We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

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.

Avatar for Username

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

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

How to restore or at least parse emails from deleted account when server no longer exists

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by mrmayfield

mrmayfield
mrmayfield
more options

I have emails from a @domain.com email address that are saved in my Local Folder. I would like to follow the instructions to restore this account here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_FAQs_:_Recover_Deleted_Account

The issue is that the server that hosted the emails no longer exists, so I can't add it back again. Is there any way to import these into Thunderbird still, so I can still parse them? Or does anyone have a suggestion on how I can access these emails in an easy way? I need to be able to search through them like I do already in Thunderbird.

I have emails from a @domain.com email address that are saved in my Local Folder. I would like to follow the instructions to restore this account here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_FAQs_:_Recover_Deleted_Account The issue is that the server that hosted the emails no longer exists, so I can't add it back again. Is there any way to import these into Thunderbird still, so I can still parse them? Or does anyone have a suggestion on how I can access these emails in an easy way? I need to be able to search through them like I do already in Thunderbird.

Chosen solution

Generally, in IMAP, all your messages are stored on the server and Thunderbird downloads the temporary copies to speed up searching and browsing. Since there are settings for the amount of message content to be downloaded, or headers only, there's no guarantee that you'll have the messages in their entirety.

For future reference, if you have an IMAP-connected account and wish to preserve messages independent of the server, you need to copy them to somewhere outside the IMAP-connected account's folders, such as Local Folders.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (6)

Zenos
Zenos
more options

Can you clarify what you mean by "are saved in my Local Folder".

This is presumably not "Local Folders" in Thunderbird or you wouldn't be asking the question.

If these are stored outside Thunderbird, in what format are they?

mrmayfield
mrmayfield Question owner
more options

To clarify, they are in this folder on my computer:

~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/digits.default/ImapMail

The format they are in is the format that they were saved as by Thunderbird.

Zenos
Zenos
more options

You will have mailbox files then. I'd suggest using

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

to import these. I'm not sure if you'll be given any option, but if so, I'd recommend you import into Thunderbird's Local Folders.

Be warned that your saved messages are effectively a cache and may not be a complete record of all your messages.

mrmayfield
mrmayfield Question owner
more options

Okay thanks for the input, I'm going to try this now. Is there somewhere else where my full mail may be stored on my computer? I'm assuming not but I'd like to get your input while you're around.

Zenos
Zenos
more options

Chosen Solution

Generally, in IMAP, all your messages are stored on the server and Thunderbird downloads the temporary copies to speed up searching and browsing. Since there are settings for the amount of message content to be downloaded, or headers only, there's no guarantee that you'll have the messages in their entirety.

For future reference, if you have an IMAP-connected account and wish to preserve messages independent of the server, you need to copy them to somewhere outside the IMAP-connected account's folders, such as Local Folders.

mrmayfield
mrmayfield Question owner
more options

Thanks a lot! Was able to use ImportExport tools and get all the emails imported. If you'd believe it, it looks like almost all of my emails were being stored locally. Dodged a major bullet there, thanks again!