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Can't disable messages being saved to Sent folder and duplicating Google's automatic handling of this event

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  • Last reply by sblandford

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I have set up a Gmail account using the wizard and it often gets stuck sending messages trying to save a copy to the Sent folder. On Google this is redundant, since Google does this anyway.

However I still get this message even after I have unchecked the "Place a copy in:" option under the Copies and Folders settings.

Is there some other setting I don't know about that I should disable to stop this happening?

Also, since the wizard knows that I that I am setting up a Google account, why isn't sending a copy to the sent folder disabled by default?

I have set up a Gmail account using the wizard and it often gets stuck sending messages trying to save a copy to the Sent folder. On Google this is redundant, since Google does this anyway. However I still get this message even after I have unchecked the "Place a copy in:" option under the Copies and Folders settings. Is there some other setting I don't know about that I should disable to stop this happening? Also, since the wizard knows that I that I am setting up a Google account, why isn't sending a copy to the sent folder disabled by default?

Chosen solution

OK. I found the reason why it was still trying to send to the Sent folder.

It is because I had extra identities set up under "Manage Identities" in the Settings home page. These were set up for account aliases.

Each identity has its own independent "Copies and Folders" section. Copying to the Sent folder and Archive needs to be disabled for each identity in turn.

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I use gmail imap.

I have subscribed to see the server 'Sent Mail' folder and it displays in the Folder Pane under the gmail imap account. Check it is still properly subscribed: Right click on imap gmail account name in Folder Pane and select the 'Sent Mail' folder, click on 'Subscribe' and click on 'OK.

In my imap gmail Account Settings > Copies & Folders. I have selected:

  • 'Place a copy:'
  • 'Other' and chose the 'Sent Mail folder on gmail account'

Despite using those settings, I do not get duplicates in the gmail imap 'Sent Mail' folder.

Under 'Synchronisation & Storage' I have selected:

  • 'Keep messages for this account on this computer'

clicking on the 'Advanced' button shows the 'Sent Mail' folder as selected.

  • 'synchronise all messages locally regardless of age'


This means it is saving to an mbox file in my profile, which will update server next time it synchronises.


After changing the Account Settings > Copies & Folders, did you restart Thunderbird and then test the sending?

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It shouldn't be necessary to do all that. I have restarted Thunderbird and it is still getting stuck trying to save a copy to the Sent folder even though I have disabled "Save a Copy to Sent Folder".

This is also on more than one Ubuntu-type 16.04 installation.

I think perhaps I should file a bug report as it is looking likely that this is not expected behaviour.

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Chosen Solution

OK. I found the reason why it was still trying to send to the Sent folder.

It is because I had extra identities set up under "Manage Identities" in the Settings home page. These were set up for account aliases.

Each identity has its own independent "Copies and Folders" section. Copying to the Sent folder and Archive needs to be disabled for each identity in turn.