We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Files and folders

  • 30 replies
  • 4 have this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

more options

I have been a Thunderbird user since 2004 and have been very satisfied with its performance. However yesterday something went wrong, at least i belief so.

Yesterday, October 5, 2022, i downloaded the Thunderbird update on Linux. After the automatic installation i lost all my files and folders. The accounts still exist and folders. I can view accounts and folders names in 'Go/Folders', but if i click the names nothing happens. How do I view my files or recover my files?

Thanks a lot in advance for your assistance Hans Schaap [email removed from public]

I have been a Thunderbird user since 2004 and have been very satisfied with its performance. However yesterday something went wrong, at least i belief so. Yesterday, October 5, 2022, i downloaded the Thunderbird update on Linux. After the automatic installation i lost all my files and folders. The accounts still exist and folders. I can view accounts and folders names in 'Go/Folders', but if i click the names nothing happens. How do I view my files or recover my files? Thanks a lot in advance for your assistance Hans Schaap [email removed from public]
Attached screenshots

Modified by James

All Replies (20)

more options

Try the following:

Set this setting:

  • 'View' > 'Folders' > 'All'

Then do this:

  • Menu icon > Help > More Troubleshooting Information
  • Under 'Application Basics' - half way is Profile Folders - click on 'Open Folder' (Windows OS)

In a Mac it may be called 'Open Finder' In Linux it may be called 'Open directory'

window opens showing contents of your profile name folder

  • Exit Thunderbird now - this is important

Scroll down and delete the following files:

  • folderCache.json
  • folderTree.json
  • virtualFolders.dat
  • session.json
  • xulstore.json

Click on 'Mail' folder

  • delete 'smart mailboxes' folder

(do not worry if it does not exist - it just means you have never used Unified)

Start Thunderbird.

Please Report back on results.

more options

I am also having this problem and Resetting the Toolbars & Controls did not work. Attempted multiple times. No luck. I also installed a newly downloaded Thunderbird overtop of the existing TB to see if that would fix it, no dice. I wish I could get it working like you guys did with just Resetting in Safe Mode - but it doesn't work at all.

Also, can't open the "Settings" menu at all. Clicking on doesn't bring anything up.

I can tell it's purely a display issue - as the email is still arriving, and the pop-up appears when mail arrives. Just can't see anything or interact with anything.

Also, I tried a fix from another post saying to change the Theme - but this also didn't change anything.

Very stuck here! Any other suggestions?

more options

Toad-Hall, thanks for the reply. It did not resolve the problem, actually it made it a bit worse since I wasn't able to view the folders anymore in Go/Folders/Recent. After restoring the deleted files i was again able to view, but only view, those folder names.

In addition: the systems still downloads files from my gmail account, and displays briefly the filenames downloaded, but i can't access. I have disabled the downloading currently and work from gmail directly.

Hans Schaap

Modified by hans.schaap

more options

Woodchucking said

I am also having this problem and Resetting the Toolbars & Controls did not work. Attempted multiple times. No luck. I also installed a newly downloaded Thunderbird overtop of the existing TB to see if that would fix it, no dice. I wish I could get it working like you guys did with just Resetting in Safe Mode - but it doesn't work at all. Also, can't open the "Settings" menu at all. Clicking on doesn't bring anything up. I can tell it's purely a display issue - as the email is still arriving, and the pop-up appears when mail arrives. Just can't see anything or interact with anything. Also, I tried a fix from another post saying to change the Theme - but this also didn't change anything. Very stuck here! Any other suggestions?

I have not mentioned anything which you are talking about. Did you follow instructions to exit thunderbird, access profile and delete the afore mentioned files? Feedback on that particular point is the only information required. This has worked for some people, but not all.

Did you try 'Troubleshoot Mode' (do not select any checkbox) and only click on 'Continue in Troubleshoot mode' ? This then only uses the basics. That is the information required. Do you have any addon extensions installed, if yes, what are they?

more options

I have followed the previous instruction in all details, including exiting Thunderbird and deleting the files. As i wrote, it has no impact. Just now i also tried the 'Troubleshoot Mode; as instructed. Also here is not change, not getting better, not getting worse, just as it was in regular mode.

Hans

more options

Similar to before but with an additional file to delete. Some time ago the global database file caused some problems, so please test to see if it is doing it again.

  • Menu icon > Help > More Troubleshooting Information
  • Before proceding click on the button 'Clear Startup Cache'
  • Under 'Application Basics' - half way is Profile Folders - click on 'Open Folder' (Windows OS)

In a Mac it may be called 'Open Finder' In Linux it may be called 'Open directory'

window opens showing contents of your profile name folder

  • Exit Thunderbird now - this is important

Scroll down and delete the following files:

  • folderCache.json
  • folderTree.json
  • global-messages-db.sqlite
  • virtualFolders.dat
  • session.json
  • xulstore.json

Start Thunderbird.

more options

If the previous comment did not work:

Please test: Exit Thunderbird. The shortcut you use to start Thunderbird - right click on it and select 'Run as Administrator' Please report on what happens.

more options

HI, Tried the first suggestion as instructed. No positive result, actually the same as the previous. The additional deleted file had no impact. I can't find 'run as administrator'. Have tried it over and over again. Maybe its not on Linux? See attachment.

more options

I'm having the exact same issue. I've also tried all the suggested steps above. 'Run as Admin' didn't make any difference for me.

Not sure if this is relevant, but from the Error Console I see the following:

Calendar: Can't create calendar for 27483b60-ac4a-42ed-a194-daa68f1c9d79 (storage, moz-storage-calendar://): [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED) [mozIStorageService.openDatabase]" nsresult: "0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED)" location: "JS frame :: resource:///modules/calendar/CalStorageDatabase.jsm :: connect :: line 67" data: no] CalCalendarManager.jsm:536 NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED: Component returned failure code: 0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED) [mozIStorageService.openDatabase] CalStorageDatabase.jsm:67 NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED: Component returned failure code: 0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED) [mozIStorageService.openDatabase] 2 CalStorageDatabase.jsm:67 Uncaught (in promise)

more options

It may be necessary to create a new profile.

Thunderbird user called dkloke had same problem - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1392711

more options

tony.albrecht0 said

I'm having the exact same issue. I've also tried all the suggested steps above. 'Run as Admin' didn't make any difference for me. Not sure if this is relevant, but from the Error Console I see the following: Calendar: Can't create calendar for 27483b60-ac4a-42ed-a194-daa68f1c9d79 (storage, moz-storage-calendar://): [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED) [mozIStorageService.openDatabase]" nsresult: "0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED)" location: "JS frame :: resource:///modules/calendar/CalStorageDatabase.jsm :: connect :: line 67" data: no] CalCalendarManager.jsm:536 NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED: Component returned failure code: 0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED) [mozIStorageService.openDatabase] CalStorageDatabase.jsm:67 NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED: Component returned failure code: 0x8052000b (NS_ERROR_FILE_CORRUPTED) [mozIStorageService.openDatabase] 2 CalStorageDatabase.jsm:67 Uncaught (in promise)

This error data seems to be all about the calendar...so let's see if the backup provides a better result. Try this: First - please clear the 'Error Console'

  • Menu icon > Help > More Troubleshooting Information
  • Under 'Application Basics' - half way is Profile Folders - click on 'Open Folder' (Windows OS)

In a Mac it may be called 'Open Finder' In Linux it may be called 'Open directory'

window opens showing contents of your profile name folder

  • Exit Thunderbird now - this is important
  • click on 'calendar-data' folder to see contents.

The file called 'local.sqlite' has all calendar stuff.

  • Please rename the 'local.sqlite' as 'local.sqlite.old'
  • Click on 'backup' folder

You should see a file called 'local.v22.sqlite'

  • Copy the 'local.v22.sqlite' file
  • go back up to the 'calendar-data' folder
  • paste the 'local.v22.sqlite' file into the 'calendar-data' folder
  • then rename the 'local.v22.sqlite' file as 'local.sqlite'

Start Thunderbird. Please report back on results Please provide info on what the error console says - post an image.

more options

From all the information which is being collected it seems there is more than one issue which is producing the same inability to see accounts, folders in Folder Pane etc.

I have some people who found a solution just deleting:

  • folderCache.json
  • folderTree.json
  • session.json
  • xulstore.json

others - those who use 'Unified' view - found this a solution - they needed to delete a few additional files:

  • folderCache.json
  • folderTree.json
  • virtualFolders.dat
  • session.json
  • xulstore.json
  • Click on 'Mail' folder and delete 'smart mailboxes' folder

But it is clear there are some who seem to have a different cause going on or have same as above but with an additional problem.

For anyone with an issue - empty the error console - start Thunderbird and look in error console. then post image so we can see contents of error console. Error console is here: 'Tools' > 'Developer Tools' > 'Error Console'

Many thanks to everyone helping to get to the bottom of this. I'm collecting information to inform developers, so they get a better idea of what is going on.

Modified by Toad-Hall

more options

Thank you! Restoring the backup calendar sqlite worked.

more options

I opened, based on the dkloke's suggestion, a new email account with exactly the same data as my old. The folders and files of the old account were immediately restored. No other problems appeared, such as additional inboxes. Thanks a for the suggestions and effort to solve this problem.

Hans

more options

Was a little bit too exited. After restarting TB the same problem appeared.

more options

Every time i open TB i have to go to the process of opening a 'new account' (IMAP). However the original folders and files restore, with every time a new IMAP inbox. How to resolve that the account restores automatically after restarting TB? What steps do i have to make?

The system does not accept a new POP3 account, because one already exists. This is my original TB account.

Hans

more options

hans.schaap said

Was a little bit too exited. After restarting TB the same problem appeared.

What addons both themes and extensions have you installed whether they are enabled or disabled?

Please access the 'Error Console' and clear it. Then restart Thunderbird Open the 'Error Console' and post an image or images showing all the contents.

more options

tony.albrecht0 said

Thank you! Restoring the backup calendar sqlite worked.

That's great news. Clearly, if calendar is up the creek then it can also manifest as not showing all accounts and folders.

more options

I don't remember if i added any addons and themes. If i did i would have done that a long time ago. Attached the error console

more options

Uploaded the wrong error console in my previous mail. Attached is the correct one after restarting TB I hope this help in trouble shooting

  1. 1
  2. 2