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One Thunderbird subfolder became a default filing target. Why? How to fix?

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I'm using Thunderbird 140.6.0esr (aarch64) on a 2024 14" MacBok Pro running MacOS 15.7.3 (24G419).

I manage fourteen email addresses, with most of the traffic going to one primary account, either by direct addressing or forwarders from others of the addresses. Maybe not the most efficient setup, but it means I don't have to scan 14 different inboxes to find the messages I most need.

I currently use ±89 filters on this primary account to file messages in a LOT of mailserver-based folders, and a few folders on the laptop. ±90% of the traffic gets filed in server-based folders so I can use any device to access message history. (I should probably note that these filters and message-threading don't always play nice together.)

For a long time, one message filter successfully filed specific messages in a particular server-based folder 2 levels below the inbox - I'll call this sub-folder BS for the name of the project it hosts (it's not what you're thinking...). BS also has 2 levels of sub-folders within it for annual and monthly filing.

Some time ago, I began to have problems with messages of many kinds (subjects/sources/etc.) going missing. Eventually, searches found them filed in the BS folder. In response, I deleted the BS message filter, looked for but didn't find other filters responsible for these unexpected results, and managed incoming BS messages manually. But at this point, so many messages get "lost," then turn up in the BS folder, it is acting like a black hole, sucking up too much traffic for manual refiling to be viable.

Speculating that something's "off" with the BS folder's directory in a way that would be nearly impossible to fix, I'm trying to figure out the least inconvenient, least risky way to solve the problem.

Not knowing other ways I might compound the problem by making big moves with the MANY messages archived in the BS folder's 7 annual subfolders and their 12 each subfolders; and not knowing how to back up server-based in-box sub-folders, I'm stuck at an impasse.

How should I proceed?

Thanks in advance for any input.

I'm using Thunderbird 140.6.0esr (aarch64) on a 2024 14" MacBok Pro running MacOS 15.7.3 (24G419). I manage fourteen email addresses, with most of the traffic going to one primary account, either by direct addressing or forwarders from others of the addresses. Maybe not the most efficient setup, but it means I don't have to scan 14 different inboxes to find the messages I most need. I currently use ±89 filters on this primary account to file messages in a LOT of mailserver-based folders, and a few folders on the laptop. ±90% of the traffic gets filed in server-based folders so I can use any device to access message history. (I should probably note that these filters and message-threading don't always play nice together.) For a long time, one message filter successfully filed specific messages in a particular server-based folder 2 levels below the inbox - I'll call this sub-folder BS for the name of the project it hosts (it's not what you're thinking...). BS also has 2 levels of sub-folders within it for annual and monthly filing. Some time ago, I began to have problems with messages of many kinds (subjects/sources/etc.) going missing. Eventually, searches found them filed in the BS folder. In response, I deleted the BS message filter, looked for but didn't find other filters responsible for these unexpected results, and managed incoming BS messages manually. But at this point, so many messages get "lost," then turn up in the BS folder, it is acting like a black hole, sucking up too much traffic for manual refiling to be viable. Speculating that something's "off" with the BS folder's directory in a way that would be nearly impossible to fix, I'm trying to figure out the least inconvenient, least risky way to solve the problem. Not knowing other ways I might compound the problem by making big moves with the MANY messages archived in the BS folder's 7 annual subfolders and their 12 each subfolders; and not knowing how to back up server-based in-box sub-folders, I'm stuck at an impasse. How should I proceed? Thanks in advance for any input.

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