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Search broken in newer versions of Thunderbird
In the recent versions of Thunderbird (102.2.x, 102,3,3, 106.0b5, and possibly earlier) searching messages no longer works on my home system.
On the main message screen, the Quick Search field used to let me quickly filter out messages with a subject or sender matching whatever I put in that field. It would in fact start filtering matches as I'm typing. This no longer happens, with multiple email addresses (such as GMail, or my ISP).
If I bring up the full search dialogue while on a folder from one of my email accounts (so that it should be able to guess which account I'm searching in) the "Search for messages in" field is greyed out. with the text "No available folders".
The thing is, my work computer with Thunderbird 102.2.0 still has functional search (both Ouick Find and the full search dialogue).
Всички отговори (18)
Hello
is research enabled in the Indexing options ? (it's in general options, bottom just before the button for the config editor)
> ...is research enabled in the Indexing options ? (it's in general options, bottom just before the button for the config editor)... <
I see options for "Enable Global search and indexer", Message Store Type, and "use hardware acceleration when available" as the options under "Indexing". not the "Research" one you mentioned. Global S&I and HW acceleration are selected. Still cannot find items in search. I also see a problem with the create filter window, but I'm posting that separately
restart Thunderbird in troubleshoot mode and continue when prompted and see if that has an impact.
Please check to see if the various folders are selected to be included in Global Search.
- Right click on folder and select 'Properties'
- Select checkbox : 'Include messages in this folder in Global Search Results'
- click on 'OK'
"Enable Global search and indexer" is checked, and various folders (including the Inbox I'm trying to search on) are all marked to be indexed. (currently on v102.5.0, 64bit, Fedora 37)
Thunderbirf 102.6.0, Fedora 37
Interesting that a generic "Global Search" runs, but I cannot select which location it searches in. Filtering messages from the main message window still does not work.
Global search & Indexer is still enabled, folders are still set to include them in Global Search, I have even yet again tried a "repair folder" on my inbox. All my IMAP folders are set to synchronize offline.
The image you have posted is not using the 'Global Search (Ctrl+K)'. The 'Global Search' text entry box is on the 'Mail Toolbar'.
The image you posted is using the 'Find' > 'Search Messages'
It will search initially on whatever folder or account you select.
If you then save the results as a search folder - it will appear in the Folder Pane.
Right click on search folder and select 'Properties'
This will then allow you to use the 'Choose' button to add folders from any account and then you click on 'Update' it reflects the changes and search results. It is more long winded to add all the folders on all accounts, but useful when searching specific folders on any account.
You can also modify the search conditions if required.
It is a handy way of keeping a search result which does auto update as new mail arrives in any of the selected search folders.
Not the point. The point is that running a search does not allow me to select which folder I want to search in, because it can't *SEE* any of the folders on my system. I'll upload a better screenshot (didn't realize just how *bad* the one from Shutter looked). You'll see that the field for "Search for messages in:" is greyed out and says "No available folders". But all my mail is there, I can browse through any of them and read my email there (all replicated/synced locally). The same way that creating a filter (question [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/que.../1393977|1393977] ) also doesn't see any folders. I'm presuming the inability to filter messages on the main window is related (TB is not actually seeing the messages, even though it is).
Can you see all the folders for all the accounts in the Folder Pane and you can read any emails they contain ? I'm presuming yes, but please confirm.
Where is your profile located? Please do the following and post images.
Menu icon > Help > More Troubleshooting Information Under 'Application Basics' - near the bottom see 'Profiles' - click on 'about:profiles' It opens in a new tab. Make sure you can see as much as possible and then post images showing everything you can see.
This will tell us exactly where everything is currently located, so we know if all is set up correctly.
Yes, all folders are available and browseable. Synchronized locally as well.
======================
About Profiles This page helps you to manage your profiles. Each profile is a separate world which contains separate history, bookmarks, settings and add-ons. Profile: default This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted. Default Profile yes Root Directory /home/jelabarre/.thunderbird/fs5c8w6v.default Local Directory /home/jelabarre/.cache/thunderbird/fs5c8w6v.default
======================
re :Root Directory /home/jelabarre/.thunderbird/fs5c8w6v.default
That is normally correct, but maybe different if using flatpak - just wondering... At the end of the 'Root Directory' line is a 'Open Directory' button - click on it.
Please post images (s) showing all the contents. Make sure it is displaying details with column headers for name, date, size, type.
Then check this in the Account Settings:
Select 'Server Settings' for account and look bottom right for 'Local Directory:...'
Make window wide enough so you can read all the text in that 'Local directory' text box - either copy all the content and paste info into this forum or post an image.
Questions:
Did you get Thunderbird program/update from flatpak from Fedora?
OR did you get download from Thunderbird site: https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/all/
Have you ever used an addon like 'Manually Sort Folders'? Do you have any addons installed whether they are enabled or not ?
Toad-Hall said
re :Root Directory /home/jelabarre/.thunderbird/fs5c8w6v.default ... Please post images (s) showing all the contents. Make sure it is displaying details with column headers for name, date, size, type. ... Select 'Server Settings' for account and look bottom right for 'Local Directory:...' Make window wide enough so you can read all the text in that 'Local directory' text box - either copy all the content and paste info into this forum or post an image.
/home/jelabarre/.thunderbird/fs5c8w6v.default/ImapMail/imap.gmail.com
Did you get Thunderbird program/update from flatpak from Fedora? OR did you get download from Thunderbird site: https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/all/
Thunderbird is installed from the standard Fedora RPM
Name : thunderbird Version : 102.6.0 Release : 1.fc37 Architecture : x86_64 Size : 274 M Source : thunderbird-102.6.0-1.fc37.src.rpm Repository : @System From repo : updates Summary : Mozilla Thunderbird mail/newsgroup client URL : http://www.mozilla.org/projects/thunderbird/ License : MPL-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-or-later OR LGPL-2.0-or-later Description : Mozilla Thunderbird is a standalone mail and newsgroup client.
although running a later beta version from the Thunderbird download site didn't change anything.
Have you ever used an addon like 'Manually Sort Folders'? Do you have any addons installed whether they are enabled or not ?
At some point years back I had a folder sort utility. It's not installed anymore. I have gone through my extensions and outright uninstalled any that I wasn't using or were no longer compatible with Thunderbird
- Cardbook
- Compact Headers
- Nested Quote Remover
- Printing Tools NG
- ThreadVis
- URL Link
(I had even started Thunderbird in "Safe Mode" to disable all extensions, but it didn't change anything).
Forgot the screenshots...
You do have some very old obselete files which could be deleted to tidy things up, but I'll get back to that point later.
Exit Thunderbird and access the profile name folder.
- Look for: 'prefs.js' - this is used by the current Thunderbird. In the image supplied, it has a size: 100.4kb and date/time: 2022-12-30 23:53:42
- Please rename this 'prefs.js' file as 'prefs.js.old'
look for this one, it is three down in the list from the 'prefs.js' file.
- 'prefs.js.20221206' size 143.5 and date: 2022-12-06 09:23:07
You were previously using this prefs and for an unknown reason Thunderbird stopped using it and gave it a datestamp as part of the name and created a new 'prefs.js' file which I notice is a lot smaller as if it is missing some data.
- Please rename this 'prefs.js.20221206' file as prefs.js so Thunderbird can reuse this file.
All the following various 'prefs' files can be deleted as they are old dates with old out of date data and unused. They are really just messing up the profile name folder.
- prefs.js.20120701
- prefs.js.20201204
- prefs.js.ffox
- prefs.js.linux
- prefs.js.mswin
- prefs.js.new
- prefs.js.nofinity
- prefs.js.ntfs
- prefs.js.win10
- prefs.js.win10_18nov14
- prefs.js~
- prefs-1.js
- prefs-2.js
- prefs-3.js
- prefs-4.js
- prefs-5.js
Whilst in the profile, I suggest you clean it up by deleting these old unused files:
- 000.global-messages-db.sqlite.000 - probably a backup file created by you ?
- cert8.db - obselete
- folderTree-1.json
- folderTree-2.json
- folderTree-3.json
- folderTree-4.json
- folderTree-5.json
- folderTree-6.json
- folderTree-7.json
- folderTree-8.json
- folderTree-9.json
- folderTree-10.json
- folderTree-11.json
- folderTree-12.json
- key3.db - obselete
- urlclassifier2.sqlite - obselete
- virtualFolders-1.dat
- virtualFolders-2.dat
- virtualFolders-3.dat
- virtualFolders-4.dat
Start Thunderbird.
Please report back on results.
Those other prefs.js.* files were from when I wanted to try things like migrating to/from MSWin/Linux, or some other configuration test (where I'd keep the original before making larger changes).
That 221206 prefs file was when I thought I'd clear out obsolete printer settings (printers I've had in the past and no longer use). I figured I'd just clear them ALL out and let the program start fresh.
Using that file OR my current file didn't make any difference. Also, restarting in "Troubleshoot Mode" after cleaning out obsolete files didn't change anything. I also notice in the "Account Settings" under "Copies and Folders" the drop-down lists for where I keep my Sent, Archives, Drafts & Templates all say "No Available Folders". Same thing for the "Junk Settings". Just the same as the "Search Messages" dialog has for "Search for messages in:" (which is about where this entire thread started).
Thunderbird 109.0b4 still cannot see mail folders for creating mail filters, running "Search Messages", or even in the "Copies & Folders" & "Junk Settings" sections within the account settings (for any of my accounts, GMail, Hotmail, Comcast, etc).
Again, confirmed as still not working in v110.0b2 (TB cannot see my mail folders in the filter dialogs or in the account profiles for setting Junk folders, etc. I am able to browse through and read mail as usual, and the "Filter these messages <Ctrl+Shift-K>" is back to working as it had in v102.6
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I've determined it's not a problem with the mail files themselves. Outside of Thunderbird I removed the imap.gmail.com directory and it's corresponding imap.gmail.com.msf file, and re-created them in Epyrus (Thunderbird compatible). Then I copied the directory and .msf back to the TBird profile directory and TThunderbird still shows a greyed-out "No Available Folders" for anyplace it needs to look at or select them (mail filters, account settings, search).
I just tried this again (after copying in the re-downloaded mail) running in Safe Mode, so shouldn't be a problem with an extension. And this isn't just limited to GMail either. This happens with ALL accounts, GMail, Comcast, Hotmail, and even under my old POP accounts (kept for archival purposes) and the Local Folders as well (Safe Mode or regular).
Tested the same under MSWin10 (profile converted from my Linux profile) also TBird 102.8.0, same thing happens there (No Available Folders).