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How to Fix Thunderbird Does Not Show Email Content Error?

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Published By Jamie Kaler 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On May 13th, 2025
Reading Time 7 Min Read

Thunderbird is a great email client, but sometimes its errors, like “Thunderbird does not show email content,” make the experience very awful. Thus, in this issue, the user does not get access to the required email data, which prohibits productivity by forcing all the restrictions to limit work efficiency. Therefore, to help the users bail out of this situation, we compiled a complete guide to fix the error of Thunderbird not displaying message content. Hence, to learn how this is possible, what are the reasons behind it, and which professional tool can help to resolve it, read and follow the complete blog post till the very end.

Why Thunderbird Does Not Show Email Content?

There are multiple reasons or causes that lead to the error Thunderbird not displaying message content, and thus, to get a quick glimpse of them, look at the points mentioned below:

  • Any sort of corruption in the entire folder of Thunderbird can raise the issue that Thunderbird does not show email content.
  • In case you are using any old or outdated version of Thunderbird, then this can also cause the Thunderbird email content not showing errors.
  • In addition to that, the download of any faulty plugin or add-on can also result in Thunderbird not displaying message content.
  • Plus, weak network security or a network connection also leads to such errors, in which the user encounters a Thunderbird not displaying message content issue.
  • If the system has an active anti-virus that also commands Thunderbird, then such an error may occur as they obstruct or block harmful messages or their content.

Manual Way to Fix Thunderbird Not Displaying Message Content Error

There are two conventional methods with which one can try to resolve the issue- Thunderbird does not show email content. Therefore, to know about both of them in detail, read and follow the mentioned sections.

1: Repair the Faults of Thunderbird Folder

  1. Run Thunderbird on your device and browse the folder that is causing the error.
  2. Now, right-click on that folder and choose the Properties option.
  3. Further, in the General Information tab, click on Repair Folder.
  4. Now, the folder repair process will begin, so wait for a while.
  5. Once done, there is are chance that the issue of Thunderbird not downloading messages that occurred due to a folder malfunction will be fixed.

2: Delete Global Indexing File From Profile

  1. Primarily, close the running Thunderbird window completely.
  2. Now, search for the file named “global-messages-db.sqlite” in the Thunderbird profile data saved locally on your system.
  3. Once found, permanently delete that file from your device to eliminate any possible glitch.
  4. After this, restart Thunderbird so that the re-indexing process begins on its own.
  5. Now, wait until the process ends, since the time may vary depending on the number of emails.
  6. Therefore, to check the status of indexing, you can click on Tools and select the Activity Manager.
  7. There, you will get the status details, and once done, the issue of Thunderbird does not show email content will be resolved.

3: Run Advanced Feature to Download All IMAP Messages

  1. Run Thunderbird on your device and click on Tools.
  2. Now, click on Account Settings and choose the Synchronization & Storage category for IMAP account option.
  3. Further, tap on the feature Keep messages for this account on this computer.
  4. After this, click on the Advanced option so that the feature to download all IMAP messages is turned on.
  5. Finally, click the desired folder to fix and click on OK to resolve the error- Thunderbird does not show email content.

Drawbacks of the Manual Way

  • These methods are extremely complex and technical, which limits non-tech users from following them swiftly, so that the issue of Thunderbird not displaying message content can be fixed.
  • They demand a lot of user time, effort, patience, and other resources to fix the error efficiently.
  • The conventional method can risk data originality when working with bulk Thunderbird files or folders.
  • Permanent loss of data is also possible with these indirect solutions to fix- Thunderbird does not show the email content issue.
  • It is not recommended at all for sensitive and crucial Thunderbird emails, as it is very prone to error.

Alternative Solution to Fix Thunderbird Not Displaying Message Content Issue

The conventional ways mentioned above are very complex and severe to follow correctly, and therefore, the experts always suggest getting a professional tool like RecoveryTools Thunderbird File Migrator Wizard, which supports bulk data safely and helps in resolving such issues swiftly. Therefore, this tool is very easy to use, has multiple solutions to fix this issue, and makes sure that, as an output, the user can access Thunderbird emails seamlessly. Hence, to know how this is possible using this automated tool, read and follow the steps mentioned below:

  1. Get the Thunderbird error fixing tool mentioned above.
    install the tool
  2. Select the Thunderbird files or folders that are facing opening errors.
    select files
  3. Now, choose PDF from the saving option to convert Thunderbird emails to PDF file.
    select pdf format
  4. Further, give a name and a saving location to the resultant file.
    naming option
  5. At last, click on Convert to fix the error, Thunderbird does not show email content by getting the file outside Thunderbird in a readable format.
    thunderbird does not show email content

Note: The user can also backup Thunderbird files or fix the issue of Thunderbird not displaying message content by switching to another email client. Thus, this tool has 30+ saving options which allow the user to directly transfer Thunderbird emails to Office 365, Gmail, Yahoo, Zimbra, etc., using the direct to email client option or IMAP option. 

Alternative Solution to Fix This Error: Apart from using the tool mentioned above, users can also read the Thunderbird files affected due to the error- Thunderbird does not show email content via the Free Thunderbird Email Viewer tool. This solution scans a bulk file and lets the user access even the corrupted data in one go.

Features of the Professional Tool

  • This tool is a completely independent solution, which means no need to get a plugin, email service provider, software, etc., to run it in the system.
  • It has multiple export options which allow the user to convert Thunderbird to EML, PST, CSV, DOC, TXT, MSG, OLM, and so on.
  • As mentioned above, using this tool, one can also migrate Thunderbird to Gmail, Outlook, and another prominent email client so that the stress of Thunderbird not displaying message content vanishes permanently.
  • The best thing is that users can also test the tool’s working by downloading the trial version, which is completely free of cost.
  • This tool gives 99.9% accurate results and ensures complete safety of the Thunderbird data throughout the process to fix the error- Thunderbird does not show email content.

Conclusion

In this entire blog, we highlighted multiple ways to resolve the issue of Thunderbird not displaying message content, and therefore, by the end, it is evident that taking the assistance of the automated tool is the best alternative. It is developed by industry experts who take care of user requirements and respect data privacy, so that one can swiftly work with their bulk Thunderbird data without any worries. Not only does it fix the error, but it also gives the user an opportunity to backup Thunderbird data, convert it, or transfer it accordingly.