Thunderbird inbox has messages, but they don't show on the screen.
I just completed changing the storage location for Thunderbird email messages, from AppData/Roaming to a new Thunderbird folder under Documents. This was to ensure that my computer quick-backup utility would save emails. I followed Mozilla instructions and all went well, everything seems still to work just fine, except that one POP email account shows nothing in the appropriate Thunderbird Inbox now. Sent messages show up, and new incoming messages to that account go into the Inbox and show, but all the old ones from before the location change just don't populate the Inbox listing area. The Inbox file at the new location has messages in it, I can see and read them with Notepad, but there's no corresponding Inbox message list for that one account. What could have gone wrong, and is it possible to somehow 'activate' the old messages so they show, or move them again from the original AppData/Roaming location to the new one? Thanks!
Chosen solution
Many thanks for this, Toad-Hall. This is valuable info and introduces an email novice to how Thunderbird organizes and presents mail messages.
I have since discovered that my problem was unfounded in this case. The messages in the Inbox that were not showing on the list were those that had been manually deleted. The plea for help predated my understanding of those deleted messages remaining in the Inbox until the box was compacted.
I do appreciate your responses to my questions. One misgiving in my migrating to Thunderbird was concern over customer support. But the forum does seem to be pretty active.
The look of the new (to me) 115 version ought to elevate Thunderbird's standing among email clients. Very nice.
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (2)
re: but all the old ones from before the location change just don't populate the Inbox listing area. The Inbox file at the new location has messages in it, I can see and read them with Notepad, but there's no corresponding Inbox message list for that one account.
TRy this first to see if it is just an indexing issue:
- Right click on 'Inbox' and select 'Properties'
- Click on 'REpair fodler' button
- click on 'OK'
If the above does not work Check the following:
- Exit thunderbird - this is important
- Access new location where emails now stored.
- In pop account name folder - Open the 'Inbox' mbox file using Notepad
Each email will start lines like this: this is an example
- From - Sun Dec 28 18:14:40 2014
- X-Mozilla-Status: 0001
- X-Mozilla-Status2: 00800000
Use 'Edit' > 'Find' Look for this line: X-Mozilla-Status: (not X-Mozilla-Status2:)
- Make sure the X-Mozilla-Status: has the number 0001
- Save the file.
- delete the 'Inbox.msf' file. A new one will be auto created.
- Start Thunderbird.
If emails were marked with eg: 0009 then they would be hidden. Report on whether this worked.
Modified by Toad-Hall
Chosen Solution
Many thanks for this, Toad-Hall. This is valuable info and introduces an email novice to how Thunderbird organizes and presents mail messages.
I have since discovered that my problem was unfounded in this case. The messages in the Inbox that were not showing on the list were those that had been manually deleted. The plea for help predated my understanding of those deleted messages remaining in the Inbox until the box was compacted.
I do appreciate your responses to my questions. One misgiving in my migrating to Thunderbird was concern over customer support. But the forum does seem to be pretty active.
The look of the new (to me) 115 version ought to elevate Thunderbird's standing among email clients. Very nice.