Perhaps you could explain what happened in the first place in more detail?

christ1 said

Perhaps you could explain what happened in the first place in more detail?

This is how it began https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1210453?fpa=1

I have got back the inbox of 112 MB but there is only one message showing even though when i open the Inbox in profile i can see messages going back to 2014 but only parts of them and lots of code like

td align=3D"left" id=3D"optOutMessage" style=3D"border-collapse: coll= apse"> This message is for: xxxxxxxx@eircom.net. If you'd rather not rece= ive future e-mails of this sort from Amazon.com, please opt-out <a class=3D= "linkText" href=3D"https://www.amazon.com/gp/f.html?C=3D3EWUX9XMFO3LG&K=3D2= 4A2R8I3UIUJF&M=3Durn:rtn:msg:20171204113013d772b4b8bacc48c5ab5907e42e10p0na= &R=3D1XR4CNCG83NQS&T=3DC&U=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Freview%2Fnotifi= cation-opt-out%2Fref%3Dpe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_opt%3FauthToken%3DgLw= v6K%252F5gNVvTeQbGzqD0lfT99J9PdECE0hJPHIAAAAJAAAAAFolMcVyYXcAAAAA%26custome= rID%3DA24YKFPROMJD6M&H=3DBKLQLDPXQL4BBGCPVCPI7YEOD0KA&ref_=3Dpe_1098610_137= 716200_cm_rv_eml_opt" target=3D"_blank" style=3D"color: rgb(12, 104, 203); = text-decoration: none">here</a>.</td>=20

   </tr>=20

I undeleted them on the xp VM and got a dbx of 115 MB. I import them into thunderbird but the folder seems empty.

So you imported mail from an Outlook Express mail file with a questionable status into Thunderbird. And you're now trying to fix that in Thunderbird?

First make sure your 115 MB .dbx file isn't corrupted, and gives you access to all your mail.

Has thunderbird got any bak up files of them which would be on the host?

I don't really follow what you were doing and why. About backups, you'll need to manually create backups of your Thunderbird profile folder. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile

i tried right click repair. Nothing happens except the 112 MB INBOX goes back to 30.kb.

So rebuilding the index .msf file fixed your corrupted Inbox file. The 30kB worth of mail is what's still left.

Would i get it if i did a system restore to before the mail waas deleted?

No, system restore does not cover the Thunderbird profile folder.

i can see messages going back to 2014 but only parts of them and lots of code like

If you're desperate you can try to extract individual messages from the 112 MB data file using a decent text editor. Save individual messages as plain text files with a .eml file extension. You can then import those .eml files into Thunderbird using this add-on. https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

The 'code' you're seeing presumably belongs to HTML format messages.

christ1 said

I undeleted them on the xp VM and got a dbx of 115 MB. I import them into thunderbird but the folder seems empty.

So you imported mail from an Outlook Express mail file with a questionable status into Thunderbird. And you're now trying to fix that in Thunderbird?

First make sure your 115 MB .dbx file isn't corrupted, and gives you access to all your mail.

Has thunderbird got any bak up files of them which would be on the host?

I don't really follow what you were doing and why. About backups, you'll need to manually create backups of your Thunderbird profile folder. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data#w_backing-up-a-profile

i tried right click repair. Nothing happens except the 112 MB INBOX goes back to 30.kb.

So rebuilding the index .msf file fixed your corrupted Inbox file. The 30kB worth of mail is what's still left.

Would i get it if i did a system restore to before the mail waas deleted?

No, system restore does not cover the Thunderbird profile folder.

i can see messages going back to 2014 but only parts of them and lots of code like

If you're desperate you can try to extract individual messages from the 112 MB data file using a decent text editor. Save individual messages as plain text files with a .eml file extension. You can then import those .eml files into Thunderbird using this add-on. https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

The 'code' you're seeing presumably belongs to HTML format messages.

No I could not work with the dbx. So i looked in the profile on my host machine and found the thunderbird INBOX file was still there. This is the original thunderbird INBOX , not the undeleted outlook express dbx. It is actually 112MB and not 115 Mb as the outlook express one is but my messages are in it. But when i look at the properties of it in the folder pane in thunderbird it is just 30 kb with one message

Do you mean notepad as a decent text editor

Do you mean notepad as a decent text editor

Certainly not. Notepad++ should do.

My original Inbox file was not corrupted. What would corrupt it. The work on OE was on a VM

If anyone knows of anyway to fix this without using an editor on each individual message please post