Disable and remove Local Folders
I spend the last hour or so in sheer panic and doubting my sanitiy as an email I was just reading disappeared from every mailbox I have here (I have 8 mailboxes in Thunderbird) . Also for whatever reason search is missing from the title bar.
The email was "archived" by Thunderbird inthe "Local Folders" I never use local folders as local folders is silly in 2026 imo. I have my own mailserver which is perfectly save and backuped and stuf I don't need yet another location were mail can hide.
Anyway that was a bit of a rant. This would not have happend if this sille ¨Local Folders" didn´t exist at all. But I seem unable to get rid of it.
How do I remove ¨Local Folders" from Thunderbird?
All Replies (4)
Please provide a screenshot of your 'copies&folders' pane for the account. That may prove helpful in assisting you. Local Folders is nothing other than an opportunity to save messages outside of an account. The Local Folders feature itself cannot be removed.
(As david wrote)
Please provide a screenshot of your 'copies&folders' pane for the account
Many people have emails saved on various servers because they use Imap. Some people use eg: OneDrive which has it's uses, but it's just saving everything on another server. All servers need passwords etc to get access and depend upon the internet. Get locked out and life can be downright awkward, inconvenient or even loss of everything you thought was safe on someone else's computer system/server.
Local Folders is useful if you need to save emails but need to increase quota on server. Copy emails to Local Folders account before removing off server. Any emails from any account can be saved in Local Folders.
The 'Outbox' is in 'Local Folders' account. It is used by all mail accounts. If you ever use the 'Send Later' option then those emails get put ready to send in the 'Outbox'. 'Send Later' may be used if you go offline (either Thunderbird offline OR lose the internet temporarily) but still need to get emails composed. It's also used with add-on 'Mail-Merge' if needing to send a batch of emails. Some people need to use the 'Send Later' option because of server limits on amount of emails that can be sent within a given period of time. Some people just use it and then send everything when they feel ready or deliberately go back to online mode. Either way, it's used automatically by Thunderbird if online status is lost.
'Local Folders' is independent of any server. Emails stored in 'Local Folders' account are stored on your computer. Easy to create a backup to external hard drive that is not dependent on any server. Passwords not required.
re :The email was "archived" by Thunderbird in the "Local Folders" It sounds like you have set that up in the Account Settings for the accounts. But we would need to see the requested images to know if that is the case.
Mind you, at this point we do not know if you have set up Pop accounts to use the 'Local Folders' account as a Global Inbox.
re :Also for whatever reason search is missing from the title bar.
Search is not on the title bar and never has been. The title bar; assuming it has been enabled, will contain the selected account or tab selected followed by the words 'Mozilla Thunderbird'.
'Global Search' is on the 'Unified Toolbar'. If you cannot see it then maybe you removed it by accident. Right click on 'Unified Toolbar' and select 'Customise'
- Select the 'Mail' tab
- Under 'Available for all Spaces'
- look for 'Search'
- Left click on 'Search' option and hold down to grab - drag it up and hover over the space used to display toolbar options - release to drop onto Unified Toolbar.
- The read circle will disappear when in correct location.
- Bottom right click on 'Save'