Cannot delete messages

Revision Information
  • Revision id: 67774
  • Created:
  • Creator: Joni
  • Comment: The menu choices seem to be different. There's no "?" menu item.
  • Reviewed: Yes
  • Reviewed:
  • Reviewed by: heyjoni
  • Is approved? Yes
  • Is current revision? No
  • Ready for localization: Yes
  • Readied for localization:
  • Readied for localization by: heyjoni
Revision Source
Revision Content

If you cannot delete messages in Thunderbird, it may be caused by a corrupted trash folder.

Here is how to delete the corrupted trash folder and create a new one:

  1. First, open your Profile folder:
    • At the top right of the Thunderbird window, click the menu button New Fx Menu, then select Help, and then Troubleshooting Information. The Troubleshooting Information tab will open.
    • Under the Application Basics section, click on Show FolderShow in FinderOpen Directory. A window with your profile filesfolder will open.
  2. Close Thunderbird.
  3. Open the Mail (or ImapMail) folder in your file manager (according to whether you are using POP or IMAP with the affected account).
  4. Open the folder with your incoming mail server name (something like imap.googlemail.com or pop.googlemail.com).
  5. Select the Trash and Trash.msf files and delete them. In some accounts, these may be named Bin or Deleted.
  6. Restart Thunderbird.

A new Trash folder will be created by Thunderbird. This should make it possible to delete email again.