Do you have a POP or IMAP mail account? If POP then: POP mail accounts can only access server Inbox and download anything not previously downloaded. Pop mail accounts cannot see any other folder on the server. This is not a Thundebird quirk - this is how all pop mail accounts work. Workaround to get emails in other server folders into a Thunderbird Pop mail account. In Thunderbird: Prepare Inbox to make life easier - move all emails out of Inbox into other suitable folders and delete any you do not want. When Inbox is empty, right click on Inbox folder and select 'Compact'. This removes alll those 'marked as deleted' emails. In webmail account: Move emails from a folder into Inbox. In Thunderbird: Click on 'Get Messages' it will download email. Move all emails into suitable folder. Repeat process to get emails from the various folders on server. ----------------------- If IMAP then: You need to subscribe to see the folders. Right click on mail account and select : subscribe. select folders you want to subscribe to see.