How do I restore some lost Folders and sub-folders
I was renaming some sub-folders and then dragged some around under Local Folders. When I returned to Thunderbird they were all gone including the emails/files. I did a Windows System Restore using yesterday's date but the Folders were still missing. Any help would be appreciated.
Ŋuɖoɖo si wotia
Look in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxxxxxxxxx.default\Mail\Local Folders.
A TB folder Fred has two files: Fred (containing the emails) and Fred.msf (presumably an index). They are hidden files.
This is not a supported way of working ... so take a backup copy of C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird just in case it all goes pear shaped.
The idea is to use tb to remove any remnants of the folders, then use TB to create new, good folders and all their metadata. Now copy and paste files to replace the newly created, good folder files with the old, proper folder files.
1. Stop TB
2. Having found out what the folder files are called (eg you have folders Tom and Harry), move them somewhere temporary.
3. Start TB. Delete folders Tom and Harry. Create a new, empty folders Tom and Harry. Copy an email to Tom. Copy an email to Harry. You have now created good folders Tom and Harry, and should have created files Tom and Tom.msf; and Harry and Harry.msf.
4. Stop TB
5. Replace Tom and Tom.msf, and Harry and Harry.msf with your saved files.
6. Restart TB. Tom and Harry should be restored.
7. Compress all folders when all are recovered.
Note that if the folders are in a tree in TB then there is a tree structure of files in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxxxxxxxxx.default\Mail\Local Folders.
Xle ŋuɖoɖo sia le goya me 👍 1All Replies (2)
Ɖɔɖɔɖo si wotia
Look in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxxxxxxxxx.default\Mail\Local Folders.
A TB folder Fred has two files: Fred (containing the emails) and Fred.msf (presumably an index). They are hidden files.
This is not a supported way of working ... so take a backup copy of C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird just in case it all goes pear shaped.
The idea is to use tb to remove any remnants of the folders, then use TB to create new, good folders and all their metadata. Now copy and paste files to replace the newly created, good folder files with the old, proper folder files.
1. Stop TB
2. Having found out what the folder files are called (eg you have folders Tom and Harry), move them somewhere temporary.
3. Start TB. Delete folders Tom and Harry. Create a new, empty folders Tom and Harry. Copy an email to Tom. Copy an email to Harry. You have now created good folders Tom and Harry, and should have created files Tom and Tom.msf; and Harry and Harry.msf.
4. Stop TB
5. Replace Tom and Tom.msf, and Harry and Harry.msf with your saved files.
6. Restart TB. Tom and Harry should be restored.
7. Compress all folders when all are recovered.
Note that if the folders are in a tree in TB then there is a tree structure of files in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxxxxxxxxx.default\Mail\Local Folders.
John_77 trɔe
Many thanks John. I found the Profiles/Mail/LocalFolders directory and moved the files back under the correct directories. Thanks for the help! Norm.