Are you trying to delete folders or recover the contents of the folders? Which version of TB are you running? Which Operating System are you running?

Both. I want to delete 4 and recover contents of one folder that disappeared. Thunderbird version 128.4 tesr (64-bit) Windows 11 Pro version 23H2 I tried the folder repair several times and even though I could change the color of the icon in the repair window it wouldn't change the color in the folder icon. Thanks for your help.

I'm still trying to get my head round the complexity of the problem and how to go about it. Would you send a screenshot of an open file structure for your accounts (the left hand panel in the Classic View) but make sure any identifying email addresses are blackened out. It will be difficult to '...recover contents of one folder that disappeared.' If the folder is gone then the data is unlikely to be there. Thanks

Finding the lost folder isn't high priority. I recreated the contents. It's just a concern. The undeletable folders and purple folder icons are more of a concern and irritation. I have to figure out how to send you a screen shot. Not my everyday thing. Thanks for your help.

Screen shot attached per request.

This file structure looks horribly muddled. Afaik, there shouldn't be a system Drafts folder in the Inbox. Did you make this Drafts folder? The Inbox should be under an account and the Drafts folder should be under Local Folders. The Trash shouldn't be in the Inbox, either. It does appear like you've been dragging folders from one location into others and I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to what that would mean for functionality. And where is this Inbox situated under? An account? Not enough is visible.

On 1/17 you asked me to send you a screen shot without email addresses, so I made the screen shot for the main account that's problem less email addresses. When Thunderbird was installed on this computer back around June, it placed all of the folders in each email account under the respective inbox. I'm not accustomed to that, wish it wasn't so, and it doesn't want to let me change that.

Just a suggestion from the sideline: maybe go to the online account and delete all this there. I agree with @frisee - this looks unusual.

On 1/17 you asked me to send you a screen shot without email addresses, so I made the screen shot for the main account that's problem less email addresses. When Thunderbird was installed on this computer back around June, it placed all of the folders in each email account under the respective inbox. I'm not accustomed to that, wish it wasn't so, and it doesn't want to let me change that.

I asked you to blacken out the email addresses - not remove them. Unfortunately, I can't see where the folders sit in relation to the accounts you have.

The partial structure you've sent look like what I usually encounter when I have to have a Quicklink with the elderly lady I look after. She accidentally click-drags folders all over the place and I have to spend five minutes getting them back into the right place.

I don't know what effect this folder structure would have on functionality but, somehow, it needs to be put back to 'normal'

Each email account should have Inbox, Junk and Trash under them - plus any folders you've made. The Local Folders should have Drafts, Sent, Junk, Trash, Outbox - plus any self-made folders. This is how it is with a POP3 account. None of these folders should be inside one another.

Thanks for the suggestion, David. I went to the server and found those folders there also but couldn't delete them, so maybe it's a server issue. I'll pursue that with those folks.

...and I thought I was the only one who accidentally dragged folders around and then had to go search for them. Like I said, I'm not the sharpest tack in the box.

I assume you saw David's suggestion. I logged into the server and saw those purple icon draft folders but I couldn't figure out how to get rid of them. I'm going to contact those folks. They're local.

I'll redo the screen shot. I had to have a local tech do that for me, so it will be later this week.

Thanks for putting up with me.

The tutorial on how to make a screenshot is here - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-create-screenshot-my-problem