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How do I find emails and folders missing from account

  • 9 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by pitdman1

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I have used Thunderbird for a while and had saved emails from a lineone account. Until recently I had the regular folders available (inbox, sent, junk etc) for the account available in Thunderbird.

The actual email account itself was opened about 15 years ago and couple of years changed so I could no longer gain access to the email account but the emails remained in Thunderbird as did the folders.

I now need to access some of the emails from the account that should be on Thunderbird but have found that all folders have disappeared except for the inbox, which is empty.

I have searched for the emails in a global search on Thunderbird and it finds emails from the account but I cannot open the emails. Also, when carrying out the search it details the email account where the emails are found in the column on the left hand side of the screen and the account with the missing emails is shown there so the emails have not been deleted.

Can anybody help me to restore or access the emails from the missing account (I think it is a pop3 account) or to access the emails when carrying out the search.

Please note I only have basic knowledge of Thunderbird so if you could keep any responses in simple terms!!

Many thanks for your anticipated assistance

I have used Thunderbird for a while and had saved emails from a lineone account. Until recently I had the regular folders available (inbox, sent, junk etc) for the account available in Thunderbird. The actual email account itself was opened about 15 years ago and couple of years changed so I could no longer gain access to the email account but the emails remained in Thunderbird as did the folders. I now need to access some of the emails from the account that should be on Thunderbird but have found that all folders have disappeared except for the inbox, which is empty. I have searched for the emails in a global search on Thunderbird and it finds emails from the account but I cannot open the emails. Also, when carrying out the search it details the email account where the emails are found in the column on the left hand side of the screen and the account with the missing emails is shown there so the emails have not been deleted. Can anybody help me to restore or access the emails from the missing account (I think it is a pop3 account) or to access the emails when carrying out the search. Please note I only have basic knowledge of Thunderbird so if you could keep any responses in simple terms!! Many thanks for your anticipated assistance

All Replies (9)

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Go on Thunderbird tools menu - account settings - click below the name of that email account on "server settings" - you will see in the page (from the right) an information about that account (as server type) - POP or IMAP. What text show there - pop or imap?

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Hi,

Thanks for the assistance.

It will not let me get on the server settings as it comes up with a message saying 'An account with this name already exists. please enter a different account name'

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It does this for each of the accounts and on each option (server settings, copies & folders, junk settings etc)

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I think it was a pop3 account if that helps

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If it's pop3 account then the mails should be there. What happen when you click on an email found with global search? Can you add a screenshot with the error/issue?

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When I click onto the email Thunderbird tries to open up the email but it comes up blank. It shows the heading on the email in the tab at the top but is otherwise blank.

If I do it from an email from another account the email opens.

I think it was a pop3 account but not certain

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Hi,

Sorry to mislead you. I have noticed that when Thunderbird tried to access my old email account it reads 'IMAP'

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Then for IMAP you still have only the headers of that mail and if the connection is not working anymore (as you say above) then full message can not be downloaded anymore.

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It not only the headers. When I do a global search I can read the heading and the first 5 or 6 lines of the email that is within the box the email is within so I guess the email must be there somewhere