I wonder if the compact actually completes.

The process ends with a copying of the new compacted file to replace the old (something more than 1.5gb in size I guess). If you have say an anti virus delaying the copy while it spends 2 or 3 minutes thinking about if it contains a virus (what happens when they are allowed to play in the profile folder of Thunderbird) It may be Thunderbird is just issuing an error to it's error console and not making the compact actually completed.

You can see the error console using Ctrl+Shift+J. Clear it and invoke the compact from the file menu and see what errors it tosses up is about all I can suggest right now.

So, I have no idea what I'm looking at, and I don't see any way to save the logs so I can post them in case they have some useful information. Is the technique to simply copy/paste from the screen?

make the windows big enough to show the log and then right click and "export visible messages to" either to the clipboard and you can paste them into a message or to a file so you can merge two if the log exceeds the visible windows space.

Well, I captured them, but I see no way to attach them to a message here. They're not graphics, they're obviously TXT files. I ZIPPED them, and I can't attach that either.

have you considered copy and paste. (Ctrl+A to select all, Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste). It is good for some thousand lines of text.

Well, I can do that, I wasn't sure that would be suitable.

08:38:49.195 Unexpected event profile-after-change URLQueryStrippingListService.jsm:224

   observe resource://gre/modules/URLQueryStrippingListService.jsm:224

08:38:56.564 Unknown Collection "thunderbird/query-stripping" RemoteSettingsClient.jsm:160

   UnknownCollectionError resource://services-settings/RemoteSettingsClient.jsm:160
   sync resource://services-settings/RemoteSettingsClient.jsm:501
   InterpretGeneratorResume self-hosted:1482
   AsyncFunctionNext self-hosted:692

08:39:10.763 gloda.index_msg: Exception while attempting to mark message with gloda state afterdb commit Exception { name: "NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsIMsgDBHdr.getUint32Property]", result: 2147942487, filename: "resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm", lineNumber: 151, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "_commitCallback@resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:151:33\nhandleCompletion@resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64:11\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper } IndexMsg.jsm:170:30

   _commitCallback resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:170
   handleCompletion resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64

08:39:10.764 gloda.index_msg: Exception while attempting to mark message with gloda state afterdb commit Exception { name: "NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsIMsgDBHdr.getUint32Property]", result: 2147942487, filename: "resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm", lineNumber: 151, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "_commitCallback@resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:151:33\nhandleCompletion@resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64:11\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper } IndexMsg.jsm:170:30

   _commitCallback resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:170
   handleCompletion resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64

09:45:52.898 gloda.index_msg: Exception while attempting to mark message with gloda state afterdb commit Exception { name: "NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsIMsgDBHdr.getUint32Property]", result: 2147942487, filename: "resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm", lineNumber: 151, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "_commitCallback@resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:151:33\nhandleCompletion@resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64:11\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper } IndexMsg.jsm:170:30

   _commitCallback resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:170
   handleCompletion resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64

13:13:09.015 NotAllowedError: Could not remove the file at C:\Users\JOHNWI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\nscopy.tmp 14:51:27.168 Failed to download attachment: TypeError: serverInfo.capabilities.attachments is undefined 4 RemoteSecuritySettings.jsm:493

   maybeDownloadAttachment resource://gre/modules/psm/RemoteSecuritySettings.jsm:493
   AsyncFunctionThrow self-hosted:696

14:51:27.176 Failed to download attachment: TypeError: serverInfo.capabilities.attachments is undefined 4 RemoteSecuritySettings.jsm:493

   maybeDownloadAttachment resource://gre/modules/psm/RemoteSecuritySettings.jsm:493
   InterpretGeneratorResume self-hosted:1482
   AsyncFunctionThrow self-hosted:696

14:51:27.187 Failed to download attachment: TypeError: serverInfo.capabilities.attachments is undefined 144 RemoteSecuritySettings.jsm:493

   maybeDownloadAttachment resource://gre/modules/psm/RemoteSecuritySettings.jsm:493
   AsyncFunctionThrow self-hosted:696

19:34:47.173 Uncaught Exception { name: "", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80550008 [nsIMsgDBHdr.markHasAttachments]", result: 2153054216, filename: "chrome://messenger/content/msgHdrView.js", lineNumber: 801, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "onEndMsgDownload@chrome://messenger/content/msgHdrView.js:801:19\nloadURI/<@chrome://global/content/elements/browser-custom-element.js:807:28\n_wrapURIChangeCall@chrome://global/content/elements/browser-custom-element.js:733:11\nloadURI@chrome://global/content/elements/browser-custom-element.js:806:12\nClearMessagePane@chrome://messenger/content/msgMail3PaneWindow.js:1559:19\nclearDisplay@chrome://messenger/content/messageDisplay.js:178:5\nsummarizeFolder@chrome://messenger/content/selectionsummaries.js:106:19\n_showSummary@chrome://messenger/content/messageDisplay.js:368:22\nonSelectedMessagesChanged@chrome://messenger/content/messageDisplay.js:268:17\nsummarizeSelection@chrome://messenger/content/folderDisplay.js:1518:32\n_createView@resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:1113:14\n_applyViewChanges@resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:1463:24\nrefresh@resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:597:10\n_compactedFolder@resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:1303:10\n_notifyHelper@resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:196:30\nOnItemEvent@resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:236:12\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper } msgHdrView.js:801

   onEndMsgDownload chrome://messenger/content/msgHdrView.js:801
   loadURI chrome://global/content/elements/browser-custom-element.js:807
   _wrapURIChangeCall chrome://global/content/elements/browser-custom-element.js:733
   loadURI chrome://global/content/elements/browser-custom-element.js:806
   ClearMessagePane chrome://messenger/content/msgMail3PaneWindow.js:1559
   clearDisplay chrome://messenger/content/messageDisplay.js:178
   summarizeFolder chrome://messenger/content/selectionsummaries.js:106
   _showSummary chrome://messenger/content/messageDisplay.js:368
   onSelectedMessagesChanged chrome://messenger/content/messageDisplay.js:268
   summarizeSelection chrome://messenger/content/folderDisplay.js:1518
   _createView resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:1113
   _applyViewChanges resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:1463
   refresh resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:597
   _compactedFolder resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:1303
   _notifyHelper resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:196
   OnItemEvent resource:///modules/DBViewWrapper.jsm:236

19:35:20.882 gloda.index_msg: Exception while attempting to mark message with gloda state afterdb commit Exception { name: "NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsIMsgDBHdr.getUint32Property]", result: 2147942487, filename: "resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm", lineNumber: 151, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "_commitCallback@resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:151:33\nhandleCompletion@resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64:11\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper } IndexMsg.jsm:170:30

   _commitCallback resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:170
   handleCompletion resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64

08:16:59.044 1651839419044 Toolkit.Telemetry ERROR TelemetrySend::_doPing - error making request to https://incoming-telemetry.thunderbird.net/submit/telemetry/50e0770a-b0e6-458d-a38d-7098fa161cd2/main/Thunderbird/91.8.1/release/20220413002405?v=4: eUnreachable Log.jsm:723

   append resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:723
   log resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:379
   log resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:508
   error resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:387
   errorhandler resource://gre/modules/TelemetrySend.jsm:1378

08:18:09.505 gloda.index_msg: Exception while attempting to mark message with gloda state afterdb commit Exception { name: "NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsIMsgDBHdr.getUint32Property]", result: 2147942487, filename: "resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm", lineNumber: 151, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "_commitCallback@resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:151:33\nhandleCompletion@resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64:11\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper } IndexMsg.jsm:170:30

   _commitCallback resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:170
   handleCompletion resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64

The 1.5GB status just popped up, so here's the latest errors from today. I can freely say that I have no idea what they mean.

09:12:53.031 1651929173031 Toolkit.Telemetry ERROR TelemetrySend::_doPing - error making request to https://incoming-telemetry.thunderbird.net/submit/telemetry/cd781b9c-73f7-4563-8f20-f070da197149/main/Thunderbird/91.8.1/release/20220413002405?v=4: eUnreachable Log.jsm:723

   append resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:723
   log resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:379
   log resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:508
   error resource://gre/modules/Log.jsm:387
   errorhandler resource://gre/modules/TelemetrySend.jsm:1378

09:13:12.193 gloda.index_msg: Exception while attempting to mark message with gloda state afterdb commit Exception { name: "NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsIMsgDBHdr.getUint32Property]", result: 2147942487, filename: "resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm", lineNumber: 151, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "_commitCallback@resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:151:33\nhandleCompletion@resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64:11\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper } IndexMsg.jsm:170:30

   _commitCallback resource:///modules/gloda/IndexMsg.jsm:170
   handleCompletion resource:///modules/gloda/GlodaDatastore.jsm:64

10:31:10.936 <Provider> does not support changing `store` on the fly. It is most likely that you see this error because you updated to Redux 2.x and React Redux 2.x which no longer hot reload reducers automatically. See https://github.com/reactjs/react-redux/releases/tag/v2.0.0 for the migration instructions. react-redux.js:881:13

​

Could this error have any bearing on the issue? I don't understand what the issue is or why it complains when I go to account settings, but everything works. The only thing I see is the space in "Local Folders", but that's how TB configured it when I first setup.

It looks like you have set up that location in D drive as the default would be: C:Users/User Name/Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/profile name/Mail/Local Folders.

When you move or delete any email in any folder, the email appears in the respective folder, however, the original copy is still in the original folder. It is hidden and marked as deleted. Compacting removes those 'marked as deleted' copies and tidies up the file. There may be in sufficient space in the 'Local Folders' file to create a complete copy of everything in order to go through the process of compacting all the files.

Note: if you enable the Folder Pane Toolbar you can show folder size. It will show you folder size before compacting and the new size afterwards. Menu app icon > View > Toolbars > select 'Folder Pane Toolbar' Then select the 'Size' column - See image as guide

Please try manually compacting one folder at a time. In the 'Local Folders' mail account.

Start with 'Drafts' Right click on 'Drafts' and select 'Compact' It will say when it is finished.

then do 'Junk' Right click on 'Junk' and select 'Empty Junk' Right click on 'Junk' and select 'Compact'

Then try to compact the 'Inbox' Right click on 'Junk' and select 'Compact'

Then work through other folders to compact.

I moved the TB folder specifically so it could be backed up with all the other data..

There is 21GB free on the D: drive, so I can't imagine insufficient space is the reason for the problem.

Given about 4,000 subfolders, it would take me hours to manually compact every little folder, so that's really not a practical solution, at least IMO.

I've tried to compact top level folders, but apparently the manual compact only works on the lowest level. I have no problem compacting stuff like Junk, Inbox, Trash, etc., obviously it's the sub-folders that are the issue.

In D://Thunderbird/Profiles/profile name/Mail/Local Folders folder, do you see any nstmp files ?

Top Level Folders that do not contain emails - they contain subfolders with emails. You can only compact the folders that contain emails. So this may be the lowest level in your case.

I can see how 4000 subfolders would be an issue. But if you use them for storage and do not tend to delete or move emails around once they are in those folders, then they should not really need compacting.

I checked, there are no files that have nstmp anywhere in their name.

I have actually isolated where the mystery message is coming from. I'm on the board of our local HOA, and I have a large email folder with traffic from board members and residents. That folder is about 1.61GB in size. I recently moved a ton of stuff from previous years to other folders, and I suspect that's why this folder is the size it is, apparently it's the one that's choking on the compact operation.

So, I moved all the messages out of this folder and deleted it, and now my TB mail folder is over a GB smaller in size. Apparently, Thunderbird was choking on trying to compact that folder.