I was able to read my folders again by renaming all the previos folders (ie ~.old) and then restarting kmail creating the folders as per the old name. After closing kmail I mvoved the ...old.../cur/* to .../cur/ and when I restarted kmail the mail was able to be read. Changing .../kmailrc did not correct the "missing" mailfolders as did this method did. On restarting the kmailrc was changed back to unreadable state unless folders recreated via dialog boxes. 

for a new user yumiko I did :
	cd /home/yumiko/.kde/
	find   -type f |egrep 'kontact|kaddressbook'
which found these :
	kaddressbook_addrconfig kontactrc kaddressbookrc
as root I did :
	cp -i --backup=numbered --verbose \
	~yumiko/.kde/share/config/$this ~paul/.kde/share/config/$this
	chown paul.paul ~paul/.kde/share/config/$this
and now I have a working 'default table view'.
BTW I now have : 
	./share/apps/RecentDocuments/kontact-crash-2005-11-11.err.desktop
	 ./share/apps/kontact/kontactui.rc.backup
	 ./share/apps/kaddressbook/kaddressbook_part.rc.backup
	./share/config/kaddressbookrc
	./share/config/kaddressbook_addrconfig
	./share/config/kontactrc
	./share/config/kontact_summaryrc
	./share/config/kontactrc.~1~
	./share/config/kcmkontactkntrc
	./share/config/kaddressbook_addrconfig.~1~
	./share/config/kontactrc.~2~
	./share/config/kaddressbookrc.~1~
~~~
 for this in kaddressbook_addrconfig kontactrc kaddressbookrc ; do diff3  
~paul/.kde/share/config/$this ~paul/.kde/share/config/${this}.~1~  
~paul/.kde/share/config/${this}.~2~ |tee -a  ~paul/${this}.diff3.text;done
~~~
diff3: /home/paul/.kde/share/config/kaddressbook_addrconfig.~2~: No such file 
or directory
====
1:1,3c
  [HTML Settings]
  AutomaticDetectionLanguage=0

2:0a
3:1,22c
  [Colors]
  CurrentPalette=40 Colors

  [HTML Settings]
  AutomaticDetectionLanguage=0

  [KFileDialog Settings]
  Preview Size=60
  Recent Files=###deleted for privacy####
  ShowPreviews=false
  ViewMode=SmallColumns

  [KFileDialog Speedbar]
  Speedbar IconSize=32

  [KPrinter Settings]
  
ApplicationOptions=app-khtml-printfriendly,true,app-khtml-printheader,true,app-khtml-printimages,true
  DialogReduced=true
  DocDirectory=/media/floppy
  PrintCommand=
  Printer=Print to File (PDF)

====
1:5,6c
  Height 768=520
  Width 1024=723
2:2,3c
  Height 768=690
  Width 1024=721
3:24,25c
  Height 768=769
  Width 1024=1025
====2
1:12,15c
3:31,34c
  [MainWindow Toolbar korganizer_toolbar]
  IconText=IconOnly
  Index=1

2:8a
====
1:19,22c
  [MainWindow Toolbar schedule_toolbar]
  IconText=IconOnly
  Index=2

2:11a
3:38,60c
  [MainWindow Toolbar schedule_toolbar]
  IconText=IconOnly
  Index=2

  [Open-with settings]
  CompletionMode=5
  History=kate %U,abiword,/usr/bin/ooweb %U,eog %U

  [Passwords]
  Keep=false

  [Plugins]
  kontact_kaddressbookpluginEnabled=true
  kontact_kmailpluginEnabled=true
  kontact_knodepluginEnabled=true
  kontact_knotespluginEnabled=true
  kontact_korganizerpluginEnabled=true
  kontact_kpilotpluginEnabled=true
  kontact_newstickerpluginEnabled=true
  kontact_summarypluginEnabled=true
  kontact_todopluginEnabled=true
  kontact_weatherpluginEnabled=true

====
1:24c
  TipLastShown=2005,11,11,17,29,35
2:13,16c
  TipLastShown=2005,8,26,12,53,41

  [View]
  ActivePlugin=kontact_kaddressbookplugin
3:62,65c
  TipLastShown=2005,11,1,20,22,36

  [View]
  ActivePlugin=kontact_kaddressbookplugin
~~~
diff3: /home/paul/.kde/share/config/kaddressbookrc.~2~: No such file or 
directory
~~~
 l -ls ~paul/*.diff3.text
 -rw-r--r--  1 root root    0 2005-11-11 18:27:35.669308416
	 +1100 /home/paul/kaddressbook_addrconfig.diff3.text
-rw-r--r--  1 root root    0 2005-11-11 18:27:35.735298384 
	+1100 /home/paul/kaddressbookrc.diff3.text
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 2372 2005-11-11 18:27:35.716301272 
	+1100 /home/paul/kontactrc.diff3.text
~~~
 for this in kaddressbook_addrconfig kontactrc kaddressbookrc ; do diff  
~paul/.kde/share/config/$this ~paul/.kde/share/config/${this}.~1~ |tee -a  
~paul/${this}.diff.text;done
~~~
###deleted ennties for listings [????????]###
1,3d0
< [HTML Settings]
< AutomaticDetectionLanguage=0
<
5,6c2,3
< Height 768=520
< Width 1024=723
---
> Height 768=690
> Width 1024=721

12,15d8
< [MainWindow Toolbar korganizer_toolbar]
< IconText=IconOnly
< Index=1
<
19,22d11
< [MainWindow Toolbar schedule_toolbar]
< IconText=IconOnly
< Index=2
<
24c13,16
< TipLastShown=2005,11,11,17,29,35
---
> TipLastShown=2005,8,26,12,53,41
>
> [View]
> ActivePlugin=kontact_kaddressbookplugin

2c2,3
< Size=750,575
---
> AdvancedCustomFields=KPilotCustomFieldEditor.ui
> Size=750,579

4,8c5,32
< [Default Table View]
< ColumnOrder=0,1,2
< ColumnWidths=120,174,48
< SortAscending=true
< SortColumn=2
---
> [AddresseeViewSettings]
> ShowAddresses=true
> ShowBirthday=true
> ShowEmails=true
> ShowPhones=true
> ShowURLs=true
>
> [Browser]
> fieldWidths=168,177,171,97,78
> fields=X-Categories,X-FileAs,EMAIL,X-BusinessPhone,X-HomePhone
>
> [Card]
> DefaultFilterName=Business
> DefaultFilterType=1
> DrawBorder=true
> DrawFieldLabels=false
> DrawSeparators=true
> EnableCustomColors=false
> EnableCustomFonts=false
> ItemMargin=0
> ItemSpacing=10
> KABCFields=3,2,29
> SeparatorWidth=2
> ShowEmptyFields=false
> Type=Card
>
> [Extensions_General]
> ActiveExtensions=merge,distribution_list_editor,contact_location

11c35,59
< Count=0
---
> Count=4
>
> [Filter_0]
> Categories=JapaneseCulture
> Enabled=true
> MatchRule=0
> Name=JAPAN
>
> [Filter_1]
> Categories=Cycling,Enviroment,Skiing,Walking
> Enabled=true
> MatchRule=0
> Name=GREENIES
>
> [Filter_2]
> Categories=Clasical Music,Folk,Jazz
> Enabled=true
> MatchRule=0
> Name=MUSIC
>
> [Filter_3]
> Categories=Business,Customer,LocalGovernment,NewsMedia
> Enabled=true
> MatchRule=0
> Name=THEestablishment

14c62,95
< Custom Categories=Business,Family,School,Customer,Friend
---
> Custom Categories=Business,Clasical 

Music,Customer,Cycling,Enviroment,Family,Folk,Friend,JapaneseCulture,Jazz,Linux,LocalGovernment,NewsMedia,School,Skiing,Walking,YHA
> FormattedNameType=3
> 

LocationMapURL=http://link2.map24.com/?lid=9cc343ae&maptype=CGI&lang=au&street0=%s&zip0=%z&city0=%l&country0=%c
>
> [Geometry]
> Browser=613,272
> Height 480=272
> Height 600=272
> MenuBar=Enabled
> StatusBar=Enabled
> Width 640=613
> Width 800=724
>
> [KFileDialog Settings]
> Preview Size=60
> Recent Files=###deleted for privacy###
> ShowPreviews=false
> ViewMode=SmallColumns
>
> [KFileDialog Speedbar]
> Speedbar IconSize=22
>
> [KFileIconView]
> ViewMode=SmallColumns
>
> [ListView]
> autUnderline=true
> backPixmap=
> backPixmapOn=true
> cUnderline=220,220,220
> sortColumn=0
> sortDirection=true
> tooltips=true
> underline=true

17,18c98,100
< DetailsSplitter=366,265
< ExtensionsSplitter=153,245
---
> DetailsSplitter=589,385
> ExtensionsSplitter=0,597
> Height 600=601

20a103
> Width 800=801

27a111,161
>
> [NewCard]
> DefaultFilterName=JAPAN
> DefaultFilterType=0
> DrawBorder=true
> DrawFieldLabels=true
> DrawSeparators=true
> EnableCustomColors=false
> EnableCustomFonts=false
> ItemMargin=0
> ItemSpacing=10
> ItemWidth=200
> KABCFields=1,2,3,29,21,23,22
> SeparatorWidth=2
> ShowEmptyFields=true
> Type=Card
>
> [Table]
> ABackground=true
> Background=false
> BackgroundName=
> ColumnOrder=0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7
> ColumnWidths=80,20,84,97,89,91,108,69
> DefaultFilterName=JAPAN
> DefaultFilterType=0
> InstantMessagingPresence=true
> KABCFields=1,2,3,29,21,23,22
> SingleLine=false
> SortAscending=true
> SortColumn=0
> ToolTips=true
> Type=Table
>
> [Views]
> CurrentView=Table
> ViewNames=NewCard,Table
>
> [XXPortVCard]
> ExportBusinessFields=true
> ExportEncryptionKeys=true
> ExportOtherFields=true
> ExportPrivateFields=true
>
> [kaddressbook-mainwindow#1 Toolbar style]
> Hidden=false
> IconSize=0
> IconText=IconOnly
> Index=0
> NewLine=false
> Offset=-1
> Position=Top

~~~

Closing as this doesn't seem to have been an actual bug.