Thunderbird adds suffixes to folder names and these folders cannot be deleted
Following is the folder name to which Thunderbird has added the suff ix 36ceb049. 2016-04-26 Blick auf das Belchenhotel, Inh. J. Stiefvater, mit Bergkette36ceb049
In addition, a second folder with exactly the same name was created. I am able to delete one of the folders but not the other one.
When I clicked on the Trash folder for Local Folders, I was asked if I was sure that I wanted to delete this file. After clicking on OK, the file appeared in the Trash folder. Why was I asked that question when I clicked on the Trash folder? I had already acknowledged that I wanted to delete the folder.
These are the files in the Trash folder with added suffixes: 2016-04-26 Blick auf das Belchenhotel, Inh. J. Stiefvater, mit Bergkette36ceb049 2020-12-26 Die Organuhr Acupuncture Chart, Dr. EW Stiefvater 247a3e6b1b 2020-12-26 Die Organuhr Acupuncture Chart, Dr. EW Stiefvater 247a3e6b1b --both of the above identical file names are in the Trash folder without the second one being appended with (2) Morgan Stanley - Russ Abbott, Sylvia Lomeli, etce14b81d9 Morgan Stanley - Russ Abbott, Sylvia Lomeli, etce14b81d9(2) Website programmers, subcontractors, helpers, etcd756875c Website programmers, subcontractors, helpers, etcd756875c --both of the above identical file names are in the Trash folder without the second one being appended with (2)
All of the deleted files in the Trash folder with added suffixes still appear in Local folders. The folder, Website programmers, subcontractors, helpers, etc., the same folder as the last two folders in the preceding paragraph, appears twice in Local Folders but without suffixes. When I click on the first folder, a little rotating circle indicates that it is being opened, but it doesn't open. When I click on the second folder, it opens immediately. Thereafter the first one opens immediately. The problem is that all of the messages that had been saved in Website programmers, subcontractors, helpers, etc. are missing. That is also true of all of the folders with suffixes appended by Thunderbird. The messages saved to them have apparently all been lost.
Thank you very much for tackling this problem!
All Replies (2)
is the storage medium for the Thunderbird profile stable and unaffected by being remote (NAS or sever) or involved with streaming backups or cloud synchronization. Those added bits look a lot like the sort of GUIDS various backup and sync services place of files and folders when they are setting up to synchronize or backup.
The Thunderbird profile is stored on a solid state drive (SSD) in my HP laptop, although this problem existed before switching to the SSD. Files on the SSD are backed up using Windows Backup. They are backed up to an external hard drive on my desk behind my computer through a hub. Nothing is backed up to the cloud, although everything probably should be. Backup to the cloud is only used on my iPhone 7+ for photos.
I use Windows Security for virus and threat protection and a firewall. I am a single user and don't connect to a network. As an aside, the app & browser control in Windows security considers Firefox to be a "malicious and potentially unwanted app". Consequently I have turned off app & browser control. This seems to be a ploy by Microsoft to get people to switch to its browser.
I have moved the profiles for both Thunderbird and Mozilla to the root C:\ folder since I was having problems with file names being too long. The location of the profiles for Thunderbird and Firefox are C:\0-TBird and C:\0-FFox, respectively.
I agree with your comment about the GUIDS, although, as far as I understand it, backup software would be backing up the full Profiles and not individual emails and email folders within the Profiles themselves. It appears to me that the GUIDS are being added within the Thunderbird app. I also suspect that the backup software wouldn't be creating duplicate folders with exactly the same names. In one instance duplicate folder names were created without GUIDS, namely "Website programmers, subcontractors, helpers, etc."
The folder, "Website programmers, subcontractors, helpers, etc.", contained a lot of important information that is no longer there. It might still be in the Thunderbird profile, but links between the messages and the folders seem to have been lost. I hope the messages haven't been lost and can be restored to the folder.
Another peculiarity is that these folders, either with or without the GUIDS, cannot be deleted. It's a complicated matter but it seems this problem relates more to the Thunderbird app than to backup software.
Many thanks for your help!