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

Change of hosting, Inbox empty

  • 6 tontu
  • 1 am na jafe-jafe bii
  • 6 views
  • i mujjee tontu mooy Technews1101

more options

Hello. I have changed my hosting, keeping my domain. I have created the new emails exactly like before, reopened Thunderbird and inserted the new password. I put the password, then click enter, and the inbox get empty (I think because the inbox of the new mail, in the new hosting, is empty). The profile folder has just one profile, with an INBOX file of 5 GB... there is my older inbox!!! Why Thunderbird doesnt show these emails in this file?????

Hello. I have changed my hosting, keeping my domain. I have created the new emails exactly like before, reopened Thunderbird and inserted the new password. I put the password, then click enter, and the inbox get empty (I think because the inbox of the new mail, in the new hosting, is empty). The profile folder has just one profile, with an INBOX file of 5 GB... there is my older inbox!!! Why Thunderbird doesnt show these emails in this file?????

All Replies (6)

more options

If you use IMAP to view emails: The mail account for that email address has server settings to point to a server which currently has no emails.

It would be helpful if you could explain your original setup and the process you performed to change the settings.

Q: Did you originally have an IMAP mail account or POP mail account for that email address which pointed to your original/old hosting server?

Q: Did you remove that mail account from Thunderbird and then create a brand new IMAP mail account?

Q: If it was originally an IMAP mail account, did you not remove it, but instead access the Account Settings and change all the server settings to the new server settings?

more options

A1: originally have an IMAP account. A2: no, I dont remove the account. A3: yes, it was IMAMP. Yes, I dont remove it. It was no necessary to change the server settings (because I use the domain).

The only thing that I do wa to change the password in Thunderbird. My mail is working perfectly. The problem is just with the INBOX file... can I "force" thunderbird" to read that file?? With my new mails, the INBOX file is getting bigger... so there are my old mails, hide in that file.

more options

re :It was no necessary to change the server settings (because I use the domain).

I presume you changed the password because the new hosting account had a different password.

But you said you had changed hosting for that domain, so whilst the domain name is still yours and the email address is till the same, you would be using a different server. All servers have their own server settings.

The new pasword would not get access to the old hosting server. If you have not changed the server settings to point to new hosting server, then it also would not show what is on that server.

Are you saying you are still pointing to the original server?

At this point do not change server settings until it is fully understood what is occuring. Connecting to a new empty server would delete everything in the Inbox as new server is empty.

Usually, before you change hosting, you synchronise all folders and get full copies of emails downloaded and then get copies of those emails into 'Local Folders' mail account. Finally, you would change the server settings to point to new server.

Please try the following to try to save emails from imap Inbox. Download ImportExportTools addon:

How to install addon:

  • Right click on 'Local Folders' mail account in Folder Pane
  • select 'ImportExporttools' > 'Import mbox file'
  • If only importing the one 'Inbox' mbox file then select the first option: 'Import directly one or more mbox files'
  • If the Inbox had subsfolders the select the second option: 'Import one or more mbox files with its/their subdirectory'
  • click on 'OK'
  • Locate and select the profile folders imap mail account 'Inbox' mbox file.

Note mbox files do not have any extension.

  • click on 'Open'

That mbox file should now get imported into 'Local Folders' mail account.

Did this work? Can you see those emails in 'Local Folders' mail account.

more options

I dont modify server settings, because server settings was only "mydomain.cl". In the server configurations of the older and the new server I have a MX register with this (priority 0). Thunderbird ask me to change the password, because when I delete the old mail and create the new one (in the new hosting, with the same domain, using the same MX register), I use a different password. I insist, the mail is working perfectly (new hosting), the old hosting doesnot exists, the problem is juss Thunderbold show me an empty inbox (because the new mail, in the new hosting, has an empty inbox), but the backup file "INBOX" in the profile folder still have my emails.

Now I will try your recommendations

Update: It works!!! Thanks.

willy58 moo ko soppali ci

more options

This is best solution!

willy58 said

I dont modify server settings, because server settings was only "mydomain.cl". In the server configurations of the older and the new server I have a MX register with this (priority 0). Thunderbird ask me to change the password, because when I delete the old mail and create the new one (in the new hosting, with the same domain, using the same MX register), I use a different password. I insist, the mail is working perfectly (new hosting), the old hosting doesnot exists, the problem is juss Thunderbold show me an empty inbox (because the new mail, in the new hosting, has an empty inbox), but the backup file "INBOX" in the profile folder still have my emails. Now I will try your recommendations Update: It works!!! Thanks.
more options

Thanks for all the details. Very helpful. Real quick, to help out everyone.

Technews1101 moo ko soppali ci