messages added to sub folder disappear

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

Please see my original post.... I've tried this :(

I've tried re-indexing dovecot on the mail server for this mail box, and it had no effect.

I logged in using roundcube webmail and the mail box is correct there, so it seems the problem is definitely to do with Thunderbird.

Next, I purged thunderbird, including conf files and caches and completely re-installed, reconnected to my server. Even that hasn't worked.

I'm baffled. This is only ONE subfolder. Every other folder is correct.

re :I have tried removing ~/.thunderbird/xxx/ImapMail/mail.myserver.com.au/INBOX.sbd/purchases.msf

You deleted the index file. Please confirm you exited thunderbird first.

Do you see an mbox file called 'purchases' - no extension?

• ~/.thunderbird/xxx/ImapMail/mail.myserver.com.au/INBOX.sbd/purchases

If you open the 'purchases' mbox file using a text editor program like Notepad++ - The oldest emails will be at the top, so you 'll need to scroll down. Do you see the more recent emails in that file?

Do not compact folders.

Query - what set up are you using in Folder Pane? In Folder Pane, are you using View > Folders > ALL ?

OR have you selected View > Folders > Unified ?

In the imap 'purchases' folder How many/number of emails are displaying in that folder? Please confirm all ok in this location: In 'Account Settings' > 'Synchronisation & Storage' for imap account click on 'Advanced' button Is the 'purchases' folder selected? - if no then select it.

Under 'Disc Space' What did you select? Suggest 'Synchronise all messages locally regardless of age' Confirm no restriction set on size etc

Have you tried this:

• Right click on 'purchases' folder and select 'Properties'
• Select 'General Information' tab - usually selected by default :)
• Select checkbox 'When getting new messages for this account always check this folder'

• Select 'Synchronisation' tab
• Select 'Select this folder for offline use'
• Click on 'Download now'
• click on 'OK'

Toad-Hall .... thanks for your exhaustive suggestions.

I exited TB before removing .msf file The purchases file (no extension) has vanished and does not rebuild. It was there previously. It vanished after I clicked "properties -> repair folder" When I restart TB, only the headers up to 2014 appear. If I click on the message list (or use ctl-U) the bodies of the emails are not there.

I do not compact folders According to purchases -> properties -> number of messages: 395 According to <.INBOX.purchases/cur# ls | wc -l> on the actual server, there are 1806 Synchronisation & Storage, purchases is selected 'When getting new messages for this account always check this folder' is checked

Synchronisation, Select for offline, both selected

Clicked "Download now" and OK

Nothing has changed. I'm hoping I've done something really stupid, but so far I'm too stupid to work out what ;-)

I've rechecked the server. All the emails are still there. I can't see any difference between the last email listed in "purchases", and the first one NOT listed.

I purged TB from my spare laptop, including config and cache files, and re-installed but still no joy.

One thing I didn't mention - "purchases" has a sub folder called "insurance and registration". The subfolder works correctly!

I can access this mailbox using Roundcube Webmail and all the emails appear normally.

re :The purchases file (no extension) has vanished and does not rebuild. It was there previously. It vanished after I clicked "properties -> repair folder".

If the 'purchases' (no extension) mbox file is missing then no emails are downloaded to an mbox. The 'Repair Folder' only rebuilds the 'purchases.msf' index file which is a load headers.

re :.INBOX.purchases/cur# I was not expecting maildir, but can you just clarify. That 'cur' reference - have you selected to use 'maildir' . 'Account Settings' > 'Server Settings' for the account look bottom right 'Message Storage Type' - what is selected? 'File per folder(mbox)' or 'File per message (maildir)'

Please access the profile folders and upload an image which shows the full directory structure inside the mail account? ~/.thunderbird/xxx/ImapMail/mail.myserver.com.au/

I'm checking the structure is not missing files. Inbox You store sub folders in inbox, so Inbox.sbd - what is in that folder ? If it has purchases.sbd folder what is in that folder.

In 'Account Settings' > 'Synchronisation & Storage' for imap account click on 'Advanced' button Is the 'purchases' folder checkbox selected?

Post image(s) showing what is selected in 'Account Settings' > 'Synchronisation & Storage'

look bottom right 'Message Storage Type' - what is selected? 'File per folder(mbox)' or 'File per message (maildir)

 Message Store Type is greyed out. It's stored on the server as file per message, but on TB locally as file per folder. That's the same as "InsuranceAndReg" subfolder, except that one works as expected (see below).

Directory structure:

 david@dm:~/.thunderbird/xxxxxxxxx.default/ImapMail/mail.myserver.com.au/INBOX.sbd$ ls -l purchases*

-rw------- 1 david david 226213 Jun 27 10:27 purchases -rw-rw-r-- 1 david david 234406 Jun 28 17:55 purchases.msf

purchases.sbd: total 31888 -rw------- 1 david david 32603014 Jun 17 12:34 InsuranceAndReg -rw-rw-r-- 1 david david 48884 Jun 23 16:23 InsuranceAndReg.msf

Curiously, after a reboot of the system, that purchases file has re-appeared, but only has the most recent two emails in it. Also, the headers for those last two emails are in the purchases.msf file, but not displayed when I click on the purchases folder in the GUI. I confess I'm not sure how that is supposed to work.

In 'Account Settings' > 'Synchronisation & Storage' for imap account click on 'Advanced' button Is the 'purchases' folder checkbox selected? Yes, it is.

what is selected in 'Account Settings' > 'Synchronisation & Storage' EVERYTHING is checked, except for Trash and Junk.

Curiously, after a reboot of the system, that purchases file has re-appeared, but only has the most recent two emails in it. Also, the headers for those last two emails are in the purchases.msf file, but not displayed when I click on the purchases folder in the GUI. I confess I'm not sure how that is supposed to work.

I have to wonder if you have message filtering via the quick filter toolbar enabled. First make sure the bar is enabled (ctrl+shift+K) check that none of the filtering buttons are enabled, like "unread" or "starred" that would make the message appear in the MSF but not in the UI.

The way quick filters are retained was changed in the last couple of years and there has been an uptick in the support forum of folk not seeing mail because they have a quick filter enabled, usually to only see unread messages.

thanks Matt.... I just double checked. The filters are all unchecked. :(