[Users] Address Book Error with index

[Brian]

On Wed, 8 Aug 2018 10:39:24 -0500
Brian <bvamundsen at yahoo.com> wrote:

> This morning I attempted to start Claws-Mail 3.16.0 under Slackware
> 64 14.2 and Claws-mail presented an error window " Address Book Error
> with index". I can cancel that message and the accounts open, but my
> address book is empty AND all the account passwords were gone.  I
> dont' know what caused this issue since I've used Claws-mail more than
> once since doing a Slackware librsvg package update on Sunday.  I did
> have to do a kill on Claws-Mail this morning when it hung because the
> wireless wasn't connecting.
> 1. Where do I start to trouble shoot claws-mail?
I started by using EMACS to look into 
~/.claws-mail/addrbook/addrbook--index.xml and addrbook--index.xml.bak.
Both showed NO addrbook-xxxx.xml entries. 

The fix was as simple as using EMACS to open the addrbook-000001.xml
finding the address-book name='LDIF Imports' and then opening
addrbook--index.xml and adding that book file back to the index file
<book_list>
 <book name="LDIF Import" file="addrbook-000001.xml" />
</book_list>

Then restarting claws-mail and the address book again appears.
I did have multiple address books and they simply needed to be added
each one after the other and before the </book_list> end statement.

> 2. Does claws-mail create a backup file of my address book which can
> be imported? Otherwise I go to my month old backup.
Yes indeed, claws-mail does create backups EACH time claws-mail is
started.  Unfortunately claws-mail was started twice after the error
message presented so the bak file was overwritten also.  
Is there a way to extend the number of backups?

> 3. What would have caused the passwords of the accounts to be blanked,
> if the accounts and emails are still present?  
Still don't know the answer to this, but I simply re-added to each
account.

> 4. Is there another corrupt hidden file I should be looking to check
> or correct?


Pax tecum, absit iniuria;
Brian

Addendum:
A: Because it makes understanding the conversation harder!
Q: What is wrong with top replying?