How to rebuild missing trash bin (and possible other system) folder(s) in Mozilla Thunderbird

Question

Frequent related problems :

• I can't delete any message in Mozilla Thunderbird

• The trash bin in Thunderbird is gone missing, causing the impossibility to delete any message

Answer 1

Here are some solutions to solve missing system folders problems, especially the trash bin (that you can't recreate directly from Thunderbird), leading to a total impossibility to delete any message (this is usually how you'll notice).

I'm posting here because this specific situation is usually eluded in answers in the case of local folders, please check the different cases below.

First, the reason :

Apart from possible migration problems, most of the time, checking your antivirus quarantine should show some recently eliminated threats. In general, Thunderbird will send them to the "Spam" folder, which you'll usually empty right away is nothing important is there, so the harmful mail will end up in the trash bin.

However, though the antivirus can't do anything while Thunderbird is open, it will try and eliminate them as soon as you close it.

The problem is, those folders aren't actual folders, but plain files, meaning the antivirus can't perform a selective cleanup : it will completely delete the file itself.

This exposed, and apart from restoring the quarantine (probably only advised in case a really important folder has been deleted), here is how to rebuild your missing trash bin.

First of all, you'll have to open the folder where Thunderbird stores your whole email account(s) data.

To keep the topic short, please read there : Where are configured the folders icons in Thunderbird?

Now please close Thunderbird, as you can't touch anything while it's running.

Now check the folder contents.

You'll see a collection of folders matching your various email(s) account(s) name(s), plus a "Local Folders" one.

Now let's explain a bit.

0) If some of your email accounts are IMAP, then your boxes are actuall held on your provider's server and the folder you can see in Thunderbird are only mirror links. There are solutions to rebuild them, usually from a right click menu, that will synchronize them back. This topic isn't about this case.

1) If some of your email accounts are POP3, then you're actually retrieving a copy of the emails stored on your provider's server and you're storing them on your own PC (or local domain server).

Then again, there may be two different cases.

2.1) A local trash bin may be located inside each (or some of) account(s) folder(s). It's more often the case when you create accounts from scratch.

OR

2.2) You're sharing a common trash bin located inside the "Local Folders" folder (though once it has disappeared, you might not remember exactly ^^ LOL). This is usually the case when you have migrated from MS Outlook or almost always, from Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail.

OK, so here are the solutions for both cases.

Actually, you should find a lot of solutions on the web regading the first case, but none regarding the second one. Therey're actually similar, here is how :

2.1) If you have separate trash bins inside each email account folder, then open the matching folder. Now follow the "SOLUTION" procedure below.

2.2) if you have (had !) a common trash bin inside your "Local Folders" folder, then open "Local Folders", of course. :)

Now here are the steps you can try :

SOLUTION :

S2.1) If "Trash" and "Trash.msf" files are present, then try to delete the "Trash.msf" file, then start Thunderbid. It should repair the indexes and your trash bin.

S2.2.1) If none are present, then :

OR

S2.2.2) If it still doesn't work, then first delete both these files, then :

S2.2.3.1) Either Copy both of them from another intact folder,

OR

S2.2.3.2) Just create new blank ones :

• First, ensure you're not hiding files extensions in your browser options. You have to know what you're manipulating, AND you have to be able to create files with their exact names without Windows appending them with hidden ".txt", that would prevent them from working"

• Create a pair of empty text files. Just create them, don't type anything inside, then change their names : one will be named "Trash" and the second one will be named "Trash.msf". Their sizes must remain "0".

Now restart Thunderbird. Job done.

IMPORTANT NOTE : the fact you can't see any "Trash" nor "Trash.msf" in these various folders NEVER means it's normal. Actually, it means this is the very reason for your problem. Yes, all the folders, including "Local Folders", should absolutely always feature these files as well, whether you're using the common trash bin or not.

This is precisely the part of the solution that's usually eluded, and why I wanted to post here so everybody can find suitable help for every case.