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How to Fix “Thunderbird Not Showing All Folders”? Solved

  author
Published By Jamie Kaler 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On January 16th, 2025
Reading Time 6 Min Read

Thunderbird not showing all folders is a common issue users can often face. This error may arise due to several reasons but all you need to have the right approach to fix it. This article shows the best approaches to fix Thunderbird local folders not showing errors while guiding you through a step-by-step procedure.

Sometimes, Thunderbird does not show all folders due to many reasons, which are given below. Most users don’t know the right way to resolve this issue. So, don’t worry; here, we will use the right approach and information to help you.

Why Thunderbird Local Folders Not Showing?

Thunderbird not downloading all folders due to multiple reasons like corrupt profile and mailbox, outdated Thunderbird profile, Incorrect Settings etc. Some of them are explained below in detail:

  • Incorrect Configuration: Wrong configuration settings, such as IMAP, Port number, or server names, can prevent that Thunderbird not showing all folders. Verify and check these settings.
  • Folder Synchronization: Sometimes Thunderbird does not show all the folders and subfolders because they are not properly synchronized with the server.
  • Damaged or Corrupt Folder: Check if you’re a damaged or corrupt folder in your Thunderbird account.
  • Server Issues: Sometimes the problem can be with your email server too. The outage server causes issues in showing Thunderbird emails and folder.
  • Outdated Version: It is important to keep any app up to date to make it work properly. If your Thunderbird is not working and showing all folders, ensure you are using the latest version of it.
  • Incorrect Settings: Thunderbird has several general settings, such as filter or display settings. Check if these settings are incorrect.
  • Folder Subscription: If you are using an IMAP account, your folder needs to be subscribed to display in Thunderbird.

How to Fix the “Thunderbird Not Showing All Folders” Issue?

Here we have explained the top manual and expert solution to resolve the “Thunderbird not showing all emails” issue. Read all the information first and then choose the best method for you according to your requirements:

#1: By Creating New Profile

  1. Simply navigate to the Thunderbird profile location –
    C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Profile Name\Mail\.
  2. Now we need to Generate a copy of the Local folders at a different location.
    Go to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\
  3. And create a new Thunderbird profile with a different name.
  4. Restart Thunderbird to check whether Thunderbird not showing all folders or not.

#2: Set Up Synchronization Settings

  1. Launch the Thunderbird email client.
  2. Right-click on the connected email address.
  3. Choose the “Subscribe” option.
  4. Check the box of all folders and click on the “OK” icon.

#3: Upgrade the Thunderbird Account

  1. Open Thunderbird email client.
  2. Tap on the “Help” menu.
  3. Select “About Thunderbird” then check for the update.
  4. If your Thunderbird account is not updated, hit the “Restart” button.

#4: Repair Damaged Folders

Damaged or corrupt files can be the major cause of Thunderbird not showing all folders. Apart from not displaying the folder, it can also show several different errors. In this case, you should immediately repair Thunderbird email folders.

  1. Navigate to the Thunderbird account and right-click on the folder you are having a problem with.
  2. Select the “Properties” option.
  3. Hit the “Repair Folder” button.
  4. Click the “OK” button to fix it.

#5: Recreate MSF File if Thunderbird Not Showing All Folders

  1. Press “Win+R” on your keyboard.
  2. Type “%APPDATA%” and click “OK”.
  3. This opens the “Roaming” folder.
  4. Find and open the “Thunderbird” folder.
  5. Look for the “Profiles” folder inside.
  6. The “Default Release” folder you see contains all your Thunderbird data.

#6: Check Thunderbird Folder Preview Settings

  1. Open Thunderbird on your computer.
  2. Click on the “View” menu at the top.
  3. Select “Folders” from the dropdown menu.
  4. Please check or uncheck the “All”, “Unified”, “Unread,” “Favourite,” and “Recent” folders as needed.

#7: Instant Solution to Fix “Thunderbird Not Showing All Folders” Error

No doubt trying different methods can be frustrating. So why not move to an instant solution to easily get rid of this issue? Download RecoveryTools Thunderbird Migrator Software and export Thunderbird in MBOX format and then import it into the Thunderbird account to make it visible.

This is the most effective approach to easily getting rid of the Thunderbird not downloading all folders error without facing any trouble. This solution comes with amazing features for backing up Thunderbird data to an external hard drive in bulk.

How to Fix “Thunderbird Not Showing All Emails”?

  • Step 1: Download and run the solution.
  • Step 2: Upload your Thunderbird profile data.
  • Step 3: Check the needed data folders.
  • Step 4: Select the saving type as needed.
  • Step 5: Enable the required filters and path.
  • Step 6: Hit the “Convert” button to resolve “Thunderbird not showing all folders”.

Manual Approaches Vs Advanced Approaches

So still confused about which method you should prefer to fix Thunderbird not showing all folders issue? Look at the following differences:

Differences Manual Advanced Techniques
Steps Need to perform several difficult steps Specialized tools that works with just a few clicks
Complexity Challenging and requires technical knowledge automated and easy to use for all level of users
Time Required Potentially time consuming and requires multiple steps Works quickly to easily fix Thunderbird not showing all emails
Risk of Data Loss If not performed correctly, you may lost data and folders Professional softwares, eliminates the data lose chances
Easy to Use Less User Friendly and requires detailed instructions Simple and user–friendly interface
Accuracy There are high chances that the manual approach may fail incase of a single mistake The ultimate tool is designed with highly advanced algorithm that eliminates 99.99% chances of human mistakes.

Call to Action

We provided you with multiple different effective approaches to Thunderbird not showing all folders including manual and expert suggestions. There is no doubt, that all the methods are verified, but as always, advanced approaches work best. So, if you want to fix Thunderbird not showing all email errors in a trouble-free manner, then you should try out the tools.

Frequently Asked Questions:
  • Q 1: Which is the best approach to fix Thunderbird not showing all folders?

    The solutions provided by RecoveryTools are the best approaches to instantly fix Thunderbird local folders not showing issues and easily make them all visible.

  • Q 2: How do I show all folders in Thunderbird?
    1. Open the Thunderbird email client.
    2. Go to the View option.
    3. Select Folders button.