Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Thunderbird mail accounts

  • 9 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by MikeZZ

more options

I use Yahoo Mail and they have decided that they want me to remove my current Yahoo account profile from Thunderbird and create a new one and register the password for security purposes, which I did. there must be other people who received the same instruction. That's fine, and being an IMAP user I've got all my messages and folders back. But is there a way of recovering all the filtering rules I'd set up, which got deleted when I removed the account?

I use Yahoo Mail and they have decided that they want me to remove my current Yahoo account profile from Thunderbird and create a new one and register the password for security purposes, which I did. there must be other people who received the same instruction. That's fine, and being an IMAP user I've got all my messages and folders back. But is there a way of recovering all the filtering rules I'd set up, which got deleted when I removed the account?

Chosen solution

Filters are stored in the msgFilterRules.dat file in each account subfolder of Mail or ImapMail, e.g. ImapMail\imap.mail.yahoo.com, and can be copied between accounts or from an old profile folder to a new one, with TB closed.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (9)

more options

No. not unless you had a backup. Filter rules are stored within the mail account folder.

Yahoo are being a real pain. They are advising people to delete their mail accounts when all they need to do is access the Account Settings for the yahoo account and change the incoming and outgoing server smtp settings for Authentication Method to OAuth2. Then restart Thunderbird to get the yahoo prompt to set up oauth token.

more options

Anyone know how to post a new question in the Thunderbird support question? I can't seem to find the start new thread option.

Thanks

Modified by MikeZZ

more options

Thank you @Toad-Hall , yes I agree they've been a pain, it's not the end of the world, I can set up new rules as and when appropriate emails come in. At least I now know there's a short cut for my wife's account.

I just wondered if there might be some lingering trace of the old rules in a profile folder somewhere.

more options

Chosen Solution

Filters are stored in the msgFilterRules.dat file in each account subfolder of Mail or ImapMail, e.g. ImapMail\imap.mail.yahoo.com, and can be copied between accounts or from an old profile folder to a new one, with TB closed.

more options

@sfhowes , You sir, are only a flipping genius!!!

more options

MikeZZ From Thunderbird Help > Thunderbird Help Then scroll down and click on 'Ask the community' Select 'Thunderbird' Top right 'Ask the community' - click on 'ask now'

If in a forum question At the top of page click on 'get Help' and then select click on 'Ask the community' Select 'Thunderbird' Top right 'Ask the community' - click on 'ask now'

more options

Thanks Todd, I tried from a forum question from Firefox 77.0.1 and there was no 'Ask the community' on the top right. See the attached screenshot

From within Thunderbird it does work as you described

more options

The image shows you looking at a question, so obviously, at that point in time, you had not even started to follow any of the instructions.

You need to hover the mouse over the words 'Get Help' which is visible at the top, then you would get a large drop down in which you would see and need to click on 'Ask the community' Then you would select 'Thunderbird' and at that point you would get 'Ask the community' on the top right, where you can select 'Ask Now'.

more options

I see what I did wrong. When I hovered 'Get Help' I saw 5 Firefox options and 'browse all product forums', clicked that and selected Thunderbird. This leads back to the questions.

Ask the community needed to be clicked first.

Thanks