Thunderbird is redownloading all POP3 email
I've been using thunderbird for a few years now without significant problem.
My profile is stored on a samba share which is mapped in windows10 .
I leave all my messages on the pop3 server, there are currently some around 4.5K sitting on the server.
As of a few days ago any time I check for mail thunderbird starts re-downloading all the mail from the server. I have not yet let this complete, I've always simply exited Thunderbird when it starts doing this.
I have the profile directory backed up via rsync and have history going back for the last year. I've tried restoring profile form the last couple of weeks but I see the same behaviour when I restore from any of these profiles.
I've tried compacting the database but no difference.
Any idea what's likely to be causing this? Is it going to be something server-side or is there a thunderbird setting somewhere that's not stored in the profile directory?
Chosen solution
At a guess it is server side.
The "state" of POP3 mail accounts is stored in a file called popstate.dat. The information there relies on the server retaining the same index numbers for mail. Over the last few years there is an uptick in providers treating these index numbers rather cavalierly. First it was Yahoo doing what appeared to be random re-indexing. Others get reset when the provider upgrades their server software, or outsource their mail to yet another poor provider. Basically almost everyone is using IMAP, and have unlimited bandwidth so providers are no all that concerned with those using POP to get their mail. IMAP deletes the duplicates, so most uers may not even see it happening.
The other possible causes are the file becoming corrupted or the server conversation being truncated by an anti virus program that drops the connection early. (most of them insert themselves that tightly into the connection)
In the end, if you want the downloads to stop you have to let it complete.
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Chosen Solution
At a guess it is server side.
The "state" of POP3 mail accounts is stored in a file called popstate.dat. The information there relies on the server retaining the same index numbers for mail. Over the last few years there is an uptick in providers treating these index numbers rather cavalierly. First it was Yahoo doing what appeared to be random re-indexing. Others get reset when the provider upgrades their server software, or outsource their mail to yet another poor provider. Basically almost everyone is using IMAP, and have unlimited bandwidth so providers are no all that concerned with those using POP to get their mail. IMAP deletes the duplicates, so most uers may not even see it happening.
The other possible causes are the file becoming corrupted or the server conversation being truncated by an anti virus program that drops the connection early. (most of them insert themselves that tightly into the connection)
In the end, if you want the downloads to stop you have to let it complete.
Thanks for the information. Now that I've looked into I see that there are a number of plugins available to remove duplicate mails.
I would assume these have appeared due to exactly the problems you describe.
I have been meaning to host my own server for some time now, this will perhaps provide the encouragment I need to finally do so.
Follow-up... just got in touch with my domain host and their response was "we've made a change, switch to IMAP".
Modified by zntrx
zntrx said
Follow-up... just got in touch with my domain host and their response was "we've made a change, switch to IMAP".
That sounds about normal. I might suggest dovecot. I have not used it, but it comes up again and again for folk that host a mail server locally to aggregate mail.