Looking for someone familiar with Thunderbird 115.18.0 (64-bit) on how it creates personal folders

There is a "Copy To" function in Thunderbird. You can use it to copy your emails/folders between different accounts.

For example, you can create a backup email account pointing to your HDD using Maildir format. After activating this backup account, you can select your emails/folders and copy them to the backup account. These emails/folders will then be saved to your HDD and can be access via the backup account just like local files.

There is a "Copy To" function in Thunderbird. You can use it to copy your emails/folders between different accounts. For example, you can create a backup email account pointing to your HDD using Maildir format. After activating this backup account, you can select your emails/folders and copy them to the backup account. These emails/folders will then be saved to your HDD and can be access via the backup account just like local files.

Well, I messed up on this. I wrote an important reply with a couple more questions, and had trouble getting it to "send". Thought it had gone, but got busy enough that I thought I would get an email indicating any further help. Wrong! I see that it never got sent at all.

One question I had was, since I still have the unused "old account" that stopped working (see the top of the graphic in the previous post) what's the best way to configure it in a way that I can use it for an "alternate" account, even though it shouldn't go or receive anything. If I can do that, I could leave nearly all the previously used "archive" folders (attached to the "old account name". Then all I would have to do is move the "new account" back up to the top of the list of folders.

All those personal folders are still directed to the correlating hard drive folders in the default profile. I trust I haven't waited too long for you to get back to me, Gshantz

re :Just to help clarify, here's the location of the old folders as per the "properties" info. mailbox:///E:/thunderbird data/thunderbird/yetudx3p.default/Mail/Local Folders/Friends & family

OK, so it looks like you moved the 'profile name folder called 'yetudx3p.default' onto the E Drive.

You are talking about the 'Local Folders' account. That is not a Pop account nor an imap account.

The folders in that account listed at the top seem to be unusual - messed up - it has a load of default folders in the 'Archives' folder such as 'Outbox', 'Junk', and 'Trash'. None of them should be in the 'Archives' folder. Move them back out of the 'Archives' folder - you have to drag and drop them into the account name at the top in order to put them in the proper location.

'Outbox' is a folder usually located in 'Local Folders' and it's used by all mail accounts when using 'Send Later'.

So I'm wondering - Did you rename the 'Local Folders' account to say your email address ? I have a suspicion that that account at the top is really your 'Local Folders' account. Do this:

• In 'Account Settings'
• Select the name of that old proton email address account name.
• Look on the right side - what does it say ?
• Does it 'The following is a special account....'
• If yes, then that is your Local Folders' account.
• Where it says 'Account Name' - remove all content and type 'Local Folders'

That will stop all the confusion over account names and it will also match local directory name. So from now onwards I'm calling that top old account 'Local Folders'.

If I'm right and it was the 'Local Folders' account just been misnamed then all of those emails are stored on your computer and they do not synchronise with any server. They are an independent copy of emails on your computer.

I would recommend that you leave all of those folders alone because you can still see all the emails.

Regarding the new account. That is an imap account and it can only display whatever is on he server. So emails are stored on the server and you are getting a mirror like view of the server. You should not consider any imap folder as being a true independent copy on your computer. If the emails are fully downloaded then it can be used to create a backup which you store on an external drive. However, because all imap folders synchronise with server they are not a true independent copy on computer.

If you want to get all those emails stored in all those various folders that are currently in the 'Local Folders' account uploaded back onto the server in order to see them in the imap account, then please note, it will decrease your available quota on the server, so you may end up having to get them back off the server again. You would need to create folders in the imap account in order to receive them. You would then need to highlight a batch of emails, use right click 'Copy To' and select the imap folder you created. Please note uploading emails via imap back onto a server is not a quick exercise. You would need to find out what limitations are set by the server. You may find you can only upload X per hour or daily. Personally, I would not bother unless you use more than one computer in different locations and really need to see all those emails currently in 'Local Folders'.

Perhaps you would like to rearrange the position of the accounts in the Folder Pane. Maybe you would like the new imap protonmail account to be at the top, If yes:

• In 'Account Settings'
• In the Left Pane
• Left click and hold down the name of the new imap protonmail account and drag it up above the 'Local Folders' account/old account.

This will then rearrange the Folder Pane.