OP Update If I run a search, the emails show up in full in the search window.

So the question becomes, how to get them to show up in the inbox? Thank you, Peter

Hello there We have read the question We try to help

There could be software on your computer that disrupts your other functions on your PC, for example, query it with Thunderbird off on your computer to generate a crash report. Or your operating system might not work with your crash reporter.

1. select your Thunderbird account

You may have accidentally deleted your inbox Open the trash folder and see if your files are still there. If so, put them back in the folder where they came from.

Your files would not be wiped from your PC and not in parts. as many people think.

Look in the folders used for already deleted items. If these were present on that PC.

Greetings Firefox volunteer

Hello there

You have found the complete versions of your inbox as complete after a command text in search of your system? Okay, they were not deleted Where do you end up, if I may ask, with this search command for your lost email?

I can give you a clue to return these to their place. If they are still intact, I would temporarily move these messages to the desktop in a new newly created folder. For the type of files you have. A standard folder is usually possible.

Can this step be performed as I asked you? Or are there any issues that hinder this implementation? Such as not being able to load them completely even though you have just found these emails again or copying them is not possible?

Greetings Firefox volunteer

OP 2nd Update If I look in appdata/roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles, I do not see a .msf file or any other file with a sufficiently large size to contain all of the unseen inbox emails. (Having said that, the sent and other local folders are large but the Thunderbird sent and local folders only display the relevant emails.)

Yes I did restart the PC. This is Windows 11 with updates.

Thank you, Peter

Hello there

If you are missing complete msf files, they were clearly lost somewhere along the way due to poor cooperation of your system. There are options to delete all msf files at once or you can also manually delete one per subject, in which case I recommend that you to be able to delete all these msf files if this is necessary for recovery. Do you use external disks? It could be that the pc is full of data. First back up the emails if that is possible .

Greetings Firefox volunteer

Regarding "possible software preventing a crash report from being developed", I have not yet checked this out.

Regarding "Where do you end up, if I may ask, with this search command for your lost email?" The search is the Thunderbird search function. I just did a new search with the search term "2024" and under the option "must be stored in inbox" there are 940 emails. I like your idea of saving them to a new local folder but cannot see how to do that.

I have also just realized that while the search list shows all the emails in full, if I click on one of the emails, Thunderbird will open a new window as if to display the email, but the new window is empty.

Thus it appears that the content is there but not in individual email format.

Any ideas, Thank you, thank you, Peter

OP musings:- I am considering creating a new email client setup on a different PC that when activated should download all of the inbox emails that are still on my server service. For maximum chance of success in this I am thinking to use an email client other than Thunderbird in case Thunderbird decides it should only download the latest emails.

I love the easy to use, intuitive format of Thunderbird, what would you suggest as an alternate email client? Outlook?

Peter

Ref " in which case I recommend that you to be able to delete all these msf files if this is necessary for recovery". Thank you. I will go ahead right now and perform full back-ups on a removable drive.

I can state that there is no shortage of hard drive space on the PC that might be causing this issue.

Are you suggesting to delete all .msf files prior to using my prior back-up to restore to that last back-up state? Or are you suggesting that Thuderbird has a recovery option that would benefit from deletion of the msf files?

Thank you. Peter

Hello there

Since your msf files are damaged and they can be found in your system or also in your profile folder as mentioned earlier somewhere. But not completely intact can do it after double checking these topics and no results.

Yes, it is best to first back up all your data. You use an external drive as you wrote. Are your hardware components conflict free and in good status? A thought occurs to me. Your sync clearly went wrong. partial pieces can still be found, yes. A recovery program such as Recuva can come in handy.

Greetings Firefox volunteer

Hello there

Deleting your msf.files can also delete further items hence the recommended backups. An installation on a different or newer device may seem useful, but no progress will be made.

I think you are still experiencing a crash or you are left with your deleted inbox that cannot be recovered. There are trial recovery programs to rescue parts.

I will read your messages again for you to find out an adjacent solution.

Greetings Firefox volunteer

Thank you for your comment re a recovery program such as Recuva. I will check that out.

OP - Lesson Learned While it may not have helped in this instance, from ongoing reading I am realizing that I did not use a powerful tool that might have corrected the situation. It appears that an accidental deletion of emails can be quickly reversed through the use of Ctrl Z, even multiple times to cover multiple actions, so long as Thunderbird has not been closed.

I mention this for anyone else that may have an issue. Peter

Hello there

You may have used an action or experienced a power outage? Where did you also use different tools? And so you have lost more than you have gained in retrieving your email.

The next thing we can try is to delete the folder tree .json file in your file explorer

You open the profile folder ) help )trouble shooting)open folder )close down the Thunderbird software. Then delete tree.json from the file explorer in your PC.

Restart your Thunderbird version. Or your current latest version of this software.

It will bring back your inbox as well as your emails.

It should .

Greetings Firefox volunteer

Thank you Contributor at 8:05.

No power outage for sure.

LIKELY ISSUE:- The more I look into this, I suspect that it is a combination of Thunderbird with my Bitdefender antivirus/VOIP etc., combined with Bitdefender finding a few 'spam' emails with attachments, that Bitdefender recommended I delete from within Thunderbird. I have a feeling that I was too rapid in my deletion of the email while Bitdefender might still have been completing it's work.

Contributor at 8:05, you make a suggestion that I will try but first I am going to get all my ducks in a row with backup and also a second PC to re-download almost all of the emails that are still on my service provider's servers. Thank you, Peter

Hello there

Yes, the suggestion may lead to the resolution of your conflict. Your ducks will be ranked and the rest will barely surface. A second PC is of no use just for creating a new account, it only proves that the previous PC is not functioning properly .

Greetings Firefox volunteer

Re "A second PC is of no use just for creating a new account, it only proves that the previous PC is not functioning properly". You may well be correct, but either way, I view it as part of getting my ducks in a row so as to maximize options going forward.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will post again if I find a final correction solution other than a new PC. Peter

OP closing comments:- On a new PC I first set up Mailbird and the complete set of emails from the server were downloaded upon startup of Mailbird. However, I could not get Mailbird to accept a POP3 rather than IMAP. So I also set up Outlook. Then I downloaded Thunderbird and the full set of emails came through.

Then I went back to the original PC. I still had no luck in getting those emails to come through on Thunderbird.

I then deleted Thunderbird, re-booted and re-installed Thunderbird. The inbox uploaded just fine. Then I manually placed the backed up Sent msf files back into the newly installed Thunderbird. All is good. I have not done the same with the local folders but if I create the folders in Thunderbird first, I don't expect to have a problem.

Conclusion, the second PC was not necessary but gave me great peace of mind in case it was necessary to migrate to the new PC. Maybe there will be a repeat issue, in which case I will migrate. I think the Thunderbird software became corrupted in some way. It may or may not happen again. Thanks again to all who offered suggestions.

Hello there

The story surprises me, it is resolved in such a way, even though it could have been fatal, yes. Well done, downloading your mail for IMAP, ensure that your settings box is checked, and you can always leave your messages on the server. It's a trick of course, isn't it?

Thank you for using Thunderbird.

Greetings Firefox volunteer

I think the Thunderbird software became corrupted in some way. It may or may not happen again.

The most likely scenario is that Bitdefender did corrupt Thunderbird mail files in an attempt to quarantine or delete allegedly malicious messages. This forum is full of complaints about similar issues almost always caused by anti-virus software.

Your best bet to prevent this kind of problem in the future is to create an exception in your anti-virus software for the Thunderbird profile folder, so that the anti-virus real-time scanner will not scan it. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_how-to-find-your-profile

Thank you both. I am fortunate in that my email is my own one man company and I pay for a server to host with a good amount of storage. The storage space typically needs to be freed up about once every two years.

Your point is well taken on the anti-virus.

I am going to hit problem solved. Thanks again. It is much appreciated that you would take time out of your day to read and consider and respond. Peter