Hello there Watwinc. We have read your message. We are trying to help you.

Thunderbird's local folders are generally self-dangerous folders for everyone to use e-mail storage. The add-ons are also that way. Some programs or operating systems may accidentally delete it.

Even if you have been using this way for years.

you write client directories to local directories. is this that you also handle this in a different way?

Your local directory for your email account would read. Tools -> Account Settings -> Account Name -> Server Settings -> Local Folder, by the browse button at the bottom of that window.

such errors as you describe could escalate into this form if you were to use certain characters to look up those emails with your system in this Thunderbird software.

in this case, the strange characters would be. ('*', '\', '/', ':', '?', '>', '<', )

Starting to look for these emails as they disappear as described can only make things worse.

your repair folder option is empty or pulled out as you describe?

I use local folders to store client messages, yes. What’s the alternative? I’m not using any symbols to name local folders. The specific local folder has the two files in the .sbd folder, one without an extension and one with an .msf extension. I tried exiting Thunderbird and deleting the .msf file, relaunching. This was supposed to reindex the message folder, but it produced two messages from a different year, so I restored the .msf file, and I’m back where I was. The "Location” field is blank. The “Repair Folder” is grayed out.

Hello there watwinc.

the blank button you designate will act as a no option button at the moment.

do you have these files that you are also trying to access on the mbox as well?

Greetings Firefox volunteer.

I understand that a grayed out button is not operational.

Hello there watwinc

try restarting from the help menu > troubleshooting mode and reset toolbars when it is offered.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-mode-thunderbird

Then give me a message after trying.

Greetings Firefox volunteer.

No difference – still no sign of message content.

Hello there watwinc.

recommended as several people working in the office will use subfolders in conjunction with their profile folder. Or next to their profile folder they place the subfolders if they can place themselves there. these can be found on your PC or computer that you are using. From there is can be used to go to a mobile hdd /ssd station?

Greetings Firefox volunteer.

Hello there watwinc.

Oké the buttons? Trouble shoot modus can repair minor damage.

Greetings Firefox volunteer

I don’t understand what you’re suggesting, I don’t know what “using subfolders in conjunction with their profile folder” means. (A profile folder as I understand it is a user profile in Apps – Roaming.) Can you give me a concrete example, please? My local files are saved on an external SSD.

Troubleshoot mode didn’t help, sadly.

Hello there watwinc.

A suggestion : The profile folder in thunderbird.

The profile folder on the c drive from your pc.

The messages from thunderbird inbox. Send them normal to the file maps on your thunderbird account. Possible next location is to store them in a submap on your c drive. There is no secure option that the emails from your clients will be save in the local map.

Greetings firefox volunteer.

You hereby agree that when an OS system requests certain things, it will search over the specified characters for your command.(a system search into your files) if you keep important e-mails in your local folder there in Thunderbird software. It will search first over the special characters ,because the emails do not belong in the local map area it can bounce with the characters in you’re hidden emails. It can erase them by accident.

Other larger programs or Os software can then crash or crash your emails.

just found that out and certain characters stay as you point out. That is what left there in your local map. My files msf.files with no content.

emails get lost. If you try to save them, you again lose more of your created structure in that local folder.

profile folders are for app data. local none. Strange things happen to msf.files when they are saved there.

Hello there watwinc.

the jammed buttons:

Typical symptoms of freezing your computer system. Including the Thunderbird software installation.

A virus or bug can be the issue of having enormous disfunction of the software that is used on the os system on your computer. The Cause can be outdated version s of software that is running on it s pc system. Some antivirus programs could be preventing some emails.( But there can be corruption in Msf-files when they are abused the wrong way. Herby it was used in a dangerous way for the clients.

Try to read the form within this message. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rebuilding-global-database

Saving all your files on the external storage. I a good thing.

Greetings Firefox volunteer.

Thank you for the suggested link – it didn’t work.

open your Clients folder (assuming it shows a standard looking set of message headings. If not go up another level until they do look right, click the square widget above the updown slider on the message list (same line as the column headings)

From the displayed menu select "apply to folder and its children" and then select the troubled folders parent.

Hello there watwinc.

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-us/thunderbird/addon/localfolder/?src=cb-dl-mostpopular

try an folder add-on from our Thunderbird collection. It's not that fast of course. But safe and effective.

Greetings Firefox volunteer.

watwinc,

If you are still having difficulty, please post an update. It is possible that version 115 might help you.