How to Fix Thunderbird Not Showing All Folders?

  author
Rollins Duke   
Published: July 15th, 2024 • 6 Min Read

If your Thunderbird not showing all folders and you are looking for a solution to fix this issue. Then this article is specially written for you that explains various expert-recommended methods and tips to resolve Thunderbird not showing local folders problem. Let’s continue to read it and get your queries done.

Sometimes restore Thunderbird profiles from backup but don’t show all folders. Even sometimes users stop seeing some folders under the configured Thunderbird profile. There are several reasons behind Thunderbird not showing folders and subfolders like corruption in configured profiles, Thunderbird crashing, and many more.

Why Can’t See Folders in Thunderbird?

Synchronization Settings:

Sometimes users use the wrong synchronization settings or change them by mistake hence Thunderbird not showing all folders.

Folder View Settings:

Sometimes users may implement the wrong folder preview settings in Thunderbird, choosing the View << Folders option.

Thunderbird Profile Issues:

If your Thunderbird profile got corrupted for various reasons, then you can’t see folders in Thunderbird.

Wrong Configuration Settings:

If you use the wrong IMAP and POP3 settings while adding your account to the Thunderbird email client.

Corrupted Folder Index:

Sometimes specific Thunderbird folders may be damaged due to virus attacks, power failures, and human mistakes.

Security Software Interference:

Antivirus or firewall might be blocking folder synchronization between the configured email address and the Thunderbird client.

Add-ons and Extensions:

If you use add-ons and extensions with your Thunderbird for specific requirements, they can interfere with folder preview.

Read Next: Thunderbird Not Downloading New Messages Fixed

Basic Advice for Fixing Thunderbird Not Showing All Folders

Many times, users make the wrong settings in Thunderbird, and after that, Thunderbird stops displaying all folders, local folders, and specific folders. Here know what basic settings you can check and change to fix Thunderbird not showing local folders issues. Let’s look at them.

#1 Thunderbird Folder Synchronization

  1. Start the Thunderbird client on your machine.
  2. Right-click on the configured account and choose Subscribe.
  3. Ensure all folders should be checked and tap the OK button.

#2 Thunderbird Folder Preview Settings

  1. Run Thunderbird client on your computer.
  2. Choose the View option from menu, then select Folders from dropdown.
  3. Check or uncheck All, Unified, Unread, Favorite, and Recent folders accordingly.

#3 Repair Corrupted Folder

  1. Start Thunderbird and right-click on a problematic folder.
  2. After that, choose Properties for opening folder properties.
  3. Next, press the Repair Folder button to repair Thunderbird profile folder.
  4. Lastly, tap the OK button to fix corruption in the Thunderbird folder.

#4 Check Additional Settings

  • Temporarily disable your security software (antivirus or firewall) to see if Thunderbird folders appear. If they do, adjust the security software settings to allow Thunderbird.
  • You need to check your configured Thunderbird account settings and fix them. Go to Tools >> Account Settings >> Server Settings. After that edit settings.
  • You can also disable external add-ons and extensions from Thunderbird by choosing Tools >> Add-ons. After that, re-enable add-ons one by one to identify the problematic ones.
  • If you are using the old Thunderbird edition, then you need to update it immediately. You can check whether Thunderbird is up to date or not by choosing Help >> About Thunderbird.

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Manual Methods to Fix Thunderbird Doesn’t Show All Folders

Several manual techniques are available to resolve Thunderbird does not show all IMAP folders problems. You can try them if you are unable to see folders in Thunderbird profile.

#1 Recreate Thunderbird MSF Files

  1. Open the default Thunderbird profile storage location. C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Profile Name\.
  2. After that, open the Mail folder, and see both local folders and account folders.
  3. Open Local Folders and Account Folders and delete all MSF files.
  4. Restart the Thunderbird client and then it will start re-creating MSF files.
  5. Check whether Thunderbird is displaying all folders or not.

#2 Fix Thunderbird Not Showing Local Folders

  1. Go to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Profile Name\Mail\.
  2. Create a copy of Local Folders at different location.
  3. Now create a new profile in Thunderbird with a different name xyz.default name by opening Go to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\.
  4. Replace the new profile’s Local Folders with the old ones.
  5. Start the Thunderbird client and check it is showing local folders emails.

Read Similar: Thunderbird Not Opening PDF Attachments Solved

Pro Methods to Fix Thunderbird Doesn’t Show All Folders

Multiple professional solutions are available developed by BitRecover, you can choose any preferred software to fix Thunderbird not showing all folders issues. These applications allow you to export MBOX from Thunderbird, after that you can manually import MBOX files to Thunderbird. We have 2 best utilities available to resolve this problem.

Thunderbird Converter Wizard

This software permits to export of Thunderbird data in multiple formats, you can choose MBOX as a saving option. After completing the conversion process, again configure your email account with Thunderbird. Lastly, you can restore emails from exported mailboxes.

Fix Thunderbird not showing all folders

Thunderbird Backup Wizard

This software is well suitable for creating backups in desired file extensions, this software has advanced scanning mode, so it is compatible with corrupted and healthy Thunderbird profiles. Just download this software free and fix Thunderbird not showing subfolders and local folders.

Can't see folders in Thunderbird

Questions and Answers

Q1: How do I show all folders in Thunderbird?

  1. Launch Thunderbird desktop client.
  2. Choose View and then select Folders.
  3. Check desired folders for previewing.

Q2: Where are Thunderbird folders stored?

  1. Run Thunderbird client and choose Tools.
  2. Then, select the Account Settings option from the drop-down.
  3. From the left columns choose the Server Settings option.
  4. Tap the Browse button under the Local directory.
  5. Thunderbird profile folder storage location will be open.
  6. Here you can see all folder names under Mail >> Profiles.

Q3: How do I repair a folder if Thunderbird not showing all emails in a particular folder?

First, start your Thunderbird and choose that specific folder. After that, right-click on the folder and choose Properties. Lastly, click the Repair Folder button and fix it immediately.

Conclusion

We have discussed complete and detailed instructions to fix Thunderbird not showing all folder issues. Hence, if you can’t see folders in Thunderbird then you can try these basic, manual, and professional approaches to resolve your problems effortlessly.