Thunderbird help. Had to delete then reinstall. Are my local folders all gone now?
I experienced a problem with Thunderbird suddenly not recognizing my password. Kept giving me a notice that said my password/account had been "blacklisted". I've never seen that in 20 years. I called my local internet company, Comcast.net for help. He walked me through deleting and re-installing several times before it dawned on me that Bitdefender (anti-virus software) might somehow be blocking my password. I turned off VPN and unchecked all the boxes at Bitdefender. And I could suddenly reinstall Thunderbird e-mail addresses. HOWEVER, all the folders, which I think were stored locally (on my laptop) are gone. I had lots of stuff I use on a daily basis in those folders. How do I get them back? Can I get the back? My server is IMAP but I don't know if they were stored online or on my laptop. Somebody help me, please?
Chosen solution
Drag and drop will work, provided you drag the right files and drop them in the correct place. In your profile folder, go to the Mail > Local Folders directory.
Drag and drop or copy-paste ALL files from the old folder to the Local Folders directory and restart Thunderbird.
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Did you delete the %AppData%\Thunderbird folder as well? That is where your Thunderbird profile folder (and Local Folders) are located by default. See Profiles - Where Thunderbird stores your messages and other user data
I found that page late yesterday and went to the HELP, %AppData%\Thunderbird files. I found a former address I used with another server (old e-mail address) and my current address but no sign of the local folders. What was there was mostly "garbage". It's possible that those seemingly random lines of code WERE my files, but none that I could decipher. None particularly under the file names I had given them. Additionally, I wouldn't know how to transfer them to my new profile. The old one that got deleted is the same as the new one they had me reinstall. So, I truly appreciate your kind assistance - but I'm as stumped today as I was yesterday. I think I'm going to need professional help. Thank you.
re : went to the HELP, %AppData%\Thunderbird files. If you were looking in the Appdata/Local/Thunderbird then it will all look like garbage.
You need to look in the 'Roaming' folder as that is where Thunderbird stores profile by default: C: Users/User name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles The 'Profiles' folder contains 'profile name' folders, which in turn contain 'Mail' and ImapMail' folders for pop and imap account name folder. They in turn will contain the mbox files that contain emails.
re :My server is IMAP but I don't know if they were stored online or on my laptop.
If you were using an Imap mail account then all your emails are stored on the server. Imap accounts offer a view of folders that you have on server and you have the choice of downloading full copies (useful to create a backup outside of server or if offline) or just headers. Regardless of whether you downloaded full copies, the emails are stored on the server Just create a 'New' > 'Existing Mail Account' and set up as Imap. You would then need to subscribe to see folders you created.
OK - I have located the old folders originally marked as DNA, SAVE & RECEIPTS. I can see there is a lot of information in them. But I don't know how to move them to the new destinations with the same labels. I've tried to just drag and drop - doesn't work. I'm stuck. I can see it, but I can't get to it. I tried to copy one of the files, the one with the most info. But when asked how to open - I was only given the choices of with MS programs or Mozilla Firefox (which I use). So I downloaded and opened the copied folder and it saved in an icon on my desktop. When I double clicked on that - I could see it was what I was looking for but with no format. Just works, code, etc. I'm a long-time Mozilla user but not technically savvy. I just need to get the information in the old unused folders into the new folders. Should I change the names of the new folders? So I can see & identify them and THEN try to drag and drop. Or will the dragging thing just not work here? Thanks in advance for any help you're able to offer. I'm so happy for the assistance. Jesse
Chosen Solution
Drag and drop will work, provided you drag the right files and drop them in the correct place. In your profile folder, go to the Mail > Local Folders directory.
Drag and drop or copy-paste ALL files from the old folder to the Local Folders directory and restart Thunderbird.
Dear Stans
Well it took me several tries. My 'and folders are pretty convoluted. After finally locating the missing files in no place I would have expected, I did a dry run with your description, following carefully. I copied and pasted (thus leaving the original folders exactly where they were) and moved the copied folder to Local folders. The first time it created a new file with a new name there in TRASH - a second trash file. The next time I dragged and dropped directly on my named local folder's INBOX and it was all there. Once more time and I had the courage to moved each file to the duplicate named file in my INBOX and voila' -- there they all are. Slightly the worse for wear. But there nevertheless. I am indebted to you forever! Thank you so very much for all you do. You saved me. Regards. Jess