Mapping unified folders and templates
I have a peculiar error in the unified folders display. I have 7 email addresses coming in to Thunderbird. 4 are IMAP and 3 are POP. I have the POP addresses all being displayed in the "Local" Folders. In the unified folder, however, there appears to be a problem under the templates. One of the IMAP accounts does not have a template folder. The POP accounts template folder is present but the Sent Folder for the accounts are also included under the Unified folder view in Templates. I have tried to correct the problem by deleting three files: in the smart mailboxes folder there is a file called " Templates.msf" and another simply "Templates". I have deleted both and restarted Thunderbird. I have also deleted the virtualdata.dat file. No help in correcting the folder structure.
When I opened the "Templates msf" I noted a string to identify folders in the unified folder view: =imap://xxxxxxxxx%40gmail.com@imap.gmail.com/Templates|imap://xxxxxxxxxxxx%40xxxxxx.com@outlook.office365.com/Templates|mailbox://nobody@Local\ %20Folders/Sent|mailbox://nobody@Local%20Folders/Templates)(86=400000)>
Note that the local folder for "Sent" mail shows up. And the folder for the one IMAP account does not. I have deleted the local folder string and saved the file but that did not fix the problem. Clearly Thunderbird thinks that I want the Local folder sent mail to end up in the Template folder. I have checked and rechecked the Copies and Folders in the account settings and they are set correctly. Any thoughts on how to correct the problem?
Chosen solution
The add-on worked perfectly. A question for the curious...where in Thunderbird, not the addon, are folder flags set??
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If you are deleting anything, delete the whole folder (smart folders) and let it all be created again.
Check the icons show against the folders in the all folder view. At times the folders special attribute as say a sent folder is lost and that sees the smart folders go out of shape.
If the icons are showing he standard icon for a folder, or the wrong type of special folder. Check in account settings > copies and folders the correct folders are set for the account.
Finally if all else fails for getting the right attributes on the right folders, this addon can force the issue. https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/folderflags/?src=search
I suggest you really do use it as a last resort as if some of your other setting contradict your change, a restart will see things revert quite quickly when the IMAP server is polled, as the IMAP protocol generally sets the flags.
I had deleted the smart folders. No change. Based on the text of the "Template.msf" file, the folder for the Sent FIles is being mapped to the Template. I do not see why this should be so since the account settings are correct. I will look into the folder mapping add on.
Chosen Solution
The add-on worked perfectly. A question for the curious...where in Thunderbird, not the addon, are folder flags set??
mkostura said
The add-on worked perfectly. A question for the curious...where in Thunderbird, not the addon, are folder flags set??
MSF files AFAIK
Oops not MSF, foldertree.json I think.
Modified by Matt
Thanks I saw that file and opted not to edit or delete. In the KB around this question, another file called "Panacea.dat" was named as well. That file is not found in the %Appdata/Roaming/Thunderbird folder. I did find the file in the %Appdata/Local/Thunderbird folder. It has a comprehensive listing of the smart folder contents. I deleted but it is not repopulated on restart of TB.
What is the "Local" profile used for?
The Add-on remains a mystery fix. But it was a fix. Thanks.
panacea.dat is no more. If is foldertree.json https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=418551
What is the "Local" profile used for?
I am assuming you are referring to the %localappdata% storage. Fundamentally it is the cache. There is nothing in it that is required. However the foldertree.json file is not located in it unless there are some serious issues with your operating system.
I will mark the original issue resolved. But you have got me going down a different path.
Sorry for the poor use of nomenclature. The profiles folder found in Users//Appdata/Local/Thunderbird/Profiles. I noted that there is a subfolder with the current profile name and in that folder are two subfolders updated in the last 3 days: cache2 and startup cache. I wonder if I can delete everything else (there are no other date stamps on any other folder of file since 2020) If so I can reclaim ~ 20 GB of storage for the SSD that would be helpful. Kind of a housekeeping thing but I like to keep a clean drive.