Can't delete Sub Folder
Hi, I am using Thunderbird as my main email client. I created a subfolder and tried to delete it by right clicking and hitting delete and also by doing the following that I had read elsewhere....I responded below in capitals. Just a note....when I right click and hit delete or do it from above in the Edit, delete folder. The cursor just spins and at the top it says not responding....after 4 or 5 mins, it stops spinning and the not responding goes away. The folder is still there and if I do it again with or without rebooting Thunderbird and or computer, it still does the same thing, spins and spins the cursor and at top says not responding. I just bought a new computer and want to move my emails and folders to the new computer once I create the the Thunderbird email account on the new computer but I don't even want to attempt the transfer with this folder hanging around. I am assuming it is corrupt. Thanks for any help you can give me.
First follow this process.
Right click on sub-folder and select 'Delete'
It should get moved into the 'Deleted' or 'Trash' folder.
Right click on the 'Deleted' / 'Trash' folder select 'Empty Deleted/Trash'.
Close and restart Thunderbird. DID THIS BUT IT IS STILL THERE.
Did it come back?
If yes: Make hidden files and folders visible.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Show_hidden_files_and_folders DID THIS TOO
In Thunderbird
Help > Troubleshooting Information click on 'show folder' button
a new window opens showing the contents of your profile folder name.
Close Thunderbird now - this is important.
Scroll down and delete this file: foldertree.json DID ALL THIS
(a new one wil be created when you restart Thunderbird later).
click on 'Mail' folder click on pop mail account name
Sub-folders are kept in folders with a .sbd extension. Example: if the problem sub-folder is a subfolder of the Inbox; click on 'Inbox.sbd' folder
So you would need to apply the same logic to locate the problem sub-folder. The sub-folder you want to delete will not appear as a 'Folder', but it will have the same name as your sub-folder. It will be an mbox 'File' (which has no extension). There will also be an index file with a .msf extension.
delete both the mbox file and the .msf file of same name. I CAN FIND ALL MY SUB FOLDERS BUT THE ONE THAT I CAN'T DELETE IS NOT IN THE LIST
So if your Folder Pane structure was something like this: mail account name > Inbox > > Bills > > > > Gas
> Friends > > Bob > > Anne
example to locate 'Gas' In the profile mail account name click on 'Inbox.sbd' click on 'Bills.sbd' locate and delete : 'Gas' File - no extension 'Gas.msf' file
example to locate 'Anne' In the profile mail account name click on 'Friends.sbd' folder locate and delete : 'Anne' File - no extension 'Anne.msf' file
After deleteing the files as specified.
Close window - top right X Start Thunderbird.
All Replies (19)
I know it is a longer road probably but can someone tell me how to move individual subfolders from one computer to another. I guess the other emails that are under [email protected] I can just save them to a temp subfolder and move it?
Once I get all the emails moved to the new computer I want to reformat this computer so there are no programs on it and install Windows 10. It will have one program on it and one folder in C to house the artwork to run a cutting machine for our business.
Seems as if no one was able to help me with this problem because everywhere you all sent me the folder does not exist...only on my Thunderbird email page that you have your inbox, trash, etc on.
I know on the new computer I can make the email address but I don't know how to move the folders individually. Is there an easy way to do this one by one or by choice group and I can leave that one off?
Your help is GREATLY appreciated.
Right-click the troubled folder SANDY MCCAULEY in the folder pane - Properties. Please post the contents of the 'Location' field.
Christ1 This is what it says mailbox:///C:/Users/Judi/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/ufs72dan.default/Mail/pop.cox.net/Inbox.sbd/z
JUST A NOTE: been there and SANDY MCCAULEY is not listed there either.
Looks like 'SANDY MCCAULEY' actually is 'z'. According to your screenshot the size of 'z' is 27 MB. How you managed to screw things up I have no idea.
Me either, I see Z, should I delete Z?
Or can I create a Z folder and drag and drop that into it so I can access its contents?
I opened mail one day, she sent me an instructional video as she always does and I drag it to her folder. This one time I dragged it and it dropped it and later on I went to open the folder so I could watch the video and it would not let me open it. So do you think it would help if I made a folder and dragged it into it. OR should I go change Z to say SANDY MCCAULEY
Well more than anything (cause I can get those videos again with no problem) is how do I move that email account without moving SANDY MCCAULEY or z?
close Thunderbird. move the Z file out of it's current location to the desktop. Delete any MSF files associated with either Z or the Sandy folders (both of them to be sure) Delete the following files (if they exist) in the root of your profile XULStore.json Localstore.rdf
Open Thunderbird.
Now your bad folder should simply be gone. Is that the case?
Matt said
close Thunderbird. move the Z file out of it's current location to the desktop. Delete any MSF files associated with either Z or the Sandy folders (both of them to be sure) Delete the following files (if they exist) in the root of your profile XULStore.json Localstore.rdf Open Thunderbird. Now your bad folder should simply be gone. Is that the case?
Ok I get the close Thunderbird I get the Move z and z.msf folders to desktop There are no folder with SANDY MCCAULEY SANDY MCCAULEY only shows up under inbox in the regular email side of thunderbird. Not when you access it through C But you can right click it but it won't respond to any commands
I don't know where to find or look for these XULStore.json Localstore.rdf
dejae said
Matt saidclose Thunderbird. move the Z file out of it's current location to the desktop. Delete any MSF files associated with either Z or the Sandy folders (both of them to be sure) Delete the following files (if they exist) in the root of your profile XULStore.json Localstore.rdf Open Thunderbird. Now your bad folder should simply be gone. Is that the case?Ok I get the close Thunderbird I get the Move z and z.msf folders to desktop There are no folder with SANDY MCCAULEY SANDY MCCAULEY only shows up under inbox in the regular email side of thunderbird. Not when you access it through C But you can right click it but it won't respond to any commands
I don't know where to find or look for these XULStore.json Localstore.rdf
Well did all the other but couldn't find either of these XULStore.json
Localstore.rdf
Before I did it all, i went there again and that 27K said 0 now. so I guess it really was messing it up. So now I guess I delete Z off my desktop?
Is there somewhere that I now can read on how to transfer each of the email accounts I have with their emails and folders to my new computer please. Thank you all so much for all your help!
Well did all the other but couldn't find either of these XULStore.json Localstore.rdf
They are in your profile folder. C:\Users\Judi\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\ufs72dan.default.
At this time it isn't clear to me whether you still see a folder "SANDY MCCAULEY" within Thunderbird, and whether there is still a file 'z' underneath C:\Users\Judi\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\ufs72dan.default\Mail\pop.cox.net\Inbox.sbd. Please confirm.
christ1 said
Well did all the other but couldn't find either of these XULStore.json Localstore.rdfThey are in your profile folder. C:\Users\Judi\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\ufs72dan.default.
At this time it isn't clear to me whether you still see a folder "SANDY MCCAULEY" within Thunderbird, and whether there is still a file 'z' underneath C:\Users\Judi\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\ufs72dan.default\Mail\pop.cox.net\Inbox.sbd. Please confirm.
There is no SANDY MCCAULEY anymore on Thunderbird that I see anywhere. z is on my desktop. When I went back to it after you had me go to it the first time and I think then Matt had me go to it the second time to move it. When I went back the second time, the folder for some reason was now empty (the z folder) no longer showed 27,000 or whatever amount it was. The only place the z folder is now....is on my desktop since Matt told me to move it there. When I did that. SANDY MCCAULEY disappeared and all the folders started to compact as they had not been able to since the issue started.
Now I guess what I need to know is how I move 4 of the 8 email accounts and their emails and sub folders to a new computer. Thank you
Copy over the entire profile and then delete the accounts you don't want or need. Follow these instructions: On the new computer create a new profile and copy the old one over it. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder_-_Thunderbird#Create_a_new_profile_and_copy_the_old_one_over_it
Note, a new profile is created automatically the first time Thunderbird starts. So you can skip over steps 2 and 3.
Thanks Christ1 I think I am capable of doing that without trouble, I HOPE! lol
It is so hard when you are naive to these things.
Lastly, you didn't say. I guess being I lost all that was in Z and I guess no way to recoup it, I should delete z from my desktop? Yes/No?
Assuming the mail data in 'z' isn't severely corrupted, you can re-import 'z' at any time into your new installation. So you can keep it for now and try later. It doesn't have to stay on desktop all the time, you can move it to any other folder more convenient to you. If you don't need or don't want the data in 'z' anymore, simply delete it.
For the future make sure to create regular backups of your Thunderbird profile. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-tb#w_backing-up-a-profile
christ1 said
Assuming the mail data in 'z' isn't severely corrupted, you can re-import 'z' at any time into your new installation. So you can keep it for now and try later. It doesn't have to stay on desktop all the time, you can move it to any other folder more convenient to you. If you don't need or don't want the data in 'z' anymore, simply delete it. For the future make sure to create regular backups of your Thunderbird profile. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-tb#w_backing-up-a-profile
Didn't know you could make backups, great to know. I would have loved the data in z but when I went back in to move it to the desktop it no longer said 2700KB, it said/says zero. So someway between the time you had me look at it and the time Matt had me go in to move it....I lost the data. Is it recoverable?
If the size of the file is 0 bytes, then there isn't anything to recover.