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Thank you!

Hi Matt, sorry, I thought I had attached a screenshot. As you can see, the folder content is not shown at all, it keeps showing this.

I recall a similar case, but it was on a Windows OS - maybe the same issue is effecting you, so please try this:

Start Thunderbird in safe mode: In Thunderbird Help > Restart with addons disabled.

When TB has restarted in SAfe Mode 'Tools' or 'Menu icon' > 'Add-ons' remove the Lightning add-on restart Thunderbird

if you need the Lightning add-on: add it back via 'Tools' or 'Menu icon' > 'Add-ons' Type Lightning in the search locate the correct one and clickon Install.

Please report back on results.

Hello Toad-Hall, thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, nothing happened after following your suggestion.

This situation is really weird: it first happened few months ago with a sub-folder ('Eventi, newsletter, cultura'): it gets stuck every time I try to access to it but I can still move messages into it (although there is no way to recover any, neither with the internal search engine tool). Then, last week, Thunderbird crashed and the same thing started to happen with the Inbox (Posta in arrivo) and that is a lot more complicated.

I tried to copy or move the respective files associated to such stuck folders but nothing changed.

Do you guys know if there is a way to export/save all the messages, filters, account settings so as to reset thunderbird and restore everything as it was afterwards?

Best, Roberto.

Does it happen in Thunderbird Safe Mode?

In Thunderbird 'Help' > 'Restart with addons disabled'

Same story even in safe mode

Are the effected folders in a POP or IMAP mail account ?

The image you posted shows Thunderbird in offline mode. Are these folders on an IMAP account? Does the issue only occur in offline mode?

Go to the troubleshooting information on the help menu. click the show profile button. Close Thunderbird

In the finder window that opens select every file and folder and make a backup copy of everything including sub folders (sub folders have the actual mail so make sure to include everything) You just might want to get something back after the next step.

Start Thunderbird again Lets rule out corruption of the mail storage folders. (this might lead to mail in the folders going missing.) On the toolbar > File> compact folders.

I took the screenshot while the Wi-Fi was off just to prevent Thunderbird from downloading anything in the Inbox, that is why it was offline. In fact, it is not possible to download anything. I repeated the suggested actions while online, nothing changed.

I tried to compact folders, it says it does recover some spare space but the troubled folders are not affected at all.

The affected folders regard multiple POP3 accounts.

Anybody has other ideas?

I tried to check again today and I found 2 more folders unaccessible: the Trash and the main folder where I have good 8 years of email stored.

It is crazy if I am actually losing so much of my digital history. Is there any way to "reset" and recover the email from the folder?

I would suggest you try another Profile and get a copy of folders put into that new profile, just in cse there is something gone awry in the Profile preferences.

Create another Profile using the Profile Manager.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Manager
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/using-multiple-profiles

Add mail accounts. Check all details in Account Settings are correct and any options of preference are selected. Do not download anything just yet as you are about to import mbox files containing emails and you do not want to over write anything - go into Offline mode to stop any downloads or change the 'Server Settings' temporarilly to not check for new messages nor download any.

Download this addon extension : ImportExporttools

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

In order to install a downloaded extension, please do the following:

1. Click the menu button and choose Add-ons.
2. Drag your downloaded XPI file to the Add-ons Manager tab and drop it.

or

1. Click the menu button and choose Add-ons.
2. Click the gear icon at the top-right corner to the left of the search box and select Install Add-on From File…
3. Locate the XPI file you downloaded and click Open.
4. You may need to restart Thunderbird when prompted.

For more detailed instructions and information about installing add-ons, see Installing an Add-on in Thunderbird.

Use the addon to get a copy of the mbox files into your new profile. A right click on mail account name will allow you to select to import an mbox file. Mbox files have no extension.

A right click on Inbox or any folder will offer more options.

After importing mbox files from old profile into new profile, then go into Online mode or change Server Settings to check and download anything new on server.

Hello Toad-Hall, thank you for your detailed description.

I followed the whole process and started to import some of the folders. When I tried to import Sent everything went smooth. When I tried to import one of the troubled folders, it got stuck and could not get to an end.

Plus, of all sudden, if I try to open the Profile Manager the two Profiles I have been working on ('default' and the one recently created one) are not available options. I have checked in the Finder Library and all the folders are still there, but Thunderbird seem to ignore them, no way to restart the software with one of the known profiles.

This is getting very misterious. Any other ideas?