More information - IMAP & I have been to Server settings and under 'when I delete a message' it said move it to this folder & trash was selected. But there are NO messages in TRASH at all.

Draft Saved: I saved it overnight,

Next morning forgot to press edit ....So draft email was not opened in a Write message to allow editing of email.

and tried to delete word in draft...I'm assuming you selected draft in list so you could read it in Message Pane, But what did you do next? double clicked on a word to highlight and pressed 'Delete' key ? double clicked on a word to highlight and pressed 'Delete' button in header area ? click at start of text, Held down 'shift' and clicked at end to highlight more than one word ?

If you did the last method of using 'Shift' to aid highlighting, were you by any chance still pressing down the 'Shift' key when you pressed 'Delete' key or clicked on 'Delete' button?

I'm thinking if you were holding down 'shift' key perhaps as part of highlighting and pressed delete then you were deleting and by passing the 'Trash'. This would explain why it is not in the Trash and why Undo (Ctrl + Z) did not work.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts Managing your messages Delete message by passing trash (no Undo!) use 'Shift' + 'Del'

However, I have a pop up window to warn me about this should I accidentally use a Shift + Del.

See if you have this warning enabled:

• 'Menu icon' > 'Options' > 'Options' > 'Advanced' > 'General' tab
• click on 'Config editor' button

A new window opens - it may say to be careful :)

• In top search type: mail.warn
• look for : mail.warn_on_shift_delete

If the Value = 'False'

• double click on that line to toggle the value from 'False' to 'True'
• close window - top right X
• click on 'OK'

Thank you for reply. I have just tried to replicate my problem in a gmail IMAP account: Write message . save as draft, close message. Then one click on that message in drafts then shows message on RHS, with this is a draft message & 'edit' button in small letters at top. Forget it is a draft & Highlight a word with left mouse button and press delete key on keyboard. NO shift key held down. Message has disappeared and I cannot find it.

I have a second gmail account and have tried the same procedure in that account and the deleted message does go into trash......puzzled.

In problem gmail imap account: Make sure the 'Trash' folder you see in the left Folder pane really is the gmail Trash Folder and it is subscribed. My gmail imap trash for deleted items is actually called 'Bin'. This is because the Google Mail display language is "English (UK)". I have found that I can unsubscribe from seeing the gmail Trash, remove files from profile and it will still reappear when restarting TB despite not being subscribed. So perform a double check that the TRash really is gmails trash and it is a subscribed folder.

• Right click on imap gmail account in Folder Pane and select 'Subscribe'.
• Assuming gmail Trash is in the list; select it and click on 'Subscribe'
• click on OK

Then check Account settings.

• Right click on imap gmail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'
• select 'Server Settings'
• When I delete a message:
• select 'Move to this folder'
• select: 'Bin/Trash on gmail email address mail account.'
• click on OK