re :I have checked my server and it mirrors my desktop. I presume the folder that you cannot save to in Thunderbird has identical emails in it on server.

Check to see what you have got when you view profile name folder. In Thunderbird Help > Troubleshooting Information click on 'Open Folder' button a new window opens showing contents of profile name folder.

Click on 'ImapMail' folder click on the imap mail account name folder

If you have been downloading full copies of emails, then they would be stored in mbox files. mbox files are text files with no extension. You can open mbox text files using a text editor program like Notepad or Notepad++ or EditPad Lite or UltraEdit etc.

Emails are written to the file one after the other in the order downloaded, so the oldest will be at the top.

As emails are being stored in a file (not a folder), it would be a good idea to not allow them to get too large because it is more risky and makes it more difficult to open as you may need a different text editor other than something that is free and available on computer.

Check: Right click on file and select 'Properties' Check Attributes : Is the file set as 'read only' ? It should not be read only, so uncheck that attribute if it is set.

Do you see any of the missing emails ?

Hi Toad - Hall Yes, The folder on the server has identical emails on it. I am not downloading full copies of the emails. I right clicked on the Folders and this is what appeared

I clicked on Repair Folder, but no changes were made. I Then re-read your instructions and found the 'ImapMail' folder and un clicked Read Only. No changes were made I have been in contact with my server provider too. They have checked my account and found no problems. Below is part of my email to them "Hi Brian, I moved an email from Trash to "4WD &- Subaru " folder on the server and it worked. I am transferring emails from the Trash folder so I don't loose emails I wish to keep. That transferred email showed up in the folder on my computer.

I then tried to do the same on my computer in Thunderbird and the Message on the Task Bar told me that the emails were transferring from Trash to 4WD &- Subaru . Then a few seconds later another message in the Task Bar told me that two messages had downloaded.

The two messages that I transferred are not in 4WD &- Subaru and have disappeared, yet the one that I transferred when I was on the server is 4WD &- Subaru Do I transfer all of my emails from 4WD &- Subaru to the new folder 4WD NEW & Subaru , delete the old folder and move on.

That's ok, except that I have lost the emails I have been transferring for the last six months, I would really like to retrieve them from ,,,,,,???????'

Or keep both folders and save to the new one, hoping the problem gets solved."

I am at a loss to understand what is going on. Can I reinstall Thunderbird in a way that I don't re-install the problem ? Help. Regards, Bruce

re :I Then re-read your instructions and found the 'ImapMail' folder and un clicked Read Only.

re :found the 'ImapMail' folder and un clicked Read Only.'

The 'ImapMail' folder should be 'Read Only' - so that is ok.

Click on 'ImapMail' folder click on the imap mail account name folder If you have been downloading full copies of emails, then they would be stored in mbox files. mbox files are text files with no extension. But what about the mbox files and the .msf files, do they have any 'Read Only'?

If mbox or .msf file was set with a 'Read only' then that fully explains the problem. You cannot Write to that file.

As everything is on server, you could delete the files in Thunderbird and attempt complete new download.

• Exit Thunderbird - this is important.
• Access profile folders and delete the '4WD &- Subaru' mbox file and 4WD &- Subaru.msf file.

When you restart Thunderbird, if you have subscribed to see the 4WD &- Subaru folder, then a new file should get created.

This is worth trying.

re :Do I transfer all of my emails from 4WD &- Subaru to the new folder 4WD NEW & Subaru , delete the old folder and move on. If the above does not work then create a new folder.

Hi, I have decided to move on as I can't find the lost emails. I re-named the 4WD &- Subaru Folder and copied emails to it and they were saved into the folder, so I am using it now with out any issues.

As an aside, I could not receive emails on my Android phone, using Gmail, which seems a common issue. I deleted the email account, then reinstated it and all is well. Technology is an ever revolving pain in the backside............!!

Thanks for your help. Case closed

Have you considered the folder name might be the issue? both the & and the - could be the problem, or the combination of both.

If it is to be found above a number by holding shift, just don't use it in a folder name is how I work. along with things like :;"'/?.,< >

Most of those things will "work" but they have to be "escaped" or Thunderbird has to store the name somewhere and use something else in the file system where most of the conflicts occur. Both add an element of abstraction that can lead to error creeping in.

&- in a linux bash script closes a file. Windows is more and more Linux under the covers, so it might have a windows place now as well.

This bug has a depends list that really highlights to horrors of not standard letters and numbers. Hover you mouse over the numbers to see a brief description of each issue.

Inconsistencies are particularly apparent when you use gmail as they don't really use folders, they use labels on mail in "All Mail" so Gmail is a special non standard game all of it's own.