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I cannot see any emails in the archive folders I've created in my "local folders" or on my main drive once email has been moved to appropriate folder.

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  • Last reply by jgillette

jgillette
jgillette
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I am changing from a POP server to an IMAP. I changed the archive location to be in my "local folder" on my computer and moved files and folders to the new archive location. I have the subfolders showing up under the local folder "tree" but when I go look in them they are empty, except the most recent one. All of my 2013-2015 folders are empty.

Now when I open up "explorer" to look in the directory I made for my local folder location, the folders are there, and so are the emails...in a manner of sorts. They are not separate emails, each folder contains one super large file. When I try to open that file, it simply opens up as if I am trying to send an email and the file is linked as an attachment.

When I try to go under file-->open --> saved message etc. there are no emails to open and no folders. Is there a way to see my archived emails using the open saved email method? Is there any way to see the emails in the folders, in the tree under the Local Folder in the Thunderbird app? I fear I may have lost 3 years of archives If i cannot, and I really HAVE TO HAVE those emails. Any help wold be appreciated. Thank you.

I am changing from a POP server to an IMAP. I changed the archive location to be in my "local folder" on my computer and moved files and folders to the new archive location. I have the subfolders showing up under the local folder "tree" but when I go look in them they are empty, except the most recent one. All of my 2013-2015 folders are empty. Now when I open up "explorer" to look in the directory I made for my local folder location, the folders are there, and so are the emails...in a manner of sorts. They are not separate emails, each folder contains one super large file. When I try to open that file, it simply opens up as if I am trying to send an email and the file is linked as an attachment. When I try to go under file-->open --> saved message etc. there are no emails to open and no folders. Is there a way to see my archived emails using the open saved email method? Is there any way to see the emails in the folders, in the tree under the Local Folder in the Thunderbird app? I fear I may have lost 3 years of archives If i cannot, and I really HAVE TO HAVE those emails. Any help wold be appreciated. Thank you.
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Modified by jgillette

Chosen solution

I may have lost 3 years of archives

Did you create a backup of your Thunderbird profile prior to start making changes?

I am changing from a POP server to an IMAP.

Has this change already happened or are you planning to do so?

I changed the archive location to be in my "local folder" on my computer

Please explain in detail what you did.

and moved files and folders to the new archive location.

Please explain in detail what you did.

from your screenshot of Internet Explorer you do have e.g. a file 2014 (without a file extension). That's supposed to be your mail. But it only has a size of 140 kB, so there can't be a lot of mail in there. The file 2014 is supposed to show up as a folder 2014 in Thunderbird, but it doesn't. So what's the content of the file 2014?

Then there is another file '2014 Archives' with a size of 1.7 MB. This looks like it does have some mail in it, and it shows up as a folder in Thunderbird. Is that the missing mail? If not, where does this file come from?

The same basically goes for the 2015* files. What is '2015 Archives - Shortcut' for? Did you create the shortcut? If so - why?

What is the empty file 'Email Archives' for? How did it get there in the first place?

And why did you put the file holding filter rules into the archive folder?

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christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
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I may have lost 3 years of archives

Did you create a backup of your Thunderbird profile prior to start making changes?

I am changing from a POP server to an IMAP.

Has this change already happened or are you planning to do so?

I changed the archive location to be in my "local folder" on my computer

Please explain in detail what you did.

and moved files and folders to the new archive location.

Please explain in detail what you did.

from your screenshot of Internet Explorer you do have e.g. a file 2014 (without a file extension). That's supposed to be your mail. But it only has a size of 140 kB, so there can't be a lot of mail in there. The file 2014 is supposed to show up as a folder 2014 in Thunderbird, but it doesn't. So what's the content of the file 2014?

Then there is another file '2014 Archives' with a size of 1.7 MB. This looks like it does have some mail in it, and it shows up as a folder in Thunderbird. Is that the missing mail? If not, where does this file come from?

The same basically goes for the 2015* files. What is '2015 Archives - Shortcut' for? Did you create the shortcut? If so - why?

What is the empty file 'Email Archives' for? How did it get there in the first place?

And why did you put the file holding filter rules into the archive folder?

jgillette
jgillette Question owner
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Well, I had a long chat with my IT guy, got the setting straightened out and recovered many if not most of my lost emails, although some are gone for good I am afraid. I thank you all for your assistance and believe this issue has been resolved.