Is this new behavior that has started recently in Thunderbird? Or has it always done this? If the latter, then how long have you been using Thunderbird?

Hi Bruce The problem has only started recently, probably after the latest update, this is so annoying, I would probably be better off using a different program as there seems to be problems coming along with every update, must not be checking them properly before releasing them. Coley

To answer your question, I have been using TB for many years. Coley

Are you using IMAP or POP? If IMAP, then do those old e-mails show up when you log into webmail?

What antivirus do you use? Do you have e-mail scanning turned off in it? It is recommended that e-mail scanning be disabled in antivirus programs because antivirus programs already automatically scan everything when it is accessed. So e-mail scanning is an unnecessary duplication, and e-mail scanning itself can cause problems.

Try this:

1. Find & open your Thunderbird Profile folder:

Select Help: Troubleshooting Information from the Thunderbird menu (either from the menu button , on the top right, or the normal menu at the top of the window.)

Under "Application Basics", beside "Profile Folder", click the "Show Profile" button. This will open a window showing the contents of your Thunderbird Profile folder.

2. Quit Thunderbird, but keep that window open showing your Thunderbird Profile folder.

3. Delete "global-messages-db.sqlite" and "panacea.dat" from the profile folder.

4. Find the folder holding your e-mail. If you are using IMAP, look under the ImapMail folder. If you are using POP, then look under the Mail folder. Under one of these folders you will find a folder with the name of your e-mail server (Example, imap.gmail.com for Gmail using IMAP). Open this folder.

5. Find the two files named "Junk" and "Junk.msf" (or "Spam" & "Spam.msf"), and delete them.

6. Start Thunderbird.

Hi Bruce Thank you for your reply. I have done as you suggested above, I do use IMAP and the Vipre antivirus.

I will check over the next few days and see what happens.

Many thanks for your help. Regards Coley

Hi Bruce

I have just received 21 old emails in my junk folder????? Coley

Have you logged into your webmail to see if those e-mails show there?

Why did you end your statement question marks?

Hi Bruce The questions marks were asking "why".

I have just checked my web mail as you suggested but there was nothing in the junk mail folder, just lots in the "promotions" folder and the "updates". When I opened TB just now, there was no mail in the junk folder, maybe it will come later. Coley

When you do see old e-mail in the junk folder, immediately log into your webmail to see if shows there also.

Keep in mind that some spammers may fake the date of an e-mail.

Hi Bruce

Well no more old mail in my junk folder as of today, hopefully it has been fixed. Thank you for your help Regards Coley

Sounds almost as if it had a 'memory' and was assuming those were not deleted and pulled them from a cache.

Hello again Bruce

Switching on TB today I got 21 old emails in my junk folder again, is there any significance in 21 as I got this same number previously? They are a mixture of emails from 2011 - 2017. Gordon

It sounds irritating and mystic.

Have you compacted your folders and also the junk folder after deleting? Have you followed Bruce advice and deleted the junk-folders in your profile?

You can "clear resent history" (ctrl+shift+delete) to empty cache.

But most likely they are on your server and you need to search there. Server-providers use different way to store mail. Gmail fx uses only one big folder "ALL MAIL" and flags or marks mail to tell in what folder they should show.

coley: Again, I say that you need to check your webmail to see what is there. Monitor it to see if the old junk e-mails show up there before or after starting Thunderbird.