How to merge actual folders after server change
I recently changed email servers (same email address). I enter the new server settings, and BAM, no inbox or sent history. :(
Luckily, the data is saved on my local machine at /Home/snap/thunderbird/common/.thunderbird/xxxxx.default/
How do I go about figuring out which is which and then how do I merge them together?
All Replies (5)
Okay, I'm not understanding how you changed servers, but kept same email id. Please post info on ISP and server settings. This is POP? The new account has the folders, but no messages, and you have the old setup with all messages. You can fix this by allocating some local folders for each folder in old setup. Then, exit TB and, with File Explorer, copy the folders from old profile into the dummy local folders. This is to create an environment wherein TB will recognize the messages. Now, start TB and you can no copy the associated local folders to the proper folders. You can then delete the local folders.
Kept same email address. moved server from hosted server, to local managed server. New server has different ports etc.
Hosted server still has emails, I am just saving all as *.eml and then copying into new folders.
This issue is not solved, but I fixed my problem :)
Are you sure the data is there for you? If you updated the server through a DNS change (which is essentially hat a host change is) IMAP will have synchronized the local cache to oblivion to bring the folder "up to date" with the server. Most hosting providers offer tools to migrate mail in these circumstances.
It is possible that some data may be recovered from the local mbox file, but only if it has not been compacted and the settings are to store copies locally for offline use.
You will need to locate the sent file in your profile folder (imapmail/server name) and copy it somewhere else, open it with a text editor (notepad++ is good) replace all instances of X-Mozilla-Status: 0008 with X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 save the file and then point the import export tools at it to import the mail it contains to local folders.
Thanks Matt! The copying *.eml to sent and inbox worked. This would have probably worked too.
unless you have implemented the file per email settings using EML files in those folders is far from a good result. Thunderbird still uses MBOX files for storage unless the maidir file per email is enabled and while it has been around for almost a decade it has never been considered release standard.