Some messages appear as results to a global search but I cannot open them and the folder in which they are supposed to be does not appear in the tree [more].
I have been using Thunderbird for more than ten years; I have several e-mail accounts set up in it and a very complex tree, with many levels of sub-directories. A folder (sub-directory) is missing from the tree. When I search for messages in that folder by selecting its parent folder and then using the search box in the upper right hand corner of the screen, the results show me the name of the missing folder and how many messages it contains and the messages are displayed. However: 1) when I click on "Open email as list" another window opes that does not display any messages; the same happens if I double-click on one of the messages 2) when I go to the missing folder's parent folder using Windows' Finder (Users / [my name] / AppData / Roaming / Thunderbird / Profiles / [profile name] / Mail / Local Folders / [parent folder]) it shows the missing folder; when I open it, I see the folders inside of it and their matching msf files; however, each of those folders is empty... even though the messages inside them show up in the search results.
This is driving me nuts!!!!
Alla svar (1)
Sounds like you global message store that is uses to search is out of touch with reality.
Try rebuilding it, and do not be surprised of it no longer finds the messing messages at all after the index rebuilds.
See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rebuilding-global-database