Program Thunderbird: All sent-emails are gone - but why? I only created a new subfolder in the sent-folder ...
Hello everybody,
my name is Chris and it would be great if there is someone out there who maybe knows a solution for my problem with the E-Mail-Program Thunderbird. This is what happened and I really don't know why:
I have createt a new subfolder in the sent-folder. The idea behind this was, I will safe my sent e-mails in an extra folder and so the sent-folder stays empty. After I had created the subfolder and named it "Safety Folder Sent E-Mails" I have selected all E-Mails in the sent folder and moved them in the new subfolder. It took a moment and then I checked the two folders with this result: the sent-folder is empty and the new subfolder is ... what?? It's also empty?? How is that possible?? And why?? ... What?? - Now all Sent-E-Mails are gone. I can do what I want, they are gone. Even the click on the "Repair"-Button in the properties has no effect in both folders. If you take a look at the properties of the original sent-folder then there appears "0 E-Mails - File Size: 386 MB". The properties from the new folder are "0 E-Mails - File Size: 0 MB". So I opened the Windows-File-Explorer and checked the original sent-file on the computer. Ok, it's there and the size is the same as in the folders properties. And if I open it with the Windows Editor, then you can read only the first and the last E-Mail. The text between them both looks like this: "kwjgflkjwgjkrwguhqwukjgkj23gnvirorghnefoihrflo ..... ".
Does anybody know what has happened and how I could solve this matter? Because I don't understand it ... I was sitting there and I couldn't believe my eyes. All my sent-e-mails are really gone ... all ... I almost freaked out ...
The version from Thunderbird I use is the newes 78.12.0 Plattform is Windows 10 with newest Updates
It would be really great if somebody knows what to do.
Thank you very much for your help Regards Chris
Chosen solution
The original 'Sent' folder may still have all the emails - do not compact anything. Those emails may be invisible because they have the 'flag' set to delete when compacted.
In the profile folder - pop mail account name folder - look for the 'Sent' mbox file (no extension file). I presume that file still has a large size 386 MB?
If yes: Exit Thunderbird now Open the 'Sent' mbox file using Notepad.
The start of each email should look something like this: From - Mon Jan 19 19:45:14 2015 X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00800000
But the X-Mozilla-Status: marker may say 0009
Start at the top of the document. Use the 'EDit > Find' to search for that X-Mozilla-Status: - not X-Mozilla-Status2: line Edit the X-Mozilla-Status: to say 0001
see images below as guide.
when finished save the 'Sent' file. Then delete the 'Sent.msf' index file Now start Thunderbird.
Confirm - can you now see emails again?
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (8)
I am assuming your folder is IMAP, so each f your moves requires several round trips to the mail server to remove the mail from one location and add it to another and then most likely re-download it from the server as a new mail. But the point is it will be slow because you are waiting for that 386mb to make one or two round trips to the mail server. Given most consume connections are actually quite slow uploading things this could take quite a while. Has it manager to right itself since you posted?
Hi, thank you for your answer. The folder is a Pop3 folder. I have also checked the server. There are no e-mails in the sent folder, too. If I write a new E-Mail then this E-Mail appears in the Sent-Folder.
The "new Folder" should have two entries. Foldername.sdb (which will be a folder not a file) and in that folder Foldername with no file extension which will be the file of email.
What did you name the folder? Perhaps it includes something non alphabetical like / or \ or %
yes, there is a new folder named sent.sbd. It's in the folder named popmail. And in this folder are two files - Safety Folder Sent E-Mails (size 2KB) and - Safety Folder Sent E-Mails.msf (size 4KB) and: the big file with 386 MB is also gone. but nobody has deleted something. now there are sent-files with only 2 and 5 KB in the folder named popmail.
Modified by bbl0423
hi, is it possible to overwrite the files without file extensions with the safety-copy of the original file (the big one)?
hi. is there nothing I can do to solve this problem?
Chosen Solution
The original 'Sent' folder may still have all the emails - do not compact anything. Those emails may be invisible because they have the 'flag' set to delete when compacted.
In the profile folder - pop mail account name folder - look for the 'Sent' mbox file (no extension file). I presume that file still has a large size 386 MB?
If yes: Exit Thunderbird now Open the 'Sent' mbox file using Notepad.
The start of each email should look something like this: From - Mon Jan 19 19:45:14 2015 X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00800000
But the X-Mozilla-Status: marker may say 0009
Start at the top of the document. Use the 'EDit > Find' to search for that X-Mozilla-Status: - not X-Mozilla-Status2: line Edit the X-Mozilla-Status: to say 0001
see images below as guide.
when finished save the 'Sent' file. Then delete the 'Sent.msf' index file Now start Thunderbird.
Confirm - can you now see emails again?
Hello Toad-Hall,
the problem is solved. Thank you very much! All E-Mails are back again!