Mozilla Thunderbird problems

stephanie95798

12 1 2010
Hello
2 days ago booted and launched TB3, as usual, but found it trying to d/l ALL my read messages from yahoo.

I closed it down to stop the process then relaunched to find hundreds of previously d/loaded and read mails were now in my Inbox.

I also got the alert " [FONT=&quot]The RETR command did not succeed. Error retrieving a message. Mail server pop.mail.yahoo.co.uk responded: problem retrieving message" which might indicate my closing the mass downloading, during process, has now jammed my system.

Since then have tried, in vain, to get any help/support from the official Mozilla forum/site but am still getting the same alert so TB3 no longer functioning. It also shows on bottom bar "downloading 1 of 797 messages" though it never gets any further and this also alarms as means it is trying to d/l every previous read mail yet again!

I recall this happening once before, years ago, but cannot recall whether it corrected itself or I did something to solve it.

For now am stuck and would appreciate any help fellow users of the system might offer.

Below is the specs Mozilla advise be given when posting a problem, though hasn't stopped it being ignored on two of their forums for over 2 days.

[/FONT] 1 mail service provider - yahoo
2. email protocol - POP
3. server settings - pop.mail.yahoo.co.uk, port number - 995, "Secure Connection" - SSL/TLS
Outgoing Server - smtp.mail.yahoo.co.uk, port 25, secure authentication - no
4. operating system – W2000 , TB version latest [3.5? cannot see where this is shown but update attempt state fully updated so presume am on latest]
5. add-ons - UK dictionary?
6. what you did – 10 1 2010 launched TB as usual only found it started d/loading hundreds of messages………all duplicates going back as far as 2006. I closed TB and on relaunch it showed 874 now in Inbox from an earlier alerted 1276!! Cannot get any mail as message “The RETR command did not succeed. Error retrieving a message. Mail server pop.mail.yahoo.co.uk responded: problem retrieving message” keeps popping up. Have checked at yahoo mail site and no incoming mails nor any other apparent changes.


THANK YOU

Lil306

Hi Stephanie, I can't recall which files Thunderbird creates for it's "marked" files, but I believe it uses the *.MSF (mail summary file) which is the same one it uses for the folders. Usually deleting these will force it to recreate it but I've never had to reprocess marked headers in Thunderbird so without looking further into it I can't tell you what files the *.MSF actually covers, at my best guess it would be this file. Usually when they get corrupted Thunderbird goes a bit funny.

They're located in the Thunderbird data directory...
c:\docs+settings\app data\mozilla\thunderbird\profiles\xxx.default\mail or something similar to above.

The mail summary file end in *.MSF, if you go down this route, you close Thunderbird, you would find the mail summary file for yahoo, if you only have one account it would most likely be Inbox.MSF.

Please note, the way Thunderbird stores emails it creates a "file" which is actually your mailbox, so don't delete a file that is just called Inbox unless you check it's properties and it says .MSF. Thats' my best guess and I can't guarantee it would work

An alternate solution, have you tried setting up a new account in Thunderbird. Thunderbird would treat it as a new account so it would try and download all messages again unfortunately, but it would fix your issue.

stephanie95798

Thanks for reply. Am not very learned re technical aspects of files etc but have copied your advice and will see if can help sort the problem out.

Lil306

No problems, if you need help you can always post further.

As I said, I don't know if the *.MSF files actually store the marked headers to say which emails have been read or not, but they're the only files I know of that Thunderbird uses to store information.

The problem is when you delete it Thunderbird will recreate it, but it may redownload all the headers again, so you'd get your emails but most likely have to tell it which ones are read and which ones aren't. If your lucky, it will read the Inbox and that will help identify which ones are already read, I can't offer any guarantee

JasX

I hear Thunderbird profiles do corrupt from time to time, could quite easily cause this and worse (loss of downloaded emails) so are worth backing up regularly...

stephanie95798

Thanks for replying again.Rather confused. Have found list that shows MSF files for every 'box' whether SENT/IN/DRAFTS etc, many showing 6 figures of kb memory.

Found a reply posted to problem on one of 2 Mozilla forum suggesting I empty Inbox, then compact. Did this but compacting attempt just stated DONE COMPACTING and when I tried to GET MAIL got the same old reply

"The RETR command did not succeed. Error retrieving a message. Mail server pop.mail.yahoo.co.uk responded: problem retrieving message."


I have no problem with determining which of the previously read mails was which as they are in bold until you open them so just sorted by Recent Sent and the whole block could then be deleted. That was easy enough.


The problem remains.....some TB3 mess up caused the mass d/l and perhaps my halting this process 'jammed' the system and that is why there is still alerts re "problem retrieving message".


Do you know if I try to form a NEW TB account, from the same yahoo account, won't I lose all my Sent messages and previously stored IN mails, as yahoo seems to have deleted any older than 2006. I don't want to risk losing that data, unless there is an easy way to copy/save them before attempting to make a NEW TB account.


Be helpful if Mozilla would just give some proper advice. Their Help section just leads to a forum filled with problems and no apparent solutions!


Thanks again

Lil306

Hi Stephanie,

Here's a bit more for you. Regarding above statement, Thunderbird profiles do corrupt quite often, it's worse on IMAP if you get a message which says "file does not exist" then you'll be annoyed, it's a pain

Anyway, for Yahoo. Are the emails from 2006 missing from when you logon through the internet (as opposed to Thunderbird). If they are, don't delete any of the locally stored files because this is where they are kept (*.MSF are safe to delete) they are just cached temporary files

You would be able to tell the difference by looking at the File Sizes, as the Inbox, Sent etc would be huge in size. Deleting *.MSF just forces them to be recreated when you launch Thunderbird. It's always safe to backup everything before you start.

Your mail settings may be setup to delete emails from Yahoo when downloaded, but Thunderbird itself is only a browser, all it does is connect up to the server and displays your information from the server by default.

Anyway, rather than deleting your existing Thunderbird account, I'd suggest creating a new one by going Tools > Email Accounts, add new account. Then setting up again *give it a unique name* and then click on the account and let it download everything.

If it downloads everything and you're missing older emails from 2006 to transfer the files you can drag-drop them into Thunderbird.

I'd be temped to setup a new account first however to see what it downloads. That way you're leaving the original account untouched. With regards to Mozilla forums, I can't comment. In IT it's sometimes a case of think on your feet and research, I'd expect them to be experts in that so sometimes the answers are hidden. You have to dig for them through Google

JasX

I'd shut down TB and then grab all your profile files (the ones you found earlier) and move them somewhere else to a backup folder.

-effectively deleting them but if you just move them away you can put them back if needs be.

reopen TB and redownload all your emails, will mean you need to do the lot again but should clear out any problems/corruptions on your profile by forcing it to recreate it.

stephanie95798

Thanks again again.Think I understand better now; so I can open a NEW TB account but not risk anything happening to the old one?

I made no noticeable changes to yahoo account, opened 2001, but for some reason it just seemed to 'lose' any received mails before 2006. Didn't start with TB til late 04 and all IN/OUT mails are stored since then in TB folders.

What is noticeable is that when using own PC my SENT mails, via TB don't get recorded as SENT in yahoo a/c. Only when accessing that yahoo a/c directly, when not using my own PC, are my SENT mails recorded in yahoo folder and not in TB folders. So I have partial records of IN/OUT in TB and yahoo also....that make sense?

Any idea how you back up TB folders to be put on my external h/drive? Is there a copy paste option somewhere for the whole lot?

I try to search the web for help and that is how I tried to solve my original problem on 10 1 10. But it truly led me to many Mozilla postings that just seemed to post the same problem, throughout very long threads with no discernible solutions. And they do seem to group the same problems together and yet refer to these groups as containing solutions!?

I can spot advanced [to me] technical speak that can baffle but often I see the problems being posed and no reply made to them at all.........

Thanks and will try to open a new TB a/c.

stephanie95798

Seems postings are crossing here so thanks JasX for advice re backing up.

debitcardmayhem

Stephanie, also look at your TB settings for retention policies they are in two places -
Tools/Account Settings - Disc Space and also on the Inbox (right click properties then go to Retention Policy tab).
BTW TB sends mail directly via the smtp.yahoo,,,,, so therefore sent mail will never appear on the online mail sent box (I copy ones I need online to myself)