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how to restore drafts folder

  • 8 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by Zenos

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Hi, I am restoring my email accounts after a hard disk crash. I want to restore the content of my drafts folder. I have the content in a backup folder, I have both the MSF file (112 KB) and the other file (1.09 MB). Is there any way they can be restore, so I don't have to enter them manually one by one? Hope there is a way to do it, Kurt

Hi, I am restoring my email accounts after a hard disk crash. I want to restore the content of my drafts folder. I have the content in a backup folder, I have both the MSF file (112 KB) and the other file (1.09 MB). Is there any way they can be restore, so I don't have to enter them manually one by one? Hope there is a way to do it, Kurt

All Replies (8)

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Did you not make a backup of your entire profile?

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Hi Zenos, Thank you for your message. I am not sure if I have a backup of my entire profile, where would I find it? Kurt

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Hi froggy

re :I have both the MSF file (112 KB) and the other file (1.09 MB). If you have backup copies of the 'Drafts' File and the 'Drafts.msf' file. The 'Drafts' File is the one with emails, the .msf file is just an indexing file.

make hidden files and folders visible;

In Thunderbird

  • Help > Troubleshooting information
  • click on 'show folder' button

a new window opens showing contents of your Profile folder name

  • Close thunderbird now - this is important

If you are trying to put the 'drafts' back into a POP mail account or 'Local Folders' account:

  • click on 'Mail' folder
  • click on mail account name
  • paste a copy of the backed up 'Drafts' File (1.09 MB) into the mail account name folder - overwriting the current default 'Drafts' file.
  • Delete the current default 'drafts.msf' file and a new one will be created when you start thunderbird.

Start Thunderbird.

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Hi Toad-Hall, It may work for windows XP, but I can't get "make hidden files and folders visible" in windows 7. Is there another way to get in and tick it? Kurt

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Look under "Organise" in Windows Explorer.

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Here is a youtube video that may help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-uA6o3cKA

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Hi Zenos,

Thank you for your guidance and patience, I might get there one day LOL How do I get to "Organise" in Windows Explorer? I clicked on Properties, no "Organise" there. Kurt

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Every Windows Explorer I've used in Windows 7 has a toolbar-like thing running across near the top with a button labelled "Organize". There is usually a mess of other options I never use, but Microsoft have obviously decided that these other functions are valuable.

I don't have Windows here to check this on. Maybe you're using the default configuration and it's most unlikely that mine is left at the defaults, since it's cluttered with things I have no use for. But I didn't think this "toolbar" was optional. I've never been able to get rid of it.

The video that Toad-Hall has offered a link to appears to demonstrate it. What part of that doesn't work for you?