19/23 2:03 PM, Big Al wrote:
>> On 10/19/23 03:02 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
>>> Is it a simple process to install and use an earlier version of TB?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> If you have a backup of your profile, no it is not hard.
>>
>> 1. Uninstall Thunderbird.
>> 2. Rename the folder C:\users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
>> 3. Install the older version that matched you profile backup.
>> 4. Don't run TB Yet.
>> 5. Put your profile back, along with the profile.ini file you should have backed up.
>> 6. Now you can run TB.
>>
>> But you must stop TB from upgrading again.
>> To do that, one of the simplest ways in to create a folder in the install directory.
>> Normally C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird  and call it distribution
>> Then create a text file call policies.json.   Not policies.json.txt.
>> Put this code in the file.   This will stop TB from updating automatically.
>>
>> {
>> "policies":
>>      {
>>        "DisableAppUpdate": true
>>       }
>> }
>>
>
> Thanks, Al.  Nice to see something is still the same.
>
> Now I have it's worth the effort in the long run, or just set up a browser window with te webmail interfaces.
>
> In all honesty, I'm leaning towards the browser solution.
>
> I've never understood te reasoning, if any, for not having the disable option in Settings.
>
>
>
>
I just heard about the policies file here in this newsgroup and locked my wife's a while back. She's not really cool on
changes so it's in her best interest. 115 or a later version will settle down and work better, but then I do have a
rose garden. :-)
--
Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon
Al

On 10/19/2023 9:27 PM, Snowshed. wrote:
> On 10/19/23 2:03 PM, Big Al wrote:
>> On 10/19/23 03:02 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
>>> Is it a simple process to install and use an earlier version of TB?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> If you have a backup of your profile, no it is not hard.
>>
>> 1. Uninstall Thunderbird.
>> 2. Rename the folder C:\users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
>> 3. Install the older version that matched you profile backup.
>> 4. Don't run TB Yet.
>> 5. Put your profile back, along with the profile.ini file you should have backed up.
>> 6. Now you can run TB.
>>
>> But you must stop TB from upgrading again.
>> To do that, one of the simplest ways in to create a folder in the install directory.
>> Normally C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird  and call it distribution
>> Then create a text file call policies.json.   Not policies.json.txt.
>> Put this code in the file.   This will stop TB from updating automatically.
>>
>> {
>> "policies":
>>      {
>>        "DisableAppUpdate": true
>>       }
>> }
>>
>
> Thanks, Al.  Nice to see something is still the same.
>
> Now I have it's worth the effort in the long run, or just set up a browser window with te webmail interfaces.
>
> In all honesty, I'm leaning towards the browser solution.
>
> I've never understood te reasoning, if any, for not having the disable option in Settings.

policies.json is an IT guy feature, and the package is
pushed out to employees, with that file already in the
install folder.

The button you refer to, is an end-user feature. They didn't want
mere end-users to have a choice.

Paul

On 10/19/23 9:13 PM, Big Al wrote:
> On 10/19/23 09:27 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
>> On 10/19/23 2:03 PM, Big Al wrote:
>>> On 10/19/23 03:02 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
>>>> Is it a simple process to install and use an earlier version of TB?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> If you have a backup of your profile, no it is not hard.
>>>
>>> 1. Uninstall Thunderbird.
>>> 2. Rename the folder C:\users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
>>> 3. Install the older version that matched you profile backup.
>>> 4. Don't run TB Yet.
>>> 5. Put your profile back, along with the profile.ini file you should have backed up.
>>> 6. Now you can run TB.
>>>
>>> But you must stop TB from upgrading again.
>>> To do that, one of the simplest ways in to create a folder in the install directory.
>>> Normally C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird  and call it distribution
>>> Then create a text file call policies.json.   Not policies.json.txt.
>>> Put this code in the file.   This will stop TB from updating automatically.
>>>
>>> {
>>> "policies":
>>>      {
>>>        "DisableAppUpdate": true
>>>       }
>>> }
>>>
>>
>> Thanks, Al.  Nice to see something is still the same.
>>
>> Now I have it's worth the effort in the long run, or just set up a browser window with te webmail interfaces.
>>
>> In all honesty, I'm leaning towards the browser solution.
>>
>> I've never understood te reasoning, if any, for not having the disable option in Settings.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> I just heard about the policies file here in this newsgroup and locked my wife's a while back. She's not really cool on
> changes so it's in her best interest. 115 or a later version will settle down and work better, but then I do have a
> rose garden. :-)

For me, it depends on the changes. Stability, bug fixes, and the like
are goo. But the UI changes continually make it more difficult for me
to use. It's becoming unusable for me.
..

--
Ken
MacOS 10.14.6
Windows 10 21H2
Firefox 101.0.1
Thunderbird 102.3.3
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"

On 10/19/23 9:13 PM, Paul wrote:
> On 10/19/2023 9:27 PM, Snowshed. wrote:
>> On 10/19/23 2:03 PM, Big Al wrote:
>>> On 10/19/23 03:02 PM, this is what Snowshed. wrote:
>>>> Is it a simple process to install and use an earlier version of TB?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> If you have a backup of your profile, no it is not hard.
>>>
>>> 1. Uninstall Thunderbird.
>>> 2. Rename the folder C:\users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
>>> 3. Install the older version that matched you profile backup.
>>> 4. Don't run TB Yet.
>>> 5. Put your profile back, along with the profile.ini file you should have backed up.
>>> 6. Now you can run TB.
>>>
>>> But you must stop TB from upgrading again.
>>> To do that, one of the simplest ways in to create a folder in the install directory.
>>> Normally C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird  and call it distribution
>>> Then create a text file call policies.json.   Not policies.json.txt.
>>> Put this code in the file.   This will stop TB from updating automatically.
>>>
>>> {
>>> "policies":
>>>      {
>>>        "DisableAppUpdate": true
>>>       }
>>> }
>>>
>>
>> Thanks, Al.  Nice to see something is still the same.
>>
>> Now I have it's worth the effort in the long run, or just set up a browser window with te webmail interfaces.
>>
>> In all honesty, I'm leaning towards the browser solution.
>>
>> I've never understood te reasoning, if any, for not having the disable option in Settings.
>
> policies.json is an IT guy feature, and the package is
> pushed out to employees, with that file already in the
> install folder.
>
> The button you refer to, is an end-user feature. They didn't want
> mere end-users to have a choice.
>
> Paul
>
>

IOW, they are subliminally telling end uses "we don't care what you may
want or nee, o have choice in, you will do it our way."

--
Ken
MacOS 10.14.6
Windows 10 21H2
Firefox 101.0.1
Thunderbird 102.3.3
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"