Thunderbird - Building summary file?

[Bob Goodwin]

Richard England wrote:
> Bob Goodwin wrote:
>>
>> I'm using Thunderbird 1.5.0.2 and FC-5 with current updates.
>>
>> Periodically when I check mail it displays the message
>> "Building Summary File for [Inbox, whatever I select]"
>> and I have to wait for it to finish whatever it does. After that I 
>> have to select the threaded display of
>> messages again! I don't know what this "summary file"
>> is but I don't think I want or need it.
>>
>> Does anyone know what this is about? I have only become
>> aware of this recently.
>>
>> Bob Goodwin Zuni, Virginia
>>
>>
>>
> I think you _do_ need/want the summary files.
>
> Thunderbird's mail files are in the standard plain text "mbox" format, 
> which almost all mail programs can use or import.
> extension (Your mail files are inside your profile, in the Mail and 
> (if you use IMAP) ImapMail folders. Each mail folder (Inbox, Sent, 
> etc.) is stored as two files – one with no extension (e.g. INBOX), 
> which is the mail file itself (in ‘mbox’ format), and one with an 
> .msfe.g. INBOX.msf), which is the index (Mail Summary File) to the 
> mail file. These summary files are built and updated as needed. If you 
> delete one, Thunderbird will rebuild it for you.
Ok, so it's a necessary process and I must let it be, understood. 
Strange thing is that it's only become manifest recently and I'm not 
sure why or what I might have done to trigger a problem, better yet a 
minor annoyance.
>
> I'm no expert, but do you compact your mail "folders". Is it possible 
> that you did this while email was being downloaded? Do you have 
> processes that delete files for any reason?
I have not gone in and directly told it to "compact" anything. I do a 
lot of filtering on mail messages, some are deleted, most go to 
different directories.
>
> I would suggest you do some Googling on this topic. There are a lot of 
> hits.
>
>
I did a lot of googling on "Building Summary Files" etc., and it was not 
productive but often times there's a vast difference in results when you 
hit the right key words. Obviously I didn't.


Thank you for the information.

BobG