Hi, Thanks. ++++++++++++++++++++ The search you performed is locating emails etc because it sounds like the 'global-messages-db.sqlite' file still has an old record.

If you logon to webmail account(s) via a browser, do you see a load of emails that you do not see in Thunderbird? They maybe in Inbox or any other folder if you moved them. If yes, then we can try to force another download, but it would be important to have those emails in the server 'Inbox' first. Let me know what you find.

    ++++++ Nothing there of interest, only the last few messages - not the 'missing' recent ones.

re : .\Profiles\sqhv71mf.default folder It's worth checking all those files are now ok, so please post images of contents of the 'sqhv71mf.default' folder.

    +++++++This folder has now generated a vast number of misc. files. To show you all I've had to copy over 3 images  details18a - 18c  attached.

Do you have another profile name folder in the 'Profiles' folder ?

     ++++++ Thunderbird/profiles  folder only has 3 folders.  Mail,    sqhv71mf.default      and   jq2eug0.default-release

Post image showing contents of the ...'Thunderbird'/'Profiles' folder.

     ++++++  attached as details19

    +++++ UPDATE.  You may remember that when I did a search on an arbitrary word I found included in the listings some of the 'missing' recent files (as well as very old ones). However when I tried to open some of the recent files they did not open. It seems that only the first couple of lines of each email could be found.

Thanks, Terry

re :Post image showing contents of the ...'Thunderbird'/'Profiles' folder - attached as details19

The 'Profiles' folder contains three folders. 1. 'Mail' folder - I was very surprised to see that the 'Profiles' folder contains a 'Mail' folder. I did ask you to move that folder out of the Profiles folder. quote "'move' that Profiles/'Mail' folder out of the 'Profiles' folder and dump it temporarilly on the desktop." But your image shows you have not moved it. You are no longer using that Mail folder. Part of this exercise is to clean up everything. I really need you to follow instructions. You must Exit Thunderbird first in order to move that 'Mail' folder onto the desktop.

2. 'sqhv71mf.default' - this is currently the 'profile name' folder you are set up to use. It seems something is not correct in this profile because you deleted a load of 'prefs-x.js' etc files and it looks like it's recreating them every few minutes - albeit they are empty - but at the time you posted those images you had not removed that 'Mail' folderout of the 'Profiles' folder - I'm not sure if Thunderbird is still trying to access it. The future of this profile will be determined by what we find in the other profile called 'jq2eu30.default-release'.

3. 'jq2eu30.default-release' - this profile was created more recently. This folder needs to be checked as it may contain newer mail/lost emails/lost folders etc. The following info may prove to be very important.

• Access the 'jq2eu30.default-release' profile name folder.
• Click on 'Mail' folder
• Post image showing contents of that 'Mail' folder.
• Click on 'Local Folders' mail account folder to see contents and post an image.

Dear Toad-Hall, Thank you for your attention and further reply. Sorry about the delay in my reply but I have been reviewing the situation and doing some experiments. I need to make the following comments:

1. I have been using this copy of Thunderbird for more than a decade naturally with many updates. It has handled thousands of emails and it could be said that it has performed very well indeed. What caused the current problem I don't know. 2. In spite of much effort from both you and I (I've posted 20+ images) the more recent emails seem to remain elusive and only the old ones have appeared. I have to accept that they are gone. 3.In the last few days one of my email recipients received a batch of old emails from me! I only know of one case but there might be others. Somehow Thunderbird has selected these and decided that they have to be sent. 4. I don't think I can spend much more time on this and I'm sure you have plenty to do in helping others.

I've loaded a new copy of Thunderbird on a different WIN10 machine. I tried to do an export from the old and an import to the new but of course it didn't work. The new copy doesn't like the profile. However I've found that I can make a direct copy of the emails I still want and just paste them into the new copy without using the export/import facility. I can also copy and load the address book. So if this works I'm no worse off than now and hopefully have a properly working system.

SO - I think I just have to pull stumps on the old Thunderbird and set up a new version on my main machine as I've explained.

I'm sorry to have decided on this route as I'm happy with a challenge (!) but I do think we've both given it our best shot over some months. SO - thank you again for all the time you've spent on this, I've learned a lot so it has not been a fuitless exercise from my point of view. Thank you very much, Regards, Terry