Need help with Thunderbird

[jerry]

I started having a problem with thunderbird the last few days. I suspect 
that it started after an update to Tbird on 10-21. According to 
/var/log/aptitude this is the entry:  [UPGRADE] thunderbird 
3.0.8+build2+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.10.04.1 -> 
3.0.9+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.10.04.1

After the upgrade Tbird was already open I would get a small window 
(only a few pixels wide and long that I would have to drag open. It 
would be entirely blank, (no text, no options anywhere on the page and 
right click did not offer any options). I would have to close the tiny 
window in order to be able to use Tbird. I would sometimes have to close 
2 or 3 or these windows to use Tbird. If I try to send an email the tiny 
window would appear when I hit send. I would have to close the window 
and then hit send, and another tiny window would open and repeat the 
steps. I closed Tbird to see if that would help and now when I try to 
open it I only get the tiny window. If I close it Tbird is closed. Using 
google some people talked about deleting or using another profile.
I have tried:
1. to reinstall Tbird without deleting/purging it.
2. deleted .mozilla-thunderbird/profiles.ini
3. changed the line in profiles.ini from StartWithLastProfile=1 to 
StartWithLastProfile=0
4. in terminal thunderbird -P and thunderbird -ProfileManager
Nothing has solved the problem.

I am using Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS with the kde meta package.

I am writing this from another computer that also has Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS 
and the KDE meta package. This version of Tbird is 3.0.9 but I cannot 
find any evidence of the upgrade  package from 3.0.8 to 3.0.9 in the logs.

If the recommendation is to purge and reinstall Tbird would saving 
.thunderbird/yq3a688c.default restore all my settings, configs, 
passwords, emails, etc?

Thanks for any help.
Jerry