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.

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

where have my messages gone ?!

  • 3 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by creal

more options

I have 350 folders in Thunderbird. I just discovered that 12 of these folders have suddenly become empty of all the messages that were in them although the folder itself is still there. Where have they gone and why ? I have my disc space settings set to never delete messages for disc space.

I have a backup of a previous Thunderbird profile folder on a different hard drive but when I go to try and import the missing folders they do not show up in the importable list even though the missing folders are in the backup profile folder.. How can import just a few selected folders from my backup profile folder and how can I prevent folder contents from just disappearing in future ?

I have 350 folders in Thunderbird. I just discovered that 12 of these folders have suddenly become empty of all the messages that were in them although the folder itself is still there. Where have they gone and why ? I have my disc space settings set to never delete messages for disc space. I have a backup of a previous Thunderbird profile folder on a different hard drive but when I go to try and import the missing folders they do not show up in the importable list even though the missing folders are in the backup profile folder.. How can import just a few selected folders from my backup profile folder and how can I prevent folder contents from just disappearing in future ?

Chosen solution

have you right click your folder and selected properties and then repair? Have you checked you anti virus program for a smug look and a quarantine of the folder contents?

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Disappearing_mail

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (3)

more options

Chosen Solution

have you right click your folder and selected properties and then repair? Have you checked you anti virus program for a smug look and a quarantine of the folder contents?

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Disappearing_mail

more options

Thanks Matt.. I didn't do that.. but I did update my Thunderbird software and re-added my profile folder in order to see if it would fix the previous problem I mentioned of not having the newest folder show up in the drop down when wanting to move an email to a certain folder. Well, all my vanished emails re-appeared again by themselves in all the missing folders..although it still doesn't solve the problem of showing a newly added folder in the "move to folder" list...

more options

Same problem. Unable to fix. I have 5 years of messages in my various folders and all have disappeared. Really need some good suggestions.