I don't know where to start, so let's go to the beginning. Do you feel comfortable in installing TB? First, uninstall whatever you did so we will have a fresh start. Second, go to thunderbird dot net and download TB Third, install the software, but do NOT attempt to run it.

Next, do you want all messages you send and receive to be stored on your PC (called POP)? or do you want all messages stored online so you can access from anywhere, either your PC, your phone, etc. (called IMAP)? Specify the name of the email server you will be using, e.g., AOL, YAHOO, etc? That will be a good start. Tell us what you know and we'll proceed from there. But first, uninstall and reinstall TB.

Thank you David. Before I uninstall the program from this PC I would like to communicate a bit with things like you asked. What do I know? I have been using Thunderbird for a number of years (too many) and believe I recall setting up functions that I do not see this time. To start you should understand I pay for my own web server at Ipower.com where I have access to Webmail (squirlmail). With that function I have for years always started by logging into that service, reviewed all new incoming email and removing those in which I have no interest. Then I review the spam which had been filtered by my server and move those items I do not consider Spam back to the inbox and then purge the trash. When I am traveling I simply leave the inbox in tack and have room for some 700 emails depending on attachments. Until this month I have never had more than150 to 200 on that server before I had an opportunity to download to my business PC at my office. This month I have survived a full knee replacement and not able to go to my office. Therefore the inbox got over loaded and stopped accepting incoming email. In a rush I downloaded the Thunderbird software to my home computer then proceeded to activate it only to find it downloading the 300 plus emails from the inbox then 700 sent files all which have disappeared on my home computer I suppose. Before I realized what was happening I then went to the Webmail and deleted all those files to restart that service. Since then I realized the download did not delete the files from Webmail as they were downloaded as has been my experience in the past. In addition I have never downloaded Sent or Draft emails from the server with my Thunderbird software. Finally in this Thunderbird program as displayed on my home PC I do not see the folders for Trash, Sent or Draft files nor have I found a link to creating those folders. I suspect the email that was downloaded from Webmail yesterday I might find all those I consider lost at this time. Now I hope we can go on with this discussion. I really do not want to add to the problem if there is a chance I can rescue any of it first. I sincerely thank you for the chance to resolve this issue

Okay, it sounds like you set up an IMAP account, as that would retrieve both sent and incoming. If you deleted from the server, then the only copies you could have would be the ones in Thunderbird on your harddrive. You mentioned the downloaded copies all disappeared? Possibly because you deleted from the web - IMAP attempts to keep web and PC in sync. On retrieving the lost messages, I suggest to ask the web host if they keep backups. On the trash, sent and draft folders, my suggestion is to highlight the account name in left pane, right-click and select 'subscribe' and, from that next pane, click the folders you want to see. If already ticked, untick and retick.

Although this wasn't a pleasant experience with TB this time, setting the same account up for POP might be useful in the future, as that framework would only download from the inbox. I regret you had this problem. If I can further assist, let me know.

Thanks again however, your reply is hard for me to follow. I am very old and really not well suited for this type of correspondence. I really need more detail in the steps I need to follow. I have once again tried to delete messages on my Webmail account and then found the messages were deleted from thunderbird on my computer. I suspect that means what you described as imap and editing on either platform affects both. It is getting late for me and another download may actually be the correct way to start over. Over the years POP3 was the description of the server at Ipower but this time that was not an option? I really need help now and screwed up even the email that was sent to identify this exchange today. I logged back into Mozilla for Thunderbird Support and found your message. None of this is easy for me. I would think now I really should uninstall Thunderbird and start over but would really like to get a step by step description of what I need to do when it is installed again.

Okay, when you installed TB, it defaulted to IMAP, which is not what you wanted. You don't need to reinstall TB, just install a new account in POP layout. AFTER that is installed, then delete the IMAP account. Here are steps:

After starting TB, click file>new>get a new email account On next screen, click 'use an existing email account' On next screen, enter name and email id. At bottom of screen 'configure manually' will appear. click it. On next screen, enter account info, being sure to replace IMAP with POP. After finishing setup, you can go to tools>account settings and review the various settings, such as frequency of checking mail, whether to empty trash on exit, etc. Now, highlight the IMAP account in left pane, rightclick and click Settings. With account name highlighted, look partway down screen to Account Actions. Click that and select 'remove account' - this will remove the IMAP account and prevent future problems. Let me know questions as you go.

Thank you so much. I was able to install a POP3 version of my email account however, I never found file or any other tab or link you described and now I do not see a way to remove the first account. As I mentioned in my first post I have not seen tools or a way to add to the tool bar. I am using the account now listed on the left column as (pop3) and will return to the webmail to see if those emails which are now downloaded have been removed from the server. I suspect not in that I have not made those instructions and have no idea how to find them. I sincerely appreciate all the effort you have take to get me out of this mess and hope that we can get to a resolution with these final steps.

Place cursor near top of TB window and rightclick and select Menu bar. That should bring up the menu. Then continue with the steps I mentioned.

I was able to find the tools in the Menu Bar. Thank you. I had not found that until now. Unforntunately, I am not able to find Account Actions in order to remove the prior account. I did find the frequency of checking mail and corrected that. I think I may have seen empty trash upon exit and did not think that applied to the files I had downloaded and could go back to correct that.. I do still need to find the remove account link.

I'm glad you're making progress. To delete old account, go to tools>accountsettings, highlight the account to remove and just below all account info in left pane is ACCOUNT ACTIONS.

Thank you so very much. Yes indeed this resolved that issue. Of course those links were always there however, I must never have had them open in the correct sequence in the past for some odd reason. I had never clicked on what looks like a title rather than a link for Account Actions. That was the tool I needed and it worked in a second. David you have been very patient and for me very productive. I hope to have this program working well for me in the future. I hope to be returning to my office in about a month and do not plan to download from my Webmail to this computer after that but it is really great to have it now. Not sure I mentioned earlier I am now two weeks into recovery from full knee replacement surgery and taking narcotic pain medicine that prevents me from going to my office let alone the store etc. I have made good progress according to the surgeon that saw me yesterday and expects me to continue for another month before giving up the pain meds. By the way when I did tell you I am old I a guessing you think 78 is old and I will celebrate that next week.

I am glad things are working out for you. By the way, I am 81. I'm glad your knee is doing better. Life happens one day at a time. Go easy on yourself.

Sorry to keep bugging you. I have found that I have two more problems with incompatibility between Thunderbird and my server at Ipower.com

 Of course I did not notice it until after you had resolved the downloading and deleting issue we worked on earlier.  I am clearly not able to send email from my Thunderbird client on my PC. It seems after two hours of assistance from Ipower I am missing a password on the outbound settings.  In fact I am not able to find the original profile on which I put the password in order to access the files on the server at Ipower at all.  

The error message I get from Ipower is that the server has timed out and I am not able to send the email I am trying to send. That has been the case with every email I have written so far since installing this client on my PC. Another issue I would think is Ipower only and that is I am no longer being advised of SPAM which has always been in a separate folder on my Webmail and their foreign customer service agents don't seem to understand what I am telling them.

  Hope you have had a pleasant weekend and I look forward to hearing from you again.  Hope I have covered the necessary details but willing to answer any questions I may have created.

Of course I did not notice it until after you had resolved the downloading and deleting issue we worked on earlier. I am clearly not able to send email from my Thunderbird client on my PC. It seems after two hours of assistance from Ipower I am missing a password on the outbound settings. In fact I am not able to find the original profile on which I put the password in order to access the files on the sever at all.

 The error message I get from Ipower is that the server has timed out and I am not able to send the email I am trying to send. That has been the case with every email I have written so far since installing this client on my PC. Another issue I would think is Ipower only and that is I am no longer being advised of SPAM which has always been in a separate folder on my Webmail and their foreign customer service agents don't seem to understand what I am telling them.
  Hope you have had a pleasant weekend and I look forward to hearing from you again.  Hope I have covered the necessary details but willing to answer any questions I may have created.

Well, I'm not sure of your other problems, but the password issue I can help a bit. To change it, go to tools>preferences>privacy&security and click the SavedPasswords button. It should show a line for the incoming server and the smtp server. Click the button to ShowPasswords. Now, highlight the line with smtp server, right-click and a menu will open with the option to edit password. Good luck.

Well I was able to follow those instructions and found I had two different entries for smtp. I deleted the one that read smtp.ipower.com and tried to send email with the one that said smtp.wheels-etc.com and it continued to show unable to send. So I went back to the password only to find I have no way to add that again? Any idea what I am missing again? What I mean is both smtp lines are now missing from that function. How do I put that back in place in order to try it again without the conflict of two different names.

I think you are saying that you deleted BOTH of the smtp settings. I will assume the one you need is the one for ipower. Whatever it is, it must be the one on your account. First, you need to add the server info. To do that, go to tools>account settings, and scroll down the left pane until you get to Outgoing Server (SMTP). You can add the server info there. Second, go to tools>account settings, highlight the account name in left pane and scroll to bottom of right pane, where you can specify the smtp server to use. On first use, I think you will be prompted for the password. If not, you have earlier info on where to locate and set the password.

Thank you. You do understand the problem however, I have the server information in the settings but I have removed the smtp.ipower.com listing in the password & security. You suggested it may prompt me for that password on my first attempt to send a message and it did not. I will try again now and complete this message. It seems you are 100% correct again. I tried to send a test to another account and it asked for the password and when entered it completed the send. What a great relief this is finally after so many days. Thank you, Thank You, Thank you.

You are most welcome. I am very pleased that all is well. Please close this thread to remove it from the open problems list. Thanks.

Thanks for the reminder I will mark this issue resolved and that should close it online I hope. It really was a struggle for me and you were a God Send. Thank you again for your time and patience.