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Lost message filters how can i reinstate from backups? (Mac OS, Outlook email account)

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  • Last reply by Matt
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sukoyoshimi
sukoyoshimi

I have been using email filters to help me manage the tons of emails I receive. I just realised that I lost all my message filters (multitudes of categories, 100's of rules) when I upgraded my outlook email account with new authentication settings! (and I'd like someone to tell me everything is going to be OK...) I use Timemachine backups - is it possible to retrieve the file for the message filter rules and overwrite the blank new one? Hoping very much that that's the case, please could you tell me where and how I do this in a mac OS environment? Thank you in advance.

Further info: Thunderbird version 115.13.0, Mac OS 13.6.7 (ventura)

I have been using email filters to help me manage the tons of emails I receive. I just realised that I lost all my message filters (multitudes of categories, 100's of rules) when I upgraded my outlook email account with new authentication settings! (and I'd like someone to tell me everything is going to be OK...) I use Timemachine backups - is it possible to retrieve the file for the message filter rules and overwrite the blank new one? Hoping very much that that's the case, please could you tell me where and how I do this in a mac OS environment? Thank you in advance. Further info: Thunderbird version 115.13.0, Mac OS 13.6.7 (ventura)

All Replies (3)

david
david
  • Top 10 Contributor

The file is msgfilterrules.dat and there will be one in the account folder for each account. Copy/replacing when Thunderbird is not running.

sukoyoshimi
sukoyoshimi Question owner

Thanks for this speedy reply. I replaced the `msgFilterRules.dat` file from an early back up, but it didn't bring back the message filters. Just to be sure I got the right one, this file was found in Library, under 

Thunderbird/Profiles/xxxx.default/Mail/Local Folders

I assume i got the right one? Also, when I open this .dat file (assuming it's text based) all I see in there is: 

version="9"
logging="no"

However far back I go, the file looks the same, and no Message filters in Thunderbird. Further advice would be much appreciated! Thank you.

Matt
Matt
  • Top 25 Contributor

Probably not. I guess you deleted an outlook.com account as that would be the logical reason for the filters to disappear, so your backups should have folders for it.