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Run account filters on imported mbox messages

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  • Last reply by Matt

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I need to import a bunch of old emails that are in a mbox file. I can import them to a local folder - but I then REALLY need to just have all those messages run through the filters I've setup for my account. That will spread them out to the various folders I keep things sorted in.

Is there any way of doing this?

I need to import a bunch of old emails that are in a mbox file. I can import them to a local folder - but I then REALLY need to just have all those messages run through the filters I've setup for my account. That will spread them out to the various folders I keep things sorted in. Is there any way of doing this?

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open the filters dialog listing your filters. Select the filters you want to run. Ctrl will allow the selected list entries to be changed. Selecting one, holding shift and clicking lower in the list will select those clicked and everything in between. Judicious use of the shift first and the ctrl after to deselect unwanted filters will make the process go more simply.

Select the folder you want it to filter through. Click run now.

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Except that won't work. The filters were created on an account. The folder of imported mbox messages is in Local Folders. The "Run selected filters on:" box only allows choosing folders that are part of the account, NOT any folder that is in the "Local Folders" tree.

So far, the only way I've found to do it is to exit thunderbird, and manually edit the msgFilterRules.dat file for "Local Folders" and copy in all the rules from the one for the account. This is a stupid way to have to do it.

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Cougar2 said

Except that won't work. This is a stupid way to have to do it.

Regularly importing mbox files sounds to me like an odd thing to do as well, let alone wanting to auto filter them.

Personally I would just copy the msgfilterrules.dat file, not mess with it.

There is a feeback forum, perhaps you might want to suggest the idea there. https://connect.mozilla.org/

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