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missing email but can see preview pane

  • 8 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by Matt

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I recently sent an email, but noticed that it didn't show up as sent on my mobile phone afterwards. When I went in to check my emails the email I had sent doesn't show up anywhere. It's not in any folder I can find. But when I do a search for that email....it shows up with the normal preview showing the first few lines of the email. However, when I click on it...all it does is open a tab to the message thread for those emails...but missing the one email that I was trying to click on.

It's like it's there somewhere....but I just can't open it or find it in any folder. But it's pulling the preview information like it might have been sent. The preview says that it was sent, but then it's not in the sent folder.

Anyone know a way to fix this?

I recently sent an email, but noticed that it didn't show up as sent on my mobile phone afterwards. When I went in to check my emails the email I had sent doesn't show up anywhere. It's not in any folder I can find. But when I do a search for that email....it shows up with the normal preview showing the first few lines of the email. However, when I click on it...all it does is open a tab to the message thread for those emails...but missing the one email that I was trying to click on. It's like it's there somewhere....but I just can't open it or find it in any folder. But it's pulling the preview information like it might have been sent. The preview says that it was sent, but then it's not in the sent folder. Anyone know a way to fix this?

All Replies (8)

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Does starting Thunderbird in https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/safe-mode help?

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Wayne Mery said

Does starting Thunderbird in https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/safe-mode help?


Thanks so much for the idea. Tried it out....but get the same result

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It sounds like your global search index has dead wood in it. On the toolbar > Help > Troubleshooting Information

Click the show profile button in Troubleshooting Information Close Thunderbird In the file window that opened, delete the file global- messages-db.sqlite Restart Thunderbird.

The search will be rubbish until the file fully regenerates, which could take a whole day if you have 10 or 20Gb of mail. You can monitor the status of that using the Activity Manager.

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Thought this one might work. I've given it almost a day, but now when I search for the email it doesn't show up in the search at all. I'll try again later today and will let you know if it shows up. Thanks for the idea.

I'm feeling like this somehow was neither sent, nor saved somehow.

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Matt said

It sounds like your global search index has dead wood in it. On the toolbar > Help > Troubleshooting Information Click the show profile button in Troubleshooting Information Close Thunderbird In the file window that opened, delete the file global- messages-db.sqlite Restart Thunderbird. The search will be rubbish until the file fully regenerates, which could take a whole day if you have 10 or 20Gb of mail. You can monitor the status of that using the Activity Manager.

Matt said

It sounds like your global search index has dead wood in it. On the toolbar > Help > Troubleshooting Information Click the show profile button in Troubleshooting Information Close Thunderbird In the file window that opened, delete the file global- messages-db.sqlite Restart Thunderbird. The search will be rubbish until the file fully regenerates, which could take a whole day if you have 10 or 20Gb of mail. You can monitor the status of that using the Activity Manager.

Thought this one might work. I've given it almost a day, but now when I search for the email it doesn't show up in the search at all. I'll try again later today and will let you know if it shows up. Thanks for the idea.

I'm feeling like this somehow was neither sent, nor saved somehow.

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What the search was finding was some remnant in the search index, but it was not actually finding the mail.

Perhaps their may still be a deleted copy in the drafts folder, in which case this add-on might locate a copy for you. Note the add-on works on any folder, so experiment to your hearts content. https://freeshell.de//~kaosmos/index-en.html#recDelMsg

How to install https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/installing-addon-thunderbird

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Tried this latest idea...but the link downloads and adobe file which states that it cannot open. Here's the exact wording:

Adobe Acrobat Reader could not open 'recoverDeletedMessages-0.4.xpi' because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged (for example, it was sent as an email attachment and wasn't correctly decoded).

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bungalowbill1 said

Tried this latest idea...but the link downloads and adobe file which states that it cannot open. Here's the exact wording: Adobe Acrobat Reader could not open 'recoverDeletedMessages-0.4.xpi' because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged (for example, it was sent as an email attachment and wasn't correctly decoded).

Did you read the how to install link and fail to understand? Or just not read it at all. I suggest you go back and read it.