Home » Blog » How to » How to Fix “Thunderbird Folders not Showing” Issue?

How to Fix “Thunderbird Folders not Showing” Issue?

Jared Young ~ Modified: October 15th, 2024 ~ How to ~ 6 Minutes Reading

Are you worried that Thunderbird doesn’t show your folders? Good news for you, this guide will help you to solve the issue of “Thunderbird not showing all folders”. Here, we will discuss the problem and will provide you with simple solutions.

Thunderbird – An Overview

Thunderbird, one of the best email clients is a free open source application with great features. The program supports many platforms such as Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

But despite this, there are several issues in the Thunderbird many users encounter. One of them is “Thunderbird local folders are not showing”. Most users may face this problem so to solve it, we have to first understand the cause of the problem. So, we will first discuss the reason for the problem and then, explain the solutions.

What are the Reasons Thunderbird not Showing Folders?

The one thing about this problem is that it affects many factors. It means that there is not one cause there are several reasons which arise from this error on your Thunderbird. So, below we point out all the causes of the “Thunderbird not showing all folders” problem.

  • The reason why the folder is not visible may be using the outdated Thunderbird. Therefore, it is advisable to update your software regularly.
  • It can also happen because your Thunderbird profiles are corrupted. This happens due to unexpected shutdowns, software glitches, or conflicts with your applications.
  • Thunderbird uses IMAP server to synchronize their folders or other data. So, if there are synchronization issues like slow or disturbance in internet connection. Some folders will not show in the application.
  • Thunderbird has an option to subscribe to a specific folder. If you have applied for it, those folders who have not subscribed you will not be able to see them.
  • To organize your emails, Thunderbird has filters which can use it. But, with this filters make your folders hidden.

So, there are many reasons why this Thunderbird issue occurs. In addition, there are many solutions that can solve the problem, which we will explain below.

How to Resolve “Thunderbird does not Show All Folders”?

As there are different reasons for the problem of “Thunderbird not showing”. Similarly, the solutions are several with different cases, For example.

  • Thunderbird folder synchronization
  • Update Thunderbird program
  • Review Thunderbird folder subscription
  • Create a new Thunderbird profile

In these methods some will work or some don’t, it depends on how serious the problem is. Therefore, be careful while following the solutions.

Thunderbird Folder Synchronization

If your Thunderbird folder is not shown because of the synchronization, then, you are able to fix it by manually syncing them.

  • Open Thunderbird on your device.
  • On the left-hand panel, locate your email account and right-click it.
  • Select the “Subscribe” option. Choose all the folders you want to sync and press “OK”.

By following the above steps, your issue of “Thunderbird not showing all folders” will be solved. If this doesn’t work then, use the next option.

Update Thunderbird Program

Outdated Thunderbird applications cause a lot of trouble, such as Thunderbird is running slow, does not show folders, etc. Therefore, update your software as soon as possible. If you don’t know how to do it? Then, follow the steps below.

  • Open Thunderbird, and go to the “Help” menu option.
  • Click on the “About Thunderbird” to check for any updates.
  • If there is any update click the “Restart” option to install it.

A lot of issues can be solved from this method, but if you’re not then, review your folder subscription.

Review Thunderbird Folder Subscription

In this solution, we check the subscription status and find out which folder is subscribed which one is not. Then, visible folders that are hidden.

  • In the Thunderbird, go to your email account.
  • Right-click on the account name and select the “Settings” option.
  • Click on the “Server Settings”, then, the “Advanced” button.
  • Uncheck the option that shows only Subscribed folders.
  • Select the “Server support folders” that contain subfolders and messages.
  • After that, click on “OK” and close the Thunderbird. After waiting for some time, restart the Thunderbird and check the folders.

This can help you solve the issue of “Thunderbird not showing all folders” easily. But, if your problem still exists then, the problem should be in the Thunderbird profile.

Create a New Thunderbird Profile

If the problem still exists after following the above methods, creating a new Thunderbird profile can solve it. Before creating a new one, create a backup of the old profile so there will be no issue.

  • First, follow the Thunderbird profile path: C:/Users/UserName/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/ProfileName/Mail/.
  • Create a backup of your local folders and save them to a secured location.
  • Again navigate to this path: C:/Users/Username/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/.
  • Create a new Thunderbird profile with a different name.
  • Restart the Thunderbird and check all the folders if they are visible or not.

These steps can solve the problem of “Thunderbird not showing all folders”. However, if this also does not work then, this is a serious issue. to access your data, you can do one thing, which is to move your Thunderbird emails to another email account. This is a great way to get your data while you have this problem.

How can you Move Thunderbird Folder to Another Email Account?

If you have another email account other than Thunderbird, you can transfer your Thunderbird folders to that account. For this, Corbett Thunderbird Migrator will help you. The tool allows you to move your Thunderbird emails and other data to another account or in different document files. In this way, you can access your data even though you have a “Thunderbird not showing all folders” problem. Below are the steps to transfer your Thunderbird folders.

Download Now Purchase Now

Guide to Move Thunderbird Folders to Another Account

  • Download Corbett Thunderbird Backup Tool. Click “Open” >> “Email Accounts” >> “Add Account” button.
    open>>email accounts >> add account
  • Enter your Thunderbird account details. Press the “Add” button.
    enter thunderbird email account and click add
  • From this, all your folders will be in front of you. Preview the folder data.
    Preview emails
  • Click on the “Export” option and then choose any option.
    click export and any option
  • Browse the location and click on the “Save” option.
    save your Thunderbird folders

From these steps you can successfully move your Thunderbird folders to another place to save or view the data. So, these are the solutions that will help you resolve “Thunderbird folders not showing” issues.

Concluding Words

The “Thunderbird not showing all folders” error can happen to anyone. Therefore, this article helped you solve the problem by providing various solutions. Users can use these methods to solve their problems. If this way doesn’t work then, the last option is to use another email account to see your Thunderbird folders.