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Mulongo oyo etiyamaki na archive. Tuna motuna mosusu soki osengeli na lisalisi
Eza archivé

How do I put an archive from some years ago back

Gerard777 replied
Gerard777

I've made archives for every year I'm using Thunderbird. Since we got a new computer I didn't bother to put to old archives back and left them on our backupdrive.

Now I need to access some old emails, so I thought I could simply copy the archivefiles back to my computer, but that doesn't work. Thunderbird shows the yeararchive very shortly, but quickly creates a new file called archives.msf and the archive disappaers from Thunderbird.

I have copied these files from my backupdrive: 2013.sbd (with subfolders and files) 2013 (no extension) 2013.msf

That are all the files that were created making the archives. I do have the same files for several years

How do I re-open these mails in Thunderbird?

I've made archives for every year I'm using Thunderbird. Since we got a new computer I didn't bother to put to old archives back and left them on our backupdrive. Now I need to access some old emails, so I thought I could simply copy the archivefiles back to my computer, but that doesn't work. Thunderbird shows the yeararchive very shortly, but quickly creates a new file called archives.msf and the archive disappaers from Thunderbird. I have copied these files from my backupdrive: 2013.sbd (with subfolders and files) 2013 (no extension) 2013.msf That are all the files that were created making the archives. I do have the same files for several years How do I re-open these mails in Thunderbird?

All Replies (4)

re :I have copied these files from my backupdrive: 2013.sbd (with subfolders and files) 2013 (no extension) 2013.msf

re :2013.sbd You do not say what your Folder set up is.

So if they were Archived then the structure in Folder Pane would be: Archives > 2013

In the Profile folders for the account You would see: 'Archives' folder and 'Archives.sbd' folder In 'Archives.sbd' folder, you would put '2013.sbd' folder and 2013 (no extension) 2013.msf


So first question is - do you have 'Archives' folder and 'Archives.sbd' folder in Profile mail account folders?

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

No I don't have the Archives folder because it's a new installation :(

well press the letter A while looking at some junk mail... then delete it from your new archive.

Simplest would probably use the import export tool to import an mbox file (2013.)

That way you do not have to understand the foibles of Thunderbird folder structure Vs internal representation.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

Thanks,

I just installed the add-on, but have to go in a minute, so I'll take a look at it this weekend!