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Downloading messages from ISP's email server

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  • Amsa ta ƙarshe daga amb.biz.1

amb.biz.1
amb.biz.1
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I accidentally discovered that dozens of email messages for a specific period of time (about a week) are still on my ISP's email server. Thunderbird is configured to download all messages to my computer and then delete them from the ISP email server.

Prior to, and since, that period of time (for many years) this has typically worked. Now, however, nothing I do to Thunderbird will get those messages downloaded - I can only access them using my ISP's webmail portal.

Based on web research, I've tried deleting the popstate.dat file and the global-messages-db.sqlite file to try to get Thunderbird to rebuild its indexes and/or POP3 databases to no avail. I've also tried to flag the messages as "unread" using the ISP's webmail portal, again, without success.

Any suggestions?

I accidentally discovered that dozens of email messages for a specific period of time (about a week) are still on my ISP's email server. Thunderbird is configured to download all messages to my computer and then delete them from the ISP email server. Prior to, and since, that period of time (for many years) this has typically worked. Now, however, nothing I do to Thunderbird will get those messages downloaded - I can only access them using my ISP's webmail portal. Based on web research, I've tried deleting the popstate.dat file and the global-messages-db.sqlite file to try to get Thunderbird to rebuild its indexes and/or POP3 databases to no avail. I've also tried to flag the messages as "unread" using the ISP's webmail portal, again, without success. Any suggestions?

All Replies (2)

Matt
Matt
  • Top 10 Contributor
  • Moderator
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I think the very first question here must be. Are the emails appearing in the inbox on the mail server?

POP only accesses what the RFC refers to as the mail drop. In practice most web mail services interpret this to be the inbox as that is where all incoming mail goes.

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amb.biz.1
amb.biz.1 Mai mallakar tambaya
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Thanks for your quick response.

Yes, the emails were showing up in the Inbox of my ISP's mail server.

Having exhausted all options to get Thunderbird to download the messages, I had to go through them and manually delete the spam which comprised the vast majority of the messages. Then, for the small number of remaining messages, I forwarded each one to myself. When these new forwarded messages appeared in the Inbox (right alongside the original messages), Thunderbird downloaded them, and deleted them from the Inbox. My final step was to delete the original messages, leaving my Inbox empty as it normally is (once Thunderbird has downloaded newly arrived messages).

So, some time wasted, but the problem is resolved and hopefully won't recur, though I may have to periodically look at the mail server to be sure everything's getting downloaded properly.

Best regards...

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Yi tambaya

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