Save contents of local folders on hard drive
I periodically get a warning that my email box is almost full. Emails I wish to keep have been put into various named folders according to category, under what I believe are called local folders (see 'email folders' doc attached). As I understand it, these folders contribute to the quota allowed in my email box. I wish to be able to save these folders onto my hardrive so I can easily access their contents at will, thus freeing up space on my isp's server. Is this achievable, please? I'm still using Windows XP sp3 if that is relevant.
Chosen solution
In Thunderbird IMAP folders show a remote view of the server folders. You subscribe to see those folders. Email headers are downloaded and when you select to read an email, it is downloaded to a temporary cache. These emails are kept on the server. If you go into 'Offline mode' you will not be able to read them.
If you sychronise subscribed folders, a copy of the folder is downloaded and stored in your Thunderbird Profile as an mbox file. These synchronised folders constantly update to show what is on the server, you if you delete or move an email in Thunderbird folders, it is also updated on the server. These emails are on both your computer and server, but they get synchronised. If you go into 'Offline mode' you will be able to read them because a copy is in your Profile folder.
As the server is telling you that your quota is nearly full, it is refering to any email in any folder on the server. So this also refers to any email in your IMAP mail account folders.
How to keep a copy on your computer and be able to remove emails off the server: You must 'synchronise' all your subscribed folders to get a copy in your Profile.
Info on synchronising imap folders.
When synchronising has completed, go into 'Offline Mode' to stop further synchronising those folders.
How to go into Offline Mode: click on the 2 blue screen icon located bottom left in Status bar. When Offline it will change to 2 black screen icon.
Create a backup of your Profile.- For safety reasons: Store the backup outside of Thunderbird. You could create a folder on your desktop called 'TB Backup' for them.
In Local Folder account: Create some suitablly named folders in 'Local Folders' ready to receive emails. Move all emails you are wanting to delete off the server, from the IMAP folders into those new folders in 'Local Folders' account. Check they have moved correctly by selecting to view random emails. When you are certain you have a copy in Local Folders, delete couple of emails from the imap folder and recheck you can still read it in Local Folders, if all is ok then delete the emails in the IMAP folders.
When the emails are safely in Local Folders. Compact all folders. File > Compact folders. Allow time for compacting. then go back into Online mode.
How to go into Online Mode: click on the 2 black screen icon located bottom left in Status bar. When Online it will change to 2 blue screen icon.
The imap folders will synchronise with server.
Now logon to server webmail account using a browser. check the folders to make sure emails have been deleted off server.
If you have a gmail account: Also check the 'All Mail' folder as it is gmails archive and keeps a copy of everything. Make sure you only delete emails you do not want or have a copy n your Thunderbird Local Folders - as deleting from this folder will delete any emails in other folders.
Hope this information resolves your situation.
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Usually when you see the word quota, it is refering to your server folders.
IMAP accounts: If you have an IMAP mail account, you can move/copy emails into 'Local Folders' account in Thunderbird. Emails in 'Local Folder' account are kept on your computer and out of the IMAP server. You can back them up separately for safety, but you do not need to move them anywhere else.
After making sure you have a copy of emails in Local Folders, you can delete the emails in the IMAP mail account and they will then be deleted off the server.
Pop mail accounts: If you have a pop mail account, those emails are already stored on your computer, so you do not need to move them into Local Folders and those pop account folders do not synchronise with server folders.
It is still a good idea to have a backup. Logon to webmail account and delete old emails to create space.
In addition:
If you have a gmail account:
Gmail keeps a copy of everything in the 'All Mail' folder.
You may want to check this folder by logging on to your webmail account using a browser and delete emails from that folder.
Please note that any emails you delete from the 'All Mail' folder will be deleted from all other folders on the server.
So if you use an IMAP mail account, those emails will also disappear from your Thunderbird imap account folders because IMAP mail accoounts synchronise with server folders, hence the need to make sure copies are in Local Folders first.
OK thanks, Toad-Hall.
My query was the result of the following statement from tiscali.The 'etc.' made me wonder.
'Note: mail kept in folders such as 'Trash', 'Deleted Items', etc. count towards your quota'.
How do I determine what is and is not classed as a local folder, please?
Quota refers to emails stored in any folder on the server.
'Local Folders' account in Thunderbird has nothing to do with the server, it is a bunch of folders and files in your Thunderbird Profile stored on your computer.
What type of account do you have - is it POP or IMAP ?
It's IMAP.
Chosen Solution
In Thunderbird IMAP folders show a remote view of the server folders. You subscribe to see those folders. Email headers are downloaded and when you select to read an email, it is downloaded to a temporary cache. These emails are kept on the server. If you go into 'Offline mode' you will not be able to read them.
If you sychronise subscribed folders, a copy of the folder is downloaded and stored in your Thunderbird Profile as an mbox file. These synchronised folders constantly update to show what is on the server, you if you delete or move an email in Thunderbird folders, it is also updated on the server. These emails are on both your computer and server, but they get synchronised. If you go into 'Offline mode' you will be able to read them because a copy is in your Profile folder.
As the server is telling you that your quota is nearly full, it is refering to any email in any folder on the server. So this also refers to any email in your IMAP mail account folders.
How to keep a copy on your computer and be able to remove emails off the server: You must 'synchronise' all your subscribed folders to get a copy in your Profile.
Info on synchronising imap folders.
When synchronising has completed, go into 'Offline Mode' to stop further synchronising those folders.
How to go into Offline Mode: click on the 2 blue screen icon located bottom left in Status bar. When Offline it will change to 2 black screen icon.
Create a backup of your Profile.- For safety reasons: Store the backup outside of Thunderbird. You could create a folder on your desktop called 'TB Backup' for them.
In Local Folder account: Create some suitablly named folders in 'Local Folders' ready to receive emails. Move all emails you are wanting to delete off the server, from the IMAP folders into those new folders in 'Local Folders' account. Check they have moved correctly by selecting to view random emails. When you are certain you have a copy in Local Folders, delete couple of emails from the imap folder and recheck you can still read it in Local Folders, if all is ok then delete the emails in the IMAP folders.
When the emails are safely in Local Folders. Compact all folders. File > Compact folders. Allow time for compacting. then go back into Online mode.
How to go into Online Mode: click on the 2 black screen icon located bottom left in Status bar. When Online it will change to 2 blue screen icon.
The imap folders will synchronise with server.
Now logon to server webmail account using a browser. check the folders to make sure emails have been deleted off server.
If you have a gmail account: Also check the 'All Mail' folder as it is gmails archive and keeps a copy of everything. Make sure you only delete emails you do not want or have a copy n your Thunderbird Local Folders - as deleting from this folder will delete any emails in other folders.
Hope this information resolves your situation.