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Empty Mailbox when importing old MBOX-Files

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In my old Backup-Files I found some Mail-Files which I would like to import to Thunderbird (Local-Folder to not messup with current email-account). Some files works fine. But other are "empty" when I look at them in Thunderbird.

1. I just put the files into a new created folder (AppData/Local/Thunderbird/NewFolder

After starting Thunderbird .msf-files were automatically created, but some are still only 2 - 3 KB in size and are empty when accessing the folder within Thunderbird.

2. I already tried the import via Import-Export-Tool NG but with the same result.

The MBOX files looks good (when I open it via notepad), I seems to be pure ASCII My 5 mising MBOX-Files are 25 MB, 40 MB, 357 MB, 749 MB and 771 MB in size, so they are definetly not empty.

Thank you for help

In my old Backup-Files I found some Mail-Files which I would like to import to Thunderbird (Local-Folder to not messup with current email-account). Some files works fine. But other are "empty" when I look at them in Thunderbird. 1. I just put the files into a new created folder (AppData/Local/Thunderbird/NewFolder After starting Thunderbird .msf-files were automatically created, but some are still only 2 - 3 KB in size and are empty when accessing the folder within Thunderbird. 2. I already tried the import via Import-Export-Tool NG but with the same result. The MBOX files looks good (when I open it via notepad), I seems to be pure ASCII My 5 mising MBOX-Files are 25 MB, 40 MB, 357 MB, 749 MB and 771 MB in size, so they are definetly not empty. Thank you for help
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All Replies (6)

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Copy the mbox files into the Mail/Local Folders location of the profile, with TB closed. Help/Troubleshooting, Profile Folder, Open Folder, to open the profile folder. Note the profile folder is under .../AppData/Roaming/..., not .../AppData/Local/...

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@sfhowes: Thank you very much for your tips.

I moved the files from local to roaming and cofigured the local folders folder to link to the roaming folder. If I start Thunderbird again I can see the Files below "Lokale Ordner = local folders". But if I click on them they are still empty.

I clecked the files properties and as you can see (here is one as example, but it is the same for all others): Number of Messages: 0 (Anzahl der Nachrichten) Filesize: 753 MB (Größe auf Datenträger)

There is also a "Repair"-Button (Reparieren) for the .msf Files. But even when I press it, no mails are displayed.

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Open the files and look at the x-mozilla status line of a few of the emails. What is the status number stored in them.

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For Example I opend Inbox_2021-03-21, I found the following counts of different x-mozilla-status: X-Mozilla-Status: 0000: 20 X-Mozilla-Status: 0008: 611 X-Mozilla-Status: 0009: 136 X-Mozilla-Status: 000b: 13 X-Mozilla-Status: 0018: 105 X-Mozilla-Status: 0019: 35 X-Mozilla-Status: 001b: 10 X-Mozilla-Status: 1009: 5 X-Mozilla-Status: 100b: 1

firefox.sync11 modificouno o

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Chosen Solution

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Sorry for beeing silent for that long time. But after I have modified the sed-command mentioned in the blog post I would like to inform you that everything works fine and that I could restore (hopefully) all my old messages. Thank you for your quick responds, tipps and help. Take care and stay healthy!