You need to identify why your mail is no longer in the mail server! or Thunderbird thinks it is not.

Thunderbird's first action on connecting to an IMAP server is to bring the local message store inline with the server one. IF the server mail is not available or is not there anymore, Thunderbird deletes the local cache to match the server.

Hello Matt,

Thank you for your help.

My e-mail box isn't full in the mail server.

Sorry but I don't understand your answer because the INBOX file is a file located on my computer, so if I turn off the Internet and start Thunderbird there can be no match with the server, so my INBOX file must be read and not not disappear from my computer...

Inbox (no extension) mbox files get created only if you have selected to download full copies of emails. Inbox.msf files are index files used by Thunderbird.

I'm assuming this is an Imap mail account. Have you selected to download full copies to Inbox of that account? Check settings:

• 'Account Settings' > 'Synchronisation & Storage' - for the imap account
• click on 'Advanced' button
• Make sure the checkboxes are selected for any folder and subfolder which you want to download full copies.
• click on 'OK'

When you start Thunderbird the first thing that occurs is to check with server. If does not exist on server or Inbox.msf file does not match what is on server or in Inbox mbox file then it's all out of synch. You cannot simply paste any mbox file into an imap mail account profile folder whilst Thunderbird is not running and expect it to magically appear. You can only do that with Pop accounts because they do not synchronise with anything on server. The only way to get emails back onto a server is to paste the file into 'Local Folders' mail account and then after starting Thunderbird, you can gradually copy back to the Imap account Inbox and then they get uploaded to server.

After you have checked your Account Settings to ensure you really are downloading full copies. I would try this:

If you have an Inbox in imap account:

• Make sure you are in Online mode
• Right click on Inbox folder and select 'Properties'
• click on 'Repair Folder'
• click on 'OK'

If you cannot see an Inbox or the above did not work then try this:

• Exit Thunderbird
• Access profile name folder - in ../ImapMail/imap mail account folder
• Delete the 'Inbox.msf' file
• Then start Thunderbird and make sure you are in Online mode otherwise nothing connects.

Of course, if you logon to the webmail account via a browser and discover nothing in server Inbox then an imap account is not going to see anything either because it can only show what is on server. So...what do you see in webmail account Inbox?

Hello Toad-Hall, Many Thanks to your help !

I have resolved my problem (thanks for your help), because I did not have anymore access to my webmail because it was hacked.

I have copy the Inbox, Inbox.msf, Sent, and Sent.msf files to the "Local Folder" from an old backup, and I can finally see again my e-mails.

I made the mistake of copying them but into the original folder of my mailbox, and not into the "Local Folder", which didn't work.

Thank you again :-)