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New Thunderbird 52.2.0 creates errors when compacting IMAP folders. Error "The mail server responded ... unrecogized command" (5 gmail accounts)

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by Mark Lang

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I just updated to Thunderbird 52.2.0. It seemed to be working until I tried to compact folders on my IMAP accounts. I get an error message for an unrecognized command. I could not find any way around it. Reinstalled version 52.1.1, and compacting works fine now. However, on reinstall I did get an error that Lightning plugin is not compatible with this version. I am not sure why I suddenly got that message, but I am not using Lightning anyway. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I just updated to Thunderbird 52.2.0. It seemed to be working until I tried to compact folders on my IMAP accounts. I get an error message for an unrecognized command. I could not find any way around it. Reinstalled version 52.1.1, and compacting works fine now. However, on reinstall I did get an error that Lightning plugin is not compatible with this version. I am not sure why I suddenly got that message, but I am not using Lightning anyway. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Modified by Wayne Mery

All Replies (3)

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Please post a screen shot of the compact issue https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-create-screenshot-my-problem

Also, open in tools > error console. *After* you do the compact is there anything new in the console?

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I first tried compacting all folders together using xpunge, which is what I traditionally do. Under 52.1.1, I get the following message in the activity log shown below as the first image below. Note it is showing trash folders emptied, and two accounts brought up to date (this varies). I reinstalled Thunderbird 52.2.0. The first time I compacted folders just in the markslang.net account it worked fine. I next ran the xpunge to compact all folders, and got the second image below in the activity log. It shows server errors on several accounts/folders. I then ran the compact folders command directly just on my charterpartnersinstitute.org account, and I get a message in the lower right hand corner as shown in the third image. Finally, I found the error console under Tools > Developer Tools. I have included a screen shot from there as the fourth image. This image includes the xpunge plugin I executed, and does not seem to have any errors. There are more messages similar to the CM.Info messages below the portion of the image I captured, but they are all similar to those in the image. I hope this helps.

I don't know if it actually compacted those folders. For some reason, Thunderbird seems to contact the server every time it compacts an IMAP folder. I don't always get a message that the folder has been brought up to date. Only sometimes. But the compact folders command will not run unless I am online. I have not gotten those weird errors in the activity log when compacting folders until I updated to 52.2.0.

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As additional information, the accounts that are having issues are hosted on Google apps. I noticed someone else was having trouble with Google related IMAP folders in Thunderbird 52.2.0.