bilsch01 wrote:
This Thunderbird problem started happening today. When I single click an
old email in my 'Sent' folder the email gets deleted. No warning about
it. Either way it shouldn't happen. Does anyone here know how to fix this? TIA. Bill S.
Just some general information, which, because the
program gets modified, may change from time to time.
I like Jonathans idea, as the source of your misery.
Editing these files is not for the squeamish. Backups
are essential during learning experiences (back up the
two Profile folders).
Newsgroup folders consist of:
alt.os.linux.ubuntu.msf <=== a large file, in MORK format
alt.os.linux.ubuntu.mdat <=== a small text file, stores filters for killfiling people
When the MORK is corrupted in that case, the file
tends to be thrown away and generation of the file
starts from scratch.
Keeping backup copies of the .msf file, is then
necessary to toss a working copy into the news server
folder in question, and "revive" group storage (return
the header pattern that used to show, not one fetched
from scratch).
The .mdat file hardly ever needs work, compared to the
.msf which is a "highly unreliable" file format. Once it
hits about 100MB, it tips over in a light breeze.
*******
The Sent folder on the other hand, is a "mail" item
Sent <=== a text file, with some status lines at the top
From - Wed Nov 26 06:13:35 2008
X-Mozilla-Status: 0015
X-Mozilla-Status2: 00800000
X-Mozilla-Keys:
0000 Unread
0001 Read (perhaps a good value)
0008 \___ Could be deleted values
0009 /
0015 Not sure
To start with, the changes made to your messages, the ones
you clicked, those should be checked for 0008 or 0009 sort
of thing. Skim through the file and see how many are
"X-Mozilla-Status: 0008" for example.
Sent.msf <=== MORK file format. In this case, a "derived index" of sorts.
After you've edited SENT with a text editor, you could
look for the Index Rebuild or the Repair button. This might
regenerate Sent.msf. If this screws things up, restore
Sent and Sent.msf from your profile folder backups.
The interface will be similar to this.
https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/N6Er8GzNV_n6RJ2cMUYxg2222s8=/1366x0/filters:no_upscale%28%29:max_bytes%28150000%29:strip_icc%28%29/002_repair-folders-thunderbird-1173102-e17db3f583c241bcb05d9fb5613377db.jpg
The folder properties of "Sent" also include options
for auto-deletion. Click Sent and do Properties, and the
Retention Policy can lead to grief. The Retention Policy
should be to keep everything, not randomly delete stuff.
Items are not really "deleted" until a "Compact" run happens.
Thunderbird is always in a rush in the modern versions,
to "Compact" the hell out of things. Any messages lost
to deletion could be permanently removed after a
"Compact", in which case repair with a text editor
isn't possible. You need to
Exit Thunderbird first. Don't edit Sent while it is running.
Edit Sent, change the status of the X-Mozilla-Status flags on affected messages
Start Thunderbird.
Rebuild Index using the saved/corrected copy of Sent
Do this before Sent is Compacted.
The .msf MORK file keeps track of items to be deleted, by placing
a "-" sign next to the items needing to be removed. The Compact
runs through the file, sees the "-" items and then removes
them. Because it's a database, there are things associated with
one another in there, and some of those get tidied by a single
minus sign somewhere else, too. Editing the .msf by hand is
possible (I wrote a program to mess about for example), but
there is a lot to .msf and in fact my program is far from
technically correct. Regenerating the .msf in this case,
after the mailbox file is corrected and the delete flags 0008
or 0009 are removed, should in principle give a MORK file
with not quite so many minuses in it.
Summary: You can fix it, maybe. If you can find sufficient
collaborative tech info. Don't Compact SENT until
this is fixed!
Just a guess,
Paul
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