Can' find the Netscape 7.2 sub folder for this question.

I have read Ramona's help to Captwstewart from a couple years ago, and have tried to follow it with my own problem, but I can't make it work. I have a home built computer with an Intell MB (845GNT), and early Intell dual core chip. I was trying to back up to an external HD for the first time yesterday, and the computer froze. I could not get it to start again on it's own for about an hour, and, wrongly, reset the computer to start over. It would not load Windows XP Home. I tried to restore to the most recent known point, last April when I had a HD crash and replaced the HD. All information as far as programs on the desktop, started over, even though all programs are still on the HD.
The biggest problem is that I've lost emails and address books. I've followed Ramona's instructions, but when I try to go to C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles
per her instructions, I can only get to the user_name...the next step "Application Data" is not there. I can find some netscape folders in the D drive, and can find some old, old, inbox material starting back in 2002, but can't get to the current information. It may eventually load, but I'm losing my patience . I think I got up to some in 2005.
Can you help me with this? One good thing is I did a complete back up of all information on both C and D drives earlier this week, on DVD, including programs, as that's the way my wife wanted it.
Thanks for any help you can offer. I'm in my dog house. It has electricity, but no running water. Jim.

 

Thanks Tony! I found it. Now let's see if it will pull anything up! Jim.

 

Sorry Tony. Yes it worked fine. I found the file. But, I can't get all of it to load. It's a a huge file, but only about 17 messages pop up in the inbox. All new ones. And the file changes as we receive or delete messages, so I know it's the one being used. Could there be a second layer hidden there? Any other ideas.

 

This answer applies to Netscape, Mozilla, Seamonkey and Thunderbird.
If your Inbox was rather huge, normally about 1GB or more, you may not be able to access your mail. If you rename that file, a new Inbox will be created, and only new mail downloaded. If mail is deleted, it is necessary to compact the folders. Whatever you see as a file (Inbox) on the hard drive is viewed as an Inbox folder in NS. There is no hidden layer, unless you recreated the account. Then you have two folders on your HD.

 

Sorry, I've been too busy to get back here. Thanks for the note.
Yes, it was a big inbox file, 1.6 gig if I read it correctly. And the email is still writing to it because the size changes up and down as items are down loaded and deleted. So, is there any way to read it? TIA Jim.

 

1. Rename the large Inbox to anything you want. I have done to Inbox2. Oldinbox, Inboxold, any thing as long as it is different from Inbox. Delete the Inbox.msf file.
You do this with NS closed. When you open NS, you will have the Inbox downloading only the messages which are on the server. And, the renamed Inbox(whatever you called it).
Are you going to be able to read the old messages, I have no idea. But it will not increase in size. Hopefully, you will be able to delete unneeded messages and compact the folder to a manageable size.
Keep in mind that the Inbox is not made for storage.

 

Thanks for the quick note. But what my wife wants is to be able to get back all those old messages. She has never been good about deleting, or archiving these messages in another way. (copy and pasts into Word for instance) If she thinks she will need the information again, she leaves it in her inbox. All fine and good until a crash happens. And it will happen. I lost all my info by accidentally hitting the off button on the back up power supply while the computer was closing. Wiped it all out. But I save my important emails in other files.
So if anyone has a way to retrieve these old messages (the new ones that come in are fine.) you can make me a hero! Jim.

 

Coolmeadow Kid,

I can not fathom an message file of 1.6G.....

But I digress,

You stated above:

and

As Far As I know, the individual message files ( the ones without an extension) Do not change size when you Delete a mesage,( until the folder is compacted) They will increase in size when you download messages.

Did you follow Westside's instructions and rename the "inbox" file( with program cloased.?

Perhaps you are looking in the wrong place.

regards:captjlddavis

 

I have heard, repeatedly, of people cramming everything in the poor Inbox file. May be they don't know about the danger of doing that, or don't take the time to organize their mail account in a way that things can be found. I, constantly, unearth messages, in the midst of my fewer than 100 e-mail. I dread to think of finding an e-mail in thousands of messages from the past.

 

Thanks again for the notes. I have not renamed the file for fear that all of the information that is showing now will disappear. I mean, that would be my luck. IIRC there are 2 folders that look like inbox files, but only one seems to be coupled to the email program. We tried Netscape when we first got the computer back up, then I finally got her to use Thunderbird. That's when we were able to get some of the messages to show up, but still not the old ones.
If I rename the folder, will it still be used for the current information we have showing in Thunderbird, or will that all be gone, and we start over with clean folders? If we start over with clean folders, she will never do it. If it won't allow us to pull the old messages back up, it won't matter. It will be a mute point.
Thanks again for all the help. I'm way over my head here, and don't have any idea how to get this information back. Jim.

 

If you unhide the files, which are normally hidden in WinXP, and more recent programs, the path should be: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\xxxxxxx.slt\Mail\account\Inbox. Inbox is a file, not a folder, but it turns up as a folder. If you rename your file, you will not lose it. But, I can understand that you may have some problems. Do you have an account, and an account-1 folder? And, only the first folder has the large file?

 

Yes, there are 3 accounts, with one being the -1, one is a-2, then the regular one. I understand the -'s were created when the computer crashed and came back up, and one is the old one (the -1 one?) I can't remember which one is the big one. And it's probably not 1.6 gig. But it is big. I just went and looked at her computer, and I see all 3, none of which is as big as I remember, and none have any of the old information in them. The one I remember may be on her back up discs. She says she remembers it being in a totally different place, but has too many fires to fight right now to show me where it is. When I get that information, I'll post back here.
Thanks again for trying to help. I know it's very difficult when you can't sit at the computer and just find it and do it. Jim.

 

Let us know if you fix the problem. As for me, I rename the (account)folders to something which I understand, to avoid the confusion created by having the same name name for the axccounts, save for the little number. After renaming, I have to change the Local Directory path, but I am safe.