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thunderbird not showing incoming emails from recent days

  • 11 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 11 views
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

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Today Tbird is showing my latest incoming emails -- and then a list of emails going back to 9/11/18 -- nothing in-between. I tried clicking the date sort and also restarting the program, but neither helped. I also received a Tbird update a few days ago -- maybe that caused the problem...

Today Tbird is showing my latest incoming emails -- and then a list of emails going back to 9/11/18 -- nothing in-between. I tried clicking the date sort and also restarting the program, but neither helped. I also received a Tbird update a few days ago -- maybe that caused the problem...

Chosen solution

Hi, after my last post to you, the program did yet another very lengthy download in the morning -- I have no idea why -- but the missing emails seem to have returned.

Thanks again for your help -- I will try to remember the delete popstate re-population routine if emails go missing again...

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All Replies (11)

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right click the inbox and select properties and then click the repair folder button.

Any better?

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No, same problem -- I tried the repair you suggested, but I still have the messages from 12/10 and then nothing after 9/11... Everything in-between is missing...

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Pop or imap account ?

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pop account

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At this point in time, do not compact any folder.

Couple of questions: If you logon to webmail account using a browser are those emails still in the webmail account Inbox ?

In Thunderbird Help > Troubleshooting Information click on 'Open folder' button A new window opens shwoing the contents of your 'profile name' account. click on 'Mail' folder click on the pop mail account name You will see a file called 'Inbox', it has no extension. Open that file using a text editor like Notepadd or Notepad++ or wordpad etc.

The contents will list all downloaded emails in the order downloaded, so the oldest will be at the top and newest at the bottom. Scroll down and look to see if the missing emails are still in that file. Report back on results.

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Hi, thanks for following up. The missing emails are definitely in the webmail account inbox.

I tried the second part of your question, but the inbox file is so large -- and so filled with gobbledygook -- that my computer stopped responding, so I can't answer the question.

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Sounds like you either keep a ton of emails in the Inbox or you have not been compacting the Inbox to remove the hidden marked as deleted emails. As it is unknown if there is any corruption going on in that Inbox..... I suggest you the following.

  • Move all good emails out of the Inbox into other suitable folders for organising and storage.
  • Delete any you do not want.

when inbox is empty:

  • Right click on Inbox and select 'Compact'

This will clean up the Inbox.

Now do the following to get a fresh download of everything in the webmail Inbox downloaded into the Pop inbox.

In Thunderbird

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information
  • click on 'Open folder' button

A new window opens showing the contents of your 'profile name' account.

  • Exit Thunderbird now - this is important.
  • click on 'Mail' folder
  • click on the pop mail account name
  • locate and delete this file : popstate.dat

Start Thunderbird A new 'popstate.dat' file will be created. All emails that are currently in the webmail account Inbox should get downloaded.

Once this has occurred, locate those previously missing emails and move them into the appropriate folder for storage. then delete all the duplicate emails. Empty the 'Deleted' folder finally right click on Inbox and select 'compact' to remove those marked as deleted emails.

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Thanks again for your latest suggestions. I didn't make new folders, but I did compact the inbox and followed the other instructions, closing Tbird and deleting the popstate folder.

When I opened the program again, it did a mess of downloading -- but the missing emails are still missing...

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Do you have any Message Filters auto running on incoming mail?

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Chosen Solution

Hi, after my last post to you, the program did yet another very lengthy download in the morning -- I have no idea why -- but the missing emails seem to have returned.

Thanks again for your help -- I will try to remember the delete popstate re-population routine if emails go missing again...

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It is possible that only a certain amount could be downloaded in a given period, hence the delay.

The method described works on Pop mail accounts when the emails are still in the server Inbox.