If you save messages with ImportExportTools NG, the filename format can be customized (see picture).

Aside from the fact that I cannot install the add-on suggested, why in the world would Thunderbird (after more than 20 years of use by me) do something to their previously fine program that I now have to download an add-on to resolve that I can't add on.

Drag the green Download button from the web page and drop it onto Tools/Add-ons & Themes in TB.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/installing-addon-thunderbird

The add-on is installed and I've tried it different ways to configure it but nothing changes. There is still extraneous information added on to the filename when I try to save an email as an html file, which is critical to my work. Let me show you an example: This is the filename >> sfhowes posted an answer to your question 'Upgrade to 91.2.0 (32 bit) adds long string of unnecessary information to filename when saving an email.'<< This is what Mozilla adds extraneously >> - Mozilla Support Forum (no-reply@support.mozilla.org) - 2021-10-16 1101<<

What I'd like to know is why Mozilla Thunderbird created this monster when no one asked for it. It has to be troubling more than just myself.

Here is the filename of a message saved without the add-on:

Re Upgrade to 91.2.0 (32 bit) adds long string of unnecessary information to filename when saving an email. - Mozilla Support Forum (no-reply@support.mozilla.org) - 2021-10-16 1324.eml

Here is the filename exported with IET NG format Subject-Date-Name(Sender) with the Subject cut at 50 characters:

Re_Upgrade to 91.2.0 (32 bit) adds long string of -20211016-Mozilla Support Forum.eml

No solution there either. Many times an email's filename goes well beyond 50 characters, even up to 255 characters, and those filenames are critical to my archive and it's index. If I limited it to anything less than 255 characters it would devalue the archive since searching it by filename would be worthless. BTW, my archive as of last night when I backed it up is 725.7 gigabytes in size. I've been working on it for nearly 18 years. I cannot degrade it now even if it means having to manually delete the garbage Mozilla has seen fit to add to the saved filename.

As you can see from the picture I posted, the settings in the Misc section on name length are optional.

I just studied the three pictures you posted and the problem I see is that I'm not importing or exporting any email files. I'm clicking on an email file in the Subject heading then clicking on "Save As" then on "Save as type" and selecting HTML files to save the file into my Archive folder.

I thank you for your help, but I've only two and a half months left before I close out my Archive and consider the project completed. Until then (and after) I'll just continue to delete the absurdly repetitious data that Thunderbird ads to the end of the filename.

Can you tell me if there is any way I can submit my complaint to the Mozilla Thunderbird developers directly? There is no earthly reason I can discern why this additional data is added to my saved emails. I may have to switch email clients which is a shame since I've been with Thunderbird nearly right from the beginning which is far more than twenty years. As an aside, Mozilla screwed up Firefox beginning with upgrade 56.x.xx and I use several other browsers now. A shame. I used to think highly of Mozilla but it appears they've become lazy and uncaring.

Select a set of message, right-click, Save selected messages, choose format.

Submit bugs and requests for enhancement to Bugzilla.

I really appreciate your trying but that won't work either. My news archive contains 2,136 separate folders totaling 725.7 gigs of data. Each folder has a unique subject heading. It's rare that I get two files in a row that are saved to the same folder. For example this week I added one new subject folder and nearly 3 gigs of files. I've no idea of how many files I saved because I don't count them. But there is no way to save more than one file and/or email at a time. I'll just accept that there is no way to get rid of this annoyance that Mozilla saw fit to add to every Thunderbird email I save.

An entire folder can be saved to individual files by right-clicking the folder, IET NG, Export all messages in the folder, choose the format.

I'm sorry but you really don't understand what I'm doing. Each separate email is saved to a separate and unique folder. There is no way to do this en-masse.

I'm sorry but you really don't understand what I'm doing. Each separate email is saved to a separate and unique folder. There is no way to do this en-masse.

After you've installed that add-on, it adds a new right-click menu option, which for me appears right at the top of the menu, named Save selected messages. Since your workflow involves saving individual messages in unique folders, all you have to do is right-click the message and choose that menu option and away you go, instead of Tbird's native Save As option.

I just studied the three pictures you posted and the problem I see is that I'm not importing or exporting any email files. I'm clicking on an email file in the Subject heading then clicking on "Save As" then on "Save as type" and selecting HTML files to save the file into my Archive folder.

You are technically exporting a message when you use the Save As function. What sfhowes simply meant, is to use the same function (although worded differently), as provided by the add-on instead of your normal Save As routine. The add-on does not replace or modify Tbird's Save As routine. It adds its own routines for exporting/saving messages and it's not limited to en-masse actions; it's perfectly usable for individual items as you wish, with the advantage of being able to customise the format of the filename of the saved/archived/exported file. This is your only workaround for now, unless it is agreed upon that a preference is added for users like yourself to choose whether to use the new file naming convention or not. That add-on is a big deal, and there's even a plan to integrate it into Tbird and make it a core component instead of just an add-on, so I'll be surprised if you do not find it just as handy if not better, for your archiving project.

Thanks sfhowes for info on filename

I've set: select checkbox 'Use following format' Set 'Subject', 'Date' and 'Index' Custom Date: %d-%m-%y Selected 'Use Extended Format' Format says: ${subject}-${date-custom}-${index}

Misc: Cut complete file path at 256 characters (just in case I do get the odd long one) click on OK

Then using 'Save selected messages' > 'EML'

I get a really good result. Email save with the following example: [Bug 1683321] Loss of events and tasks w_reminder-13-06-21-5195.eml

Meaning I can also use the index 5195 as a note number which I can use as a reference if I need to search. This really cuts the length and I can also choose a date format which I find easier to read.

Hey sfhowes, Thanks for your direct to this thread from my question posted on this issue.

I've installed the the recommended add-on and have got it working to export individual email files to a selected project folder, with a trimmed down file name. I set all 3 fields in the 'customised format for filenames' section to subject.... The reason being is that I only use a subject name as the reference when saving an email. This produces a file name with a couple of '_s' characters at the end. Not ideal, but shorter!!

However, my file saving method includes adding a reference number at the beginning of the email file name when doing the old 'save as' method. ie... the save prompt has the file name highlighted and ready to edit at the time of saving. The add-on tool doesn't seem to offer this step in the method and just straight-out exports the file without giving me an option to edit the file name before export/saving.

Can I use settings in the add-on to create a 'save as' type prompt for the file name, as per the old method?

Cheers!

You would have to ask the add-on developer to allow a prompt for saving single messages. Or, you could edit the Subject and add a reference number before exporting, with this add-on:

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/edit-email-subject/

To edit the entire message source:

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/header-tools-improved/

Thanks again for the tips..... I'll check out those addons too. Anyway, as an interim I have reverted my TB back to the 91.1.2 update, so it's business as usual for now. Maybe the new extended file name feature will be adjusted to be 'optional' in the preferences for a future TB update?

(I guess the old saving mechanism always meant I could see the destination folder with its contents and then adjust my file name, with my own 4 x ID characters at the start, just before the save/export. These latest work-arounds may or may not enable me to do that. Essentially, I don't need the extra ID/sender/date info appended to an email file name for saving, although I can see how it would be handy for many users. I'm used to my method, employed over many years and deleting half the file name at the time of saving is too messy/time consuming for me.)

Thanks very much for your assistance. Most appreciated. :)

Edit: I might ask the developer of the export addon to see if it can be tweaked... How do I contact that person?

Hi sneak880. I like your solution but I'd also like to know how you reverted to 91.1.2? Can you post your solution to this? I can't figure out how to do it. Thanks a lot in advance.

Hi Gruff,

Please note that I did save a number of emails prior to doing the 'revert' just in case I lost some. (I don't keep that many emails in the actual TB program files, as I'm always saving them to my HDD and then deleting from TB.) I've done reverts before and some emails that I did leave in the program were still there, along with all of my account info and preferences. This was also successful this time for me.

• • • Disclaimer: I can't guarantee that all your emails will be saved, if they are not backed up.*** Just needed to say that, as I'm not a pro in this.

Here's the revert steps: 1. Find which version/release of TB you want here: https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/ 2. Go to release > win32 > en-GB (that's the language, whichever you want) > setup.exe file 3. Save the exe file. 4. Uninstall your old TB. Just the 'regular uninstall' without deleting files, folders, bits, clean-up etc. 5. Install the older version and then set the update option to not automatic. 6. All prefs, accounts and folders should be there ***.

Trust that it goes OK for you.