re : ....Profiles and it gives my 8 digit number but have no options to pick my thunderbird account from the list.

In 'profile name' folder (xxxxxxx.default). 'Mail' folder holds all pop mail accounts and 'Local Folders' mail account. 'ImapMail' folder only has imap mail accounts.

Note: You must exit Thunderbird before doing anything in profile folder otherwise nothing will change as the program is locked.

• mbox files (files holding emails) have no extension.
• The line you are changing is 'X-Mozilla-Status:'
• In example: 0009 means 'marked as deleted'
• see images below.

• After making changes to mbox file, you need to save the file.
• Delete the *.msf file of same name.

Then start Thunderbird.

thank you for replying. I have no pop mail accounts in Local Folders. I made sure Thunderbird closed. are you saying I should be going into ImapMail folders and selecting gmail. I do not have mbox anywhere.

What type of account are you talking about? Is it a pop or an imap mail account?

sorry I don't know. presume it must be imap as no pop mail accounts showing?

POP mail accounts can only access and download from server Inbox. Emails are stored in mbox files in Thunderbird profile folders.

IMAP mail accounts see a virtual image of what is on server. You subscribe to see folders. The emails are stored on the server. The folders synchronise with server and they will always update to show what is on server. Basically, the imap folders and server folders are one and the same. It is possible to download full copies instead of only headers, but if you need to keep a copy that is not in a folder that synchronises with server, then you would need to get a copy into your Local Folders mail account.

How to find out what type you use:

• Right click on mail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'
• Select 'Server Settings'
• at the top on the right side it will say 'Server type'.
• Is yours 'POP Mail Server' or 'Imap Mail Server' ?

it is Imap Mail Server

Try this addon extension:

https://freeshell.de//~kaosmos/index-en.html#recDelMsg The instructions for using RecoverDeletedMessages are given at the link.

First, you will be prompted to go offline (File/Offline/Work Offline), then right-click a folder, Recover deleted messages, and the recovered files will be placed in a new subfolder, Deleted_emails_0.

According to the add-on description, "it should be able also to recover deleted messages from Imap folders, if they're set for offline use". Right-click the folder, Properties, Synchronization tab, and check "Select this folder for offline use" and click Download Now. Once that is done, you should be able to recover deleted messages from IMAP folders, but it may not work if the messages were deleted before the setting was changed.

hi I have fallen at first hurdle - downloaded the freeshell link

tried saving and opening itcannot. sorry as you realise I have very little computer experience. I tried looking at how to open XPI file on google but just gave me loads of sites to download things..

After downloading the *.xpi file, you need to install it in Thunderbird.

In Thunderbird Menu icon (3 bars) > 'Add-ons' A new tab opens. Select the 'Extensions' jigsaw icon click on the cog wheel and select 'Install addon from file' see image as guide locate the *.xpi file you downloaded and click on 'Open'

ok got to page where it says 'Recover deleted messages 0.4' with two buttons at the bottom saying 'disable' or remove'. There is a link nic nac to homepage but if I press that it comes up with a page 'secure connection failed'

OK so you have installed the addon. You can close the tab. Now you need to go back to the Folder Pane.

This is info copied from extension info: RECOVER DELETED MESSAGES: an extension that allows to recover deleted messages, if the folder has not been compacted yet. To use it: select the folder, right-click and choose "Recover deleted messages", then follow the messages in status bar. From the 0.2 version it should be able also to recover deleted messages from Imap folders, if they're set for offline use.

Hi Toad hall, managed to retrieve emails from the inbox but will not retrieve 'all mail' or any of the contents of the folders. any ideas? I uninstalled and installed the freeshell again but that didn't work.

Are those emails on the server ? Did you have those folders set to be used for offline use, so that a full copy is stored instead of just a header?

According to the add-on description, "it should be able also to recover deleted messages from Imap folders, if they're set for offline use". Right-click the folder, Properties, Synchronization tab, and check "Select this folder for offline use" and click Download Now. Once that is done, you should be able to recover deleted messages from IMAP folders, but it may not work if the messages were deleted before the setting was changed.

the folders were all checked for offline use. when I click 'download now' they tell me where they are going to be put but then 'Done 0' comes up.

strange I could do the inbox which to be fair isn't a lot of use to me, I needed the emails from the folders which had been deleted when I deleted 'all mail' in error.

can you think of anything else I can do or will I have to just accept I have lost these?

Gmail keeps all of it's emails, sent, received and archived in the 'All Mail' folder. The only reason you see emails in other folders is because gmail use 'labels' which is like setting a tag so that emails 'appear' in different folders because users are used to that format.

If you deleted from 'All Mail' and the folder synchronised with server, then they would have been deleted off server. If you had deleted and not synchronised with server then those emails could be recovered. It sounds as if the folder synchronised. Emails you have in other imap folders would have been deleted if you deleted them from 'All Mail'. Have you checked the server to see if those emails are still in the 'Trash'? Gmail auto empties Trash periodically, so it would be possible to get them back out of Trash. Have you tried to recover them from your gmail 'Trash' folder?

hi managed to download 'all mail' emails now but emails from some of the folders not there!! when I try to download the gmail bin or trash folder it says 'file in use wait for operation to finish' Have tried leaving it and restarting but still the same message....

I would logon to gmail webmail using a browser and get the emails you need to rescue out of Trash and back into Inbox. Otherwise, Gmail may end up auto deleting them before you can restore them.

the only emails in G mail trash are the current ones...as I emptied the recycle bin after I originally deleted I thought on gmail you cannot retrieve?