Verizon Migration and Unified Folders

[BobbiH]

I have spent days trying to get Thunderbird back to where it was before the forced migration of Verizon Email to AOL. Unlike some other users' concerns, access is not a problem. I have set up the Verizon/AOL Account in Thunderbird and it is functional; It receives and sends email just fine. My problem is that I want a Unified Inbox (which I previously had) where messages from both of my email accounts were accessible in one place. That no longer works. No matter *what* I do, the new Verizon/AOL account sets up as a standalone. I have not found any way to make it subordinate under the "special (umbrella) account" which has always served as the overall account for my email from all providers.

I have toggled the "View/Folders" setting between "All" and "Unified" to no avail. I have entered and re-entered the new account information numerous times. Whenever I enter it again, the account is always accessible, but when I open Account Settings instead of having the "special (umbrella) account" at the top, with the various email accounts listed underneath it, I have the Verizon/AOL account listed first and then the special/unified account; I have not been able to figure out a way to have the Unified Account listed first and the Verizon/AOL account plus my other account underneath it, and I now have to check two separate inboxes. I am afraid to just uninstall the whole thing and start over, for fear I will lose all my existing folders under the Unified account which have so much valuable information in them going back years.

I have not found any forum discussions which addressed this issue (if there are any please let me know where I can find them), and research on the web in general on working with Unified Folders all seems to be from 2009-2012 and therefore so outdated it wouldn't be of any help. If I have explained this problem so that it is clear (not sure of that) I would so much appreciate ANYONE's help in getting me back to where I used to be, where email from both of my accounts was immediately accessible as soon as I opened Thunderbird, and I could begin reading and responding to all of my email regardless of which account it originated from.

[DanRaisch]

How is the account set up in Thunderbird, as POP or IMAP? Find out using menu path Tools->Account Settings->Server Settings->Server Type at the top right of the dialogue.

[tanstaafl]

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Files_and_fol ... hunderbird

Try deleting the virtualfolders.dat file in the profile. That is used by saved search and sometimes gets corrupt. When you restart Thunderbird it will create replacement. Unified folders is a combination of saved search and a custom view, so hopefully deleting that file will fix the problem. If you had explicitly created any saved search folders (not the one used by unified folders) you will have to re-create them.

If that doesn't help see the "Mail or Message Pane toolbar doesn't seem to work correctly" section on deleting the Xulstore.json file in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Toolbar_or_wi ... ot_working

[BobbiH]

How is the account set up in Thunderbird, as POP or IMAP? Find out using menu path Tools->Account Settings->Server Settings->Server Type at the top right of the dialogue.

Hi Dan:

Thanks for the response. I don't need to find out; I can tell you right now. The second account remains POP as originally set up; the Verizon-to-AOL account was originally POP as well, but it was re-entered as IMAP per the Migration instructions.

[BobbiH]

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Files_and_fol ... hunderbird

Try deleting the virtualfolders.dat file in the profile. That is used by saved search and sometimes gets corrupt. When you restart Thunderbird it will create replacement. Unified folders is a combination of saved search and a custom view, so hopefully deleting that file will fix the problem. If you had explicitly created any saved search folders (not the one used by unified folders) you will have to re-create them.

If that doesn't help see the "Mail or Message Pane toolbar doesn't seem to work correctly" section on deleting the Xulstore.json file in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Toolbar_or_wi ... ot_working

Hi tanstaafl:

Thanks for the response. Deleting virtualfolders.dat and then re-opening Thunderbird actually made things worse; the Verizon/AOL account is still a standalone at the top followed by a display of my former Unified Folder list where the second account name does not display at all, even though the View/Folders Setting is "All" rather than "Unified" and mail from the second account is included in the Inbox. When viewed via Account Settings the two separate accounts are shown as well as my previous Unified Folder label ["Bobbi's Mail"] although it now shows at the bottom of the list rather than at the top as before.

When I change the View/Folders setting from "All" to "Unified" things get crazy...a folder with a green down arrow and identified as "Unified Folders - Inbox" when I hover my mouse over it is at the top, followed by a folder with my new account and a second folder with my previous Unified label (Bobbi's Mail), both of which have green down arrows also. This is then followed by a second instance of the new account with an icon showing an envelope with a lock on it, and a second instance of Bobbi's Mail with a computer screen icon and all of my customized folders following. For some reason the system is simply unwilling to subordinate the new account under Bobbi's Mail which is what I am trying to achieve. For that matter it also will not separate the accounts out but continues to maintain my old Unified Folders setup under Bobbi's Mail even when Unified Folders is not selected under "View".

I read through the article you pointed me to, but the only two bulleted scenarios having to do with the Folder, rather than the Message Pane, involved dealing with that pane not being visible at all which isn't the problem here -- it is visible, just screwed up. It mentioned unchecking all the items for Thunderbird if you use CCleaner (which I do), but I unchecked anything having to do with browsers or email long ago, when I saw that it could do hinky things to them. It recommended backing up before you delete this file with MozBackup, but when I follow the link to that it says it (the program) has known bugs and is no longer being developed. So I am hesitant to delete it given how badly the previous deletion went. I would post a screenshot of my Folder Pane if that would help to clarify things but I don't see any way to attach a file to a message.