Rebuilding All MSF Files

[Peter Holsberg]

Is there an easy way to rebuild all the MSF files -- other than by
opening each folder??

Very tedious!

[Chris Ilias]

I don't think there is a way. Rebuilding MSF files is not done out of
maintenance. It should only be done when you need it. Why are you trying
to rebuild all MSF files?

--
Chris Ilias <http://ilias.ca>
Mailing list/Newsgroup moderator

[Vijay Aravamudhan]

Would thunderplunger help here?

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/thunderplunger/



Thanks,
Vijay

*Vijay Raghavan Aravamudhan *

Email ✉
avi...@gmail.com <mailto:avi...@gmail.com>
Telephone ✆
+91 87544 90705







Personal blog: http://vijaysspot.blogspot.com/ <http://vijaysspot.blogspot.com/>

[Keith Nuttle]

On 12/23/2014 1:16 AM, Chris Ilias wrote:
> On 2014-12-22 7:38 PM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
>> Is there an easy way to rebuild all the MSF files -- other than by
>> opening each folder??
>>
>> Very tedious!
>
> I don't think there is a way. Rebuilding MSF files is not done out of
> maintenance. It should only be done when you need it. Why are you trying
> to rebuild all MSF files?
>

There use to be a menu item to rebuild the index. I do not see it now.
I believe that function has been incorporated into the current
Compact Folders function (Under Files)

If you search rebuilding the index files you will find this.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rebuilding-global-database


There are two types of files in the mail folders. One is *. and the
other is *.MSF (Used in the Index). In the past I have deleted the
*.MSF files and when Thunderbird is restarted the *.MSF area recreated.


Since the function to reindex the folders has been removed, and since
Thunderbird has been re written, I would BACKUP ALL FILES before I did
anything.

[Peter Holsberg]

Chris Ilias wrote on 12/23/2014 1:16 AM:
> On 2014-12-22 7:38 PM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
>> Is there an easy way to rebuild all the MSF files -- other than by
>> opening each folder??
>>
>> Very tedious!
>
> I don't think there is a way. Rebuilding MSF files is not done out of
> maintenance. It should only be done when you need it. Why are you trying
> to rebuild all MSF files?
>

When I made a backup of the profile directory, I excluded the MSF files.
So when I copied that backup to a new machine, the MSF files had to be
rebuilt.

However, I found a different copy of the profile directory and am
successfully using it (along with its MSF files).

[Peter Holsberg]

I'll check it out. Thanks.

Vijay Aravamudhan wrote on 12/23/2014 1:35 AM:
> Would thunderplunger help here?
>
> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/thunderplunger/
>
>
>
> Thanks,
> Vijay
>
> *Vijay Raghavan Aravamudhan *
>
> Email ✉
> avi...@gmail.com <mailto:avi...@gmail.com>
> Telephone ✆
> +91 87544 90705
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Personal blog: http://vijaysspot.blogspot.com/ <http://vijaysspot.blogspot.com/>
>
> On 23/12/14 11:46 am, Chris Ilias wrote:

>> On 2014-12-22 7:38 PM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
>>> Is there an easy way to rebuild all the MSF files -- other than by
>>> opening each folder??
>>>
>>> Very tedious!
>>
>> I don't think there is a way. Rebuilding MSF files is not done out of
>> maintenance. It should only be done when you need it. Why are you trying to
>> rebuild all MSF files?
>>
>

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> support-thunderbird mailing list
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>

[Mozilla]

You might also open a command window and use this "del *.msf /s". That
would search through the TB folders and delete the MSF files
automatically at one swoop.

[Peter Holsberg]

Mozilla wrote on 12/23/2014 10:28 AM:
>
> You might also open a command window and use this "del *.msf /s". That
> would search through the TB folders and delete the MSF files
> automatically at one swoop.

That would work if I had any MSF files. :-) I don't and that is why they
have to be rebuilt.

[Godzilla]

Ah. Sorry. I misunderstood your OP. Too much eggnog.

[Keith Nuttle]

If you have run Thunderbird on the new computer and have valid *. files,
then you have *.MSF files. Each time Thunderbird runs it checks and
updates the *MSF files.

I would use "Dir *.MSF /s" from the command line and see where
Thunderbird thinks its email files are located.

It sounds like you and Thunderbird have a difference of opinion of their
location.

[Chris Ilias]

On 2014-12-23 10:04 AM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
> Chris Ilias wrote on 12/23/2014 1:16 AM:
>
>> I don't think there is a way. Rebuilding MSF files is not done out of
>> maintenance. It should only be done when you need it. Why are you trying
>> to rebuild all MSF files?
>
> When I made a backup of the profile directory, I excluded the MSF files.
> So when I copied that backup to a new machine, the MSF files had to be
> rebuilt.

* Thunderbird will recreate them for you. If not on startup, then when
you access each folder.
* If you've been told not to back up the MSF files, it's because they
don't contain important data that needs to be backed up, so don't worry
about recreating them.
* When you back up your profile, don't worry about specific file types.
Just back up the whole thing. :)

[Chris Ilias]

On 2014-12-23 7:18 AM, Keith Nuttle wrote:
> On 12/23/2014 1:16 AM, Chris Ilias wrote:
>> On 2014-12-22 7:38 PM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
>>> Is there an easy way to rebuild all the MSF files -- other than by
>>> opening each folder??
>>>
>>> Very tedious!
>>
>> I don't think there is a way. Rebuilding MSF files is not done out of
>> maintenance. It should only be done when you need it. Why are you trying
>> to rebuild all MSF files?
>>
> There use to be a menu item to rebuild the index. I do not see it now.

Right-click on a folder, and select "Properties". In the 'General
Information" tab, there is a button called [Repair Folder].

> I believe that function has been incorporated into the current
> Compact Folders function (Under Files)

Nope. :)
Compacting folder is completely different.

[Peter Holsberg]

Chris Ilias wrote on 12/23/2014 11:40 AM:
> On 2014-12-23 7:18 AM, Keith Nuttle wrote:
>> On 12/23/2014 1:16 AM, Chris Ilias wrote:
>>> On 2014-12-22 7:38 PM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
>>>> Is there an easy way to rebuild all the MSF files -- other than by
>>>> opening each folder??
>>>>
>>>> Very tedious!
>>>
>>> I don't think there is a way. Rebuilding MSF files is not done out of
>>> maintenance. It should only be done when you need it. Why are you trying
>>> to rebuild all MSF files?
>>>
>> There use to be a menu item to rebuild the index. I do not see it now.
>
> Right-click on a folder, and select "Properties". In the 'General
> Information" tab, there is a button called [Repair Folder].

One at a time? Ugh!

[Peter Holsberg]

I will do that from now on. I was trying to save space and time.

[Tanstaafl]

On 12/23/2014 11:27 AM, Chris Ilias <nm...@ilias.ca> wrote:
> * If you've been told not to back up the MSF files, it's because they
> don't contain important data that needs to be backed up, so don't worry
> about recreating them.

Depends on what you consider important.

They contain all of the custom config data for how your message list
pane is set up - which columns are displayed, how each is sorted, where
each column is located, etc.

Recreating carefully arranged settings for 15+ IMAP accounts each of
which contain dozens if not more folders is... well, can you say 'royal
pain in the a$$' 5 times as fast as you can?

[Ron Hunter]

That would certainly save space, especially if you have a lot of
newsgroup subscriptions, but if you have to select and delete them
manually, it won't save time. If you have a copy/backup program that
allows you to select 'don't backup .xxx files', or something similar,
then you could save both time, and space by not backing up the .msf
files. You should know that they also store information like which
columns you have modified in placement, or size, so they will need to be
reset manually.

[Peter Holsberg]

Ron Hunter wrote on 12/24/2014 2:39 AM:
> On 12/23/2014 10:52 AM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
>>
>> I will do that from now on. I was trying to save space and time.
>>
> That would certainly save space, especially if you have a lot of
> newsgroup subscriptions, but if you have to select and delete them
> manually, it won't save time.

I use xxcopy. It permits me to define exclusions so I do not have to
delete anything.

> You should know that they also store information like which
> columns you have modified in placement, or size, so they will need to be
> reset manually.

Originally, I was not thinking that I would copy the backups into a new
profile but I did and that caused my problems. When I copied the profile
contents from the AppData directory, everything was OK.

And I have a new 1TB backup HD so space is not an issue.