This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Hierdie gesprek is in die argief. Vra asseblief 'n nuwe vraag as jy hulp nodig het.

Cannot read old emails - subject visible but not content - but search finds segments of content - suspect problem during compaction? Can content be recovered?

  • 2 antwoorde
  • 7 hierdie probleem
  • 2 views
  • Laaste antwoord deur groatiebuckie

more options

Older emails are no longer readable. The subject header is there, but email content is blank (white). Interestingly, if I search for a keyword it will find the keyword within 'blank' messages, suggesting that the data is still there, just hidden in some way.

Is there any way of recovering the message text and associated attachments?

Older emails are no longer readable. The subject header is there, but email content is blank (white). Interestingly, if I search for a keyword it will find the keyword within 'blank' messages, suggesting that the data is still there, just hidden in some way. Is there any way of recovering the message text and associated attachments?

All Replies (2)

more options

This is a symptom of folder corruption. You can right click the folder and select Properties, then Repair Folder. I doubt you get all, if any of the messages back.

Read this about maintaining your email folders to help prevent this in the future.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Keep_it_working_-_Thunderbird

more options

Repairing the folder immediately removed all trace of the 'blank' emails - not the effect I was looking for.....!

Fortunately I had an inkling this might happen so I backed up the inbox folder before applying the fix, so if anyone comes up with a way of recovering the data I could hopefully still apply it.

Thanks anyway Airmail - I appreciate you taking time to respond.