I suggest you click help>troubleshooting information, scroll down to 'profiles, click 'about:profiles', and scroll through other profiles to see if the folders are there. Another possibility is to search with windows file explorer, browsing through c:\users\<yourid>\appdata\roaming\thunderbird\profiles to see if you can locate the missing folders. They would be in the Mail\Local Folders folder in one of those profile folders.

I have now recovered my local folders ... had to change the location in the Message Storage Settings.

Only 1 task remains, I have an old POP3 account, the provider no longer allows server access. Therefore no longer incoming mail any longer (they moved to browser only)

If I try to set login (to have the inbox where there are mails I still need) I get error "Unable to log in at server. Probably wrong configuration, username or password" I don't need server access just to my local inbox, how can I set this up? Was OK until profile last last week

I would proceed the same way. The old POP account would be in a profile in the Mail folder, (e.g., Mail\<POPaccountname>\INBOX, INBOX.msf, etc.) - those folders could be copied into your Mail\Local Folders folder and restart thunderbird to access. You could then remove the old POP account .

I have done that .... but nothing shows for POP3 account (only 2 IMAP accounts) The IMAP accounts didn't show until I used 'create account' and pout in details When I do that for the POP3 account it fails as no longer access to server ..... can I install somehow without access to server - I know they turned off access. As its POP3 all I want is access to my emails in Inbox on PC

Pic of what I try and error that shows.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought the POP account was on the profile that went missing. If you can find the old profile, the messages will be there. Otherwise, they're lost.

There were 3 email accounts in the same profile (I only had the one profile) 1 x POP3 and 2 x IMAP I coped IMAP folder across and separately I copied the MAIL folder across .. and it does show by file size that there should be plenty of emails (see pic)

The issue is I needed to create the account credentials (password & login) to get the IMAP mail accessible, and when I try the POP3 credentials it fails saying it can't access the server.

I only want to access my locally stored inbox .... as server no longer there. There are 32,377kb of mails showing in file

You can copy the files in the pop3.btconnect.com folder to mail\local folders folder. You do not need account access for this.

>You can copy the files in the pop3.btconnect.com folder to mail\local folders folder.

Yes - this is what I have done, but now I need to access them

I'll explain steps I did .. First off copied over IMAP folder ... there was no access, I then went to New Account/ existing email and put in email address & password for GMX account ,,, and TB then gave me access to my mails ... then did same for Gmail ... same thing input email address & password to get access.

For the Pop3 account .... I coiped across the MAIL folder But at this point TB does not show it on screen, so presumably I need to carry out the same steps ..... I go to New Account/ existing email put in my btconnect email address and password ..... but it fails with errror that it could not verify with the server. It can't verify with server as server access turned off over a year ago.

I don't want TB to go to server to get new mail as there won't be any, all I need is TB to allow me to access my inbox ... which is stored locally in the MAIL folder - 32,377kb of it

Is there someway to avoid it trying to authorise via the server  ? Previously if I was off-line, I could still access emails as they are held locally.

can you post a screenshot of the contents of your Mail folder with the above mentioned files copied into it?

To confirm I copied over the MAIl folder and it has copied over the files But they do not show when I open TB I assume as there is no email account credentials set up for the btconnect account

Here is snapshot of what is in MAIL folder - https://flic.kr/p/2pk3ERh Her is what is within the pop3.btconnect.com folder - https://flic.kr/p/2pjZbTG

Ok, the messages are there in the Mail\pop3.btconnect.com folder. Just copy them in windows file explorer to your Mail\Local Folders folder in your Thunderbird profile and restart thunderbird.

Reminder: it's the Mail\Local Folders folder. That isn't where you placed them.

I'm not sure what you mean. As I think that is what has been done. In windows fle explorer I copied the MAIL folder complete from old profile to new profile

old was in C:\Users\Rick\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\4ttn729w.default\Mail\pop3.btconnect.com copied to C:\Users\Rick\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\4p8y3fgt.Rick\Mail\pop3.btconnect.com

So they are now in the new profile (4p8y3fgt.Rick) However like when I copied IMAP folder they do not appear in TB For IMAP I had to use create account .. put in my existing email & password, it confirmed all OK and the GMXmail and Gmail Inboxes appeared and populated

I assume I have to create (recreate) a btconnect account - that is what fails, it wants to go out to server to check username & password ... there is no longer any server. Can I set something so that access only uses local stored inbox .... (for btconnect Pop3) I know \I can not receive or send email from this account anymore

Until Profile failed last week I could access btconnect mail fine .... no new ones would come in and none sent out.

Currently if I look under account settings there is no btconect account showing

You do NOT need to artificially create an account. You already have the message files. All you need to do is to move them to the Mail\Local Folders folder. You would only need the account if you did NOT already have the messages.

That is not what happened in practice for IMPAP

I moved the IMAP folder, using windows explorer., I could see folder was there. Started up TB .... opened as blank. I then went to  : New account/ existing email putting in email & password and the INBOX then appeared in TB for GMXmail the same thing for GMail It 100% was the case neither could be 'seen' until account information was entered.

I have copied the MAIL folder, and as you confirmed the mails are there. However no BTconnect inbox is shown in TB only GMX & Gmail

If you are saying I do not have to enter my crednetail why does it not show, what do I need to do to access the stored mails

Pic confirming emails there ... https://flic.kr/p/2pjZbTG

Pic conforming no BTconnect account can be seen in TB ... https://flic.kr/p/2pkdX7x

It is not there for btconnect account, what do I need to do to make it visible.

I keep asking that you move the btconnect files to Mail\Local Folders folder and you haven't done it. The solution for IMAP is different because the account is still current.

Apologies if I'm not following ...... I moved the complete 'Mail' folder from the old profile to new profile, and on checking INBOX in new profile it has the same data count as was in the old profile.

What is is it you are wanting me to move and to where, happy to do so, but not clear on what to do.

You mention "move the btconnect files to Mail\Local Folders folder " do you mean move the btconnect folder complete into Mail\Local Folders  ? or just the INBOX within btconnect folder.

Not wanting to be difficult just not familiar with this layout.

It's probably me. Cold, snowing, sick wife, several priorities. You have the files in Mail folder and I am suggesting to move to the Mail\local folders folder instead.

Exact steps I did were ... I went to Mail\pop3.btconnect.com In that folder I selected all of its contents and moved them into the Mail\local folders Started up TB and still no visibility of the btconnect mail

Here is pic of what is now in Mail\Local Folders https://flic.kr/p/2pk9b3p

I have reverted back to a clean 'copy' of the MAIL folder I know TB has import tools - would that approach be an option ?

Puzzling. I just took a POP account of my own and copied the mail files to local folders as you did and they appear. I have in Mail\Local Folders\Inbox What are you seeing in Thunderbird for local folders after the move?