How do I access my old emails whilst keeping my new ones following a program reinstall?
I lost my programs recently in a "crash" but not my data. I have reinstalled all programs including Thunderbird 68.4.2. I am using Windows 10. I have started sending and receiving emails again, and have created some sub-folders that I had before. I can see my old emails (each sub-folder has two files, a large file and a smaller MSF File). For safety, I have copied all these files to another directory. How can I find the new emails storage directory, and how can I change it to recall the old emails without losing the current post "crash" ones? I believe I am now on IMAP rather than POP, but it looks difficult to change back to POP.
Chosen solution
When copy and pasting files in the profile, you must exit Thunderbird first.
Sounds like you originally had setup to use a pop mail account. In which case the mbox files (no extension) would have been in this location:
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ Mail\'pop mail account name' folder
Maybe these are the files you copied. You do not need to worry about the .msf files as these are indexing files and do not contain emails. If you see any .sbd folders, that means you had sub folders which may also contain mbox files.
You can copy and paste those mbox files into this location; note the actual 'profile name' folder may be different if you set up afresh.
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ Mail\'Local Folders' folder
The new account is IMAP and will be in this location: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ ImapMail\'imap mail account name' folder
You cannot copy and paste files into the profile imap account. When you start Thunderbird, it synchronises with server and only shows what is on server, as those files are not on server they would get removed.
When you start Thunderbird, after copy pasting files into Local Folders, they will appear in the 'Local Folders' mail account.
If you need to get emails back onto the server, you can now copy and paste batches of emails from 'Local Folders' mail account into imap account folders and they will get put back onto the server.Note this will use server quota space. If you originally had settings in old pop account to 'Leave messages on server' , then you may see those emails appear in the new imap account. You do not have to move emails back onto server as you can easily read them in the 'Local Folders' mail account. It is really your choice.
Imap is different to Pop. Pop only gets access to server Inbox and downloads emails from server Inbox into pop account Inbox to be stored on your computer, although it is possible to setup the account to 'Leave message on server'. Emails in pop accounts can be deleted and they are not necessarilly deleted off server unless you have setting set up to do it. You can have folders in pop account that do not exist on server.
Imap is like a virtual display of what is on server. You can see any folder on the server by subscribing to see it. The folders in an imap account are really one and the same as the folders on the server. If you delete emails from an imap account you are deleting them off the server. You cannot rely on imap accounts as a backup copy on your computer because those folders constantly synchronise with server. You can choose to download full copies if you need to create a backup or want to see emails in offline mode. Info on synchronising folders with good info: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/imap-synchronization
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Chosen Solution
When copy and pasting files in the profile, you must exit Thunderbird first.
Sounds like you originally had setup to use a pop mail account. In which case the mbox files (no extension) would have been in this location:
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ Mail\'pop mail account name' folder
Maybe these are the files you copied. You do not need to worry about the .msf files as these are indexing files and do not contain emails. If you see any .sbd folders, that means you had sub folders which may also contain mbox files.
You can copy and paste those mbox files into this location; note the actual 'profile name' folder may be different if you set up afresh.
- C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ Mail\'Local Folders' folder
The new account is IMAP and will be in this location: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ ImapMail\'imap mail account name' folder
You cannot copy and paste files into the profile imap account. When you start Thunderbird, it synchronises with server and only shows what is on server, as those files are not on server they would get removed.
When you start Thunderbird, after copy pasting files into Local Folders, they will appear in the 'Local Folders' mail account.
If you need to get emails back onto the server, you can now copy and paste batches of emails from 'Local Folders' mail account into imap account folders and they will get put back onto the server.Note this will use server quota space. If you originally had settings in old pop account to 'Leave messages on server' , then you may see those emails appear in the new imap account. You do not have to move emails back onto server as you can easily read them in the 'Local Folders' mail account. It is really your choice.
Imap is different to Pop. Pop only gets access to server Inbox and downloads emails from server Inbox into pop account Inbox to be stored on your computer, although it is possible to setup the account to 'Leave message on server'. Emails in pop accounts can be deleted and they are not necessarilly deleted off server unless you have setting set up to do it. You can have folders in pop account that do not exist on server.
Imap is like a virtual display of what is on server. You can see any folder on the server by subscribing to see it. The folders in an imap account are really one and the same as the folders on the server. If you delete emails from an imap account you are deleting them off the server. You cannot rely on imap accounts as a backup copy on your computer because those folders constantly synchronise with server. You can choose to download full copies if you need to create a backup or want to see emails in offline mode. Info on synchronising folders with good info: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/imap-synchronization
Thanks Toad-Hole for your reply. I found my old email folders and messages in: ThisPC>Mailbox>Current, and copied them from there to F:\Mail2020JanThunderbird for safety.
If, in Windows Explorer, I look at C:\Users\Alan, I can see no sub folder called AppData.
Could this be a hidden folder for some reason, and if so how can I display it in Windows Explorer so that I can copy and paste my old files to the new location? Alan
For simplicity, use the import export tools addon. https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools-ng/?src=ss
BTW locating appdata in ALL versions of windows can be done by opening the run dialog (Windows key+R) and typing %appdata% and pressing enter. It will display the hidden folder without you knowing anything about the use name or the state of the hidden folders flag.
Many thanks Matt. I wasn't sure where to open the run dialog, but found a way in Windows Explorer, View to show the AppData folder. I have now successfully copied and pasted my old email files into Thunderbird under Local Folders, using Toad-Hall's helpful instructions. Thank you both!
Big Al said
Many thanks Matt. I wasn't sure where to open the run dialog, but found a way in Windows Explorer, View to show the AppData folder. I have now successfully copied and pasted my old email files into Thunderbird under Local Folders, using Toad-Hall's helpful instructions. Thank you both!
Yeah that windows key on your keyboard and the R key are probably very hard to find it you don't have a keyboard.
No, not difficult at all to find them. I was just asking at which point I should do it, not having done it before.
I have just noticed that, although my old folders have now appeared in the new version of Thunderbird under Local Folders, three sub folders have not. I cannot see files for these, just the file for the main folder. Any ideas how I can recover these please?
re :old folders have now appeared in the new version of Thunderbird under Local Folders, three sub folders have not.
Exit Thunderbird. Access: C:\Users\<Windows user name>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ Mail\'Local Folders' folder
As you mention 'sub folders' this means you probably have some folders with .sbd extension. These *.sbd folders should contain mbox (no extension) files if emails were fully downloaded and they would contain all the subfolder file info.
For Thunderbird to know about those subfolders in *.sbd folders, it will need an mbox file of same name as the .sbd folder. This is an example to explain what I mean. Local Folders > Family.sbd > > Dad > > Dad.msf > Inbox.sbd > Inbox > Inbox.msf > Sent > Sent.msf > Trash > Trash.msf
Let's say in 'Local Folders' you had a *.sbd folder called 'Family.sbd'. Then you would also need an mbox file in same location called 'Family'. As you can in example list, the 'Family' mbox file does not exist.
In the 'Mail'/'Local Folders' folder do this:
Note: - I'm following on from the hyperthetical example above, so obviously you would create mbox files for the *.sbd folders you actually see.
Right click in blank area select 'New' > 'Text Document' Change the name of that new text document to say 'Family' and remove the .txt part. - Make sure you get the spelling exactly the same as used in the 'Family.sbd' folder. It must be spelt exactly the same, so 'family' is no good, it must have the captial 'F'. When you remove the .txt part it will say something like 'if you change file extension it could become unusable'. You do want to change it, so say yes. This will create an mbox file called 'Family'. Note: The 'Family.msf' file is auto created after starting Thunderbird.
So, now you should see this: Local Folders > Family.sbd > > Dad > > Dad.msf > Family > Inbox.sbd > Inbox > Inbox.msf > Sent > Sent.msf > Trash > Trash.msf
Repeat this action to create an mbox file for each of the *.sbd folders that do not have an mbox file.
Start Thunderbird. Check folders in 'Local Folders' mail account.
Modified by Toad-Hall
Many thanks Toad-Hall
I have two email accounts accessed by Thunderbird, each one using the IMAP interface protocol. I had copied "Local Folders" to a separate file location before upgrading to the current version of Thunderbird. During the upgrade the original "Local Folders" were lost. When I closed Thunderbird and used the suggested copy and paste to restore the backup Local Folderes file into the current Local Folders, the folder names would appear, but had no content. When I selected a few .eml files and copied them into current Local folders, they each showed as a folder and could not be read.
When I tried to "Import" as suggested in another post, Thunderbird said no application existed to import from.
???? any suggestions?
Merlin on fx said
???? any suggestions?
Yes, ask your own question if the information here does not address your questions. This, as you describe it, is going to take someone a long time to explain it to you and it is not fair on those in this topic to have to follow your learning process. Their question is resolved.