Upgrade to 91.2.0 (32 bit) adds long string of unnecessary information to filename when saving an email.
Ever since automatically upgrading to 91.2.0 when I save an email Thunderbird adds a lengthy string of data to the end of the filename which causes me great difficulty. Here is an example from an email from the NYTimes: "Today's Headlines Key to Biden’s Climate Agenda Likely to Be Cut Because of Manchin Opposition" is the filename. Thunderbird automatically adds the following to it. " - The New York Times (nytdirect@nytimes.com) - 2021-10-16 0101"
This information lengthens the filename which I have to delete because it messes up my archive where I save numerous emails. Therefore I have to delete it every time I save an email (60 or more times every day) and interferes with any search I conduct of those saved emails.
I have explored all the options under Tools and Help to no avail. Can you please tell me how I can get rid of this annoyance. It is causing me lost time in my daily work creating an archive of articles. I've been working on this archive for nearly 18 years and this problem is causing me a great deal of grief and lost work time. Thank you.
Alle Antworten (10)
Thanks for the detailed answer. I'll try it this weekend and let you know how it worked. It sounds good and I'm sure it will work fine. Thanks again.
Sneak880, you have helped me get away from this problem of all the extra unwanted info added into the email filenames. The reversion to 91.1.2 went seamlessly. But before I did that, I followed your suggestions and saved all the emails in my inbox, I opened Address book, highlighted Personal address book, then exported the book to my SDD as a .csv file. I opened the .exe file for 91.1.2 and all my emails were in place. There was nothing in the new version in the Personal address book, so I imported the .csv file and all my contacts were in place. Now to do my wife's machine tomorrow! I tried saving an email and was back to the 'subject.eml' format. I tried to turn off the Automatic updates, but since I'm working here, T-bird told me the update was still in progress. I'll do that ASAP. Thanks again!
That's cool c_m... I'm kind of hoping that a future TB update will have this saving 'file name details' feature as optional. I would like to get back into the regular program updates cycle! Perhaps another addon might come to fore that offers a neat tweak for this setting too?
Anyway... All good. I still reckon the Mozilla products are awesome, along with the open source support network!
ImportExportTools NG does NOT work for me either, but the goal should NOT be to promote ImportExportTools NG but to FIX Thunderbird because this is basic functionality. We are stuck with long file names because some developers didn't want to give us the freedom of configuring the name format for our .eml files.
I also found this discussion where someone actually asked for the long file name as the default option, which in the process ended up becoming the only option: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1722223
onemozillauser said
ImportExportTools NG does NOT work for me either, but the goal should NOT be to promote ImportExportTools NG but to FIX Thunderbird because this is basic functionality. We are stuck with long file names because some developers didn't want to give us the freedom of configuring the name format for our .eml files. I also found this discussion where someone actually asked for the long file name as the default option, which in the process ended up becoming the only option: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1722223
ImportExportTools NG works very well, but if you are having a problem, then it would help to see what settings you have set up in the addons options and state what you are trying to achieve. Then I could offer some advise. I have chosen my saved as eml files to use only subject and date, but if you just want 'subject' then you can always set the other options to a blank which is the last option in the drop down list. See image below as guide.
It is not about 'Fixing' Thunderbird because nothing is technically wrong; the code is doing precisely what it is supposed to do whether it is something you or I like or dislike.
As people have discovered, there was a deliberate request for long filename. That means you have to ask for an enhancement to add options.
A new bug report asking for enhancement has been created, so for anyone wanting this to get looked into perhaps you could 'vote' for the bug so it gets someones attention.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1736194
Toad-Hall: Yes, I have already used the settings you proposed, but there was no change in the format the .eml files were written out in, and that's why I joined this discussion. Please see my snapshot of settings, they are like yours. My OS is Ubuntu Studio 18.04 (Xfce) and my Thunderbird is version 91.5.0 (64-bit).
re : I have already used the settings you proposed, but there was no change in the format the .eml files were written out
Can you please confirm :
If you used : right click on email and select 'Save as' then you are still using the Thunderbird default settings, so nothing should change.
The ImportExportTools NG option is additional to Thunderbird's 'Save as' not a replacement.
Did you use this: right click on email and select 'Save selected messages' > 'EML format'
Yes, I was right clicking and "Save As" .......but right click and "Save selected messages/EML format" is not helping either, because it is NOT allowing to edit the filename !!!!!
After an exchange, I save the communication as follows: 001 Question on rates increase.eml 002 Re: Question on rates increase.eml 003 Re: Question on rates increase.eml 004 Re: Question on rates increase.eml 005 Re: Question on rates increase.eml
Thunderbird now adds a long train of information in the filename, so I need to waste time deleting it, while ImportExportTools NG doesn't even let me edit the filename !!!!!!!
So, at this point I can not accomplish the simplest way of saving an email exchange with the minimum amount of clicks. In the previous versions of Thunderbird, I would: right click>save as>left arrow>001>(space) >enter ....then repeat using 002, 003, 004, etc.
Now, either through Save As or using ImportExportTools NG, I need to perform many clicks before I can finally save a series of emails in the simple and logical way I was allowed to, before ("logical", because date/time show anyway in the file manager and in the message, so no need to repeat it in the file name .......and the sender(s) show in the message itself)
I save several series of 5 or 6 emails each, every week, so for now I am clicking my life away
I've just given up and delete that string from each email I need to save. I figure it consumes 1/2 to 3/4 hour a day but at least I can get my work done. I deal with as many as 75-90 emails a day that I have to save. All this because an alleged "fix" by an alleged support open source provider disregards the users need and caters to its own instead.
re :ImportExportTools NG doesn't even let me edit the filename
You are correct - the filename format is set up in the Addon options, so editing is not available...
but using Thunderbird 'Save as' does allow editing of filename.
It means you can choose between the two - it depends upon whether you need to edit filename or not.
Even if the Thunderbird 'Save as' does auto set a long filename which you do not want - if you intended to alter the filename anyway, the current filename would be irrelevant because even if a short option was available you are still going to edit the filename. So Thunderbird 'Save as' option would be best under those particular circumstances.
But for anyone who is happy to use a preset short filename eg: just the Subject or Subject and date etc then the addon works in those situations.