Bug: Repair a POP3 mailbox makes that mailbox empty - Cause: a cross # in the Profile path.
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Priority: --
Created: 2021-11-17 20:18:07+00:00
Resolved: 2022-06-20 15:13:38+00:00

Steps to reproduce:

I had my Profile folder in a folder path, containing a cross # in a folder name. 
In Thunderbird I right-clicked a POP3 mailbox > Properties > Repair folder.


Actual results:

The list of e-mails in that mailbox suddenly dissapeared, as if there was no email in the mailbox.
Often, above in the Tab-header there was a little thingy moving left-right, as if it tried to load the e-mails.


Expected results:

The action should have repaired that mailbox. Normally it rebuilds the index, and creates a repaired MSF-file for the mailbox. 

SOLUTION:
I had an # in the name of a folder in the path to my Profile folder. 
I could move my profile anywhere on my PC (Windows on NTFS) and create a new profile for that, and Repair worked fine. (also on a different drive.)
Other special characters in Windows NTFS gave no problem at all: @ # $ % & ) ( . , . 
I created folder with those, put the profile folder in that, and Repair worked fine. 
(Note, I havent tried theSE other special characters:  } { ] [
Only a path with a cross # in it, gave a problem with Repair. 

Note: I use a brand new PC with a fresh Win10 installed. I use the same profile folder as my old PC, because I mounted the drive with the profile in the new PC.

INFO. 

- It happens in at least two versions of Thunderbird. I had beta 95.3 installed. But to find a solution, I also installed the latest regular version of 91 (in a different location.)  So the problem may exist in many versions of Thunderbird. 

- As long as the profile folder stayed in the path with the #, the mailbox kept looking empty in both versions of Thunderbird. 

- Creating a new profile, pointing at the same profile folder, did not work. The mailbox stayed empty. It didn't matter, if I created the new proflile, starting the regular or the beta. Once 'Repaired' the mailbox stayed empty, in any case.

- Actions, that did NOT work: 
* Repair again. 
* Deleting the MSF-file of the maibox inWindows Explorer, and restart Thunderbird.
* Disable the Quick Filter. 
* Uninstall and Reinstall Thunderbird.
* View the mailbox in Notepad, to see if there was actually email in it. 
* Edit the mailbox (Mbox-file) in Notepad: removing all emails, exept one good looking one. 
* Disabling the virusscanner (Bitdefender). Useless, since it works in a path without an #. 
* Altering the time/date setting in Windows to English, because I use an English Thunderbird on a Dutch Windows. 
* Mounting the drive with the profile back to my old PC, and start Thunderbird there. I believe - but I can't remember exactly! - that the mailbox stayed empty there too. But I believe, the MSF-file had a problem there before. (That's why I started a Repair.)

Interesting could be: 
The mailbox dóes receive new emails! I can send myself an email, and Thunderbird dóes display that email in the Inbox. But not any of the other emails . And that email keeps visible after restart. But after a new Repair, that one email  is vanished too. 

But anyway.. If avoiding an # in the path solves the problem in all Repair-cases, then that is the problem. 

Note: not many users will have their profile folder in a custom path. And far less wil have a # in the path. But those that have, will loose al emails in a mailbox, after Repairing that.. 

Greeting from the Netherlands,and good luck with al your work! Thunderbird is excellent! :-)  Serge..