Inbox space limit
Hi, I’m a Mac User (OSX 10.11.6). My Thunderbird (45.4.0) inbox folder is completely full. I have tried deleting all my useless emails and I have been compacting the inbox folder for a long time. Now I have reached the point of no return and I cannot repeat this process again. I have institutional emails that I have to keep all together with new and future ones. I went to the directory /User/UserName/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/…/Mail/pop.googlemail.com/ and there is the Inbox file that has a size 4.28GB . As far as I have understood from other users, Thunderbird has set a limit to this size. Is it possible to unlock it or at least raise it? I have plenty of disk space available and I’ll not mind if it gets slower. I have found that the “solution” that is commonly proposed is to delete the files “Inbox.msf” and “Inbox”… but in this way, I believe, I’m going to lose my previous mails which is an alternative not a real solution to this issue. Right now I’m completely stuck with my work activity, can you please help me? Thank you in advance for your time and kindness
Chosen solution
I'm not a Mac-user but as a folder is a single file as you know and this file is big it will take time to search. To incorporate this file into inbox isn't a good advice even if it works. Any new mail has to be entered at the end of Inbox folder (file)
If your search is with fixed criteria you can set up a search in edit/find and then safe it as a "search-folder" You can search the whole account that way, just say it should run on account-name
Or just use this way of searching Ctrl+Shift+F is a shortcut.
To maintain a healthy mail-client Keep your inbox small and compact regularly.
EDIT If you insist on having Old-Inbox as a subfolder to Inbox just mark the folder and move (drag) it to Inbox
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (4)
I would suggest that you in /User/UserName/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/…/Mail/pop.googlemail.com/ For your safety you can first copy INBOX somewhere else.
- Rename your inbox to something unique
- Delete Inbox.msf
The Inbox files will be regenerated and your old mail are under the new name. I don't know why but fx Inbox-old doesn't work but Old_inbox does.
EDIT If you use to save a copy on server then that might be lost. Or it just sits there and you have to delete it using webmail
Modified by Gnospen
Dear Gnospen,
thanks for your answer. I followed your suggestion. You have partially solved the issue and I can be “back at work”. Thank you so much for this. I have been checking for 1 day and it seems that no mail have been cancelled and this is a good point.
It is though very awkward and time consuming to do a separate email search (the quick filter for selecting mails) every time. Is it possible to incorporate the folder Old_inbox into the main Inbox in Thunderbird?
Right now I have a folder called Old_inbox having the same hierarchic level in the application menu, like Drafts,Sent etc. but, for mail filtering purposes, it is located outside the Inbox where I am receiving the new mails.
Thanks in advance Best regards
Chosen Solution
I'm not a Mac-user but as a folder is a single file as you know and this file is big it will take time to search. To incorporate this file into inbox isn't a good advice even if it works. Any new mail has to be entered at the end of Inbox folder (file)
If your search is with fixed criteria you can set up a search in edit/find and then safe it as a "search-folder" You can search the whole account that way, just say it should run on account-name
Or just use this way of searching Ctrl+Shift+F is a shortcut.
To maintain a healthy mail-client Keep your inbox small and compact regularly.
EDIT If you insist on having Old-Inbox as a subfolder to Inbox just mark the folder and move (drag) it to Inbox
Modified by Gnospen
I see. Thanks a lot for your advice! The Ctrl+Shift+F command works as suggested