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Folders disappeared after update to version 78.3.0 due to windows file attribute "system" set

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by mgi.div01

mgi.div01
mgi.div01
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I did an automated update of Thunderbird to version 78.3.0 and recognized afterwards that the local folder disappeared. When I checked the storage location on my NAS I found the missing files, folders and subfolders. I did some research and found out that some of the files were marked as "system" files (windows system attribute set). After removing the attribute with the command line function "attrib" the according folders have been displayed in Thunderbird again. Question now is what has changed in Thunderbird that prevents that files (.msf) are no longer displayed when they are marked as "system" in Windows and is it possible to change this behaviour in the configuration of Thunderbird?

I did an automated update of Thunderbird to version 78.3.0 and recognized afterwards that the local folder disappeared. When I checked the storage location on my NAS I found the missing files, folders and subfolders. I did some research and found out that some of the files were marked as "system" files (windows system attribute set). After removing the attribute with the command line function "attrib" the according folders have been displayed in Thunderbird again. Question now is what has changed in Thunderbird that prevents that files (.msf) are no longer displayed when they are marked as "system" in Windows and is it possible to change this behaviour in the configuration of Thunderbird?

All Replies (4)

Stans
Stans
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So, you deliberately added the system attribute to those Tbird files?

mgi.div01
mgi.div01 Question owner
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Hi Stans, I'm using Thunderbird since years and do not know how/when the system attribute was set at the files. I just took a backup from 2016 and checked the attributes of the files and it is the same. Some of them have the system attribute set and some not. So - it happened sometime in the past. Interesting is that the folders disappear after the last update. So I suspect that there's a change that prevents such folders from being displayed. To check if this is a generic issue I installed thunderbird 78.3.1 from scratch, created a mail account and some subfolders in the "local folders" directory. Then I added the system attribute to one subfolder and after restarting Thunderbird the folder disappeared. I removed the attribute and after a restart of Thunderbird the folder is displayed again. So it seems that this is standard behaviour.

Stans
Stans
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Files with the "system" attribute are "super hidden", so this doesn't surprise me when Tbird can't find them. Tbird's files and folders do NOT have that attribute by default, so it'll do you good to stop your backup system or whatever is responsible, from adding that attribute to Tbird's files, other than trying to make Tbird work with this awkward setup.

mgi.div01
mgi.div01 Question owner
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Hi Stans, as the wrong system attributes were set since years and I didn't recognize this problem in the past, Thunderbird obviously did display the files before the last update. My problem is solved cause I removed the system attributes, of course.

My intention to open this ticket was to share this information with other users who may experience the same problem on the one hand and to get a confirmation that the behaviour of Thunderbird has changed.

Therefore closing this ticket is ok for me.