MESSAGES IN 'INFOLDER' ARE DELETED AFTER ABOUT 5-7 DAYS

The setting within Thunderbird that could impact that are found at <Accounts Settings | Synchronization & Storage | Disk Space>. There you can set it to delete messages over a certain number or a certain age. You can also set this per folder. That is found by a right-click on the folder name, choose "Properties" from the context menu, then the "Retention Policy" tab.

Keep in mind that if you have other devices, like phones or tablets, that access this account, they could be deleting things as well. Also, your email provider might also have their own retention policies.

In 'Disk Space' I have set it to "synchronize the most recent 30 days", and set "don't delete any message". I guess I will have to wait several days to see if the older messages are still kept. tnx for your help. Al

It is still doing it. Seems like I had seen setting that could change he cache size. But can't find any more. IIRC, it was set too 1000mb (1gb?). What should it be? Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated. tnx, Al

The cache stores temporary files, like images, to make messages display faster, the same as a web browser does. It doesn't impact message retention. So, whatever the cause cause may turn out to be... the cache setting isn't it.

I should have asked this in my first response: Is this an IMAP account or POP3? And might you have another device that uses the OPPOSITE type of connection? They could act at cross-purposes.

There's a setting that applies to POP3 only: <Account Settings | Server Settings | Leave Messages on server>. Depending on your chosen settings, it could delete messages on the server after x number of days, though it should leave messages that have already been downloaded to the local device untouched. But then, if you have another device that retrieves email via IMAP, it would find those older messages gone and so delete the local copies as well. It's an unusual scenario, but possible.

Hi lin, tnx agn 4 ur reply. It is IMAP, but occasionally I ck email from my ifone. I don't know anything abt Apple settings. This could arise from that? Only use very few of Apple's features, was forced into it when I bought a new car that didn't have a way to upload to it any music, but did take it from the Apple-play.

Yes, it could be that. I don't know Apple devices, but if you let the iPhone automatically set up the account there's a chance that it chose to do it as POP3. There must be a way to check on its settings - can you post them here? I'm particularly interested in the incoming server name and if there's any indication whether it's POP3 or IMAP. You might even find some setting equivalent to Thunderbird's "Leave Messages on server" setting.

Who is your email provider?

My email provider is Spectrum. I'll get a look in the ifone to see if I can find anything. probablly need a 12 yr old kid. I'll ask my (full grown) daughter, she loves her Apple.

it appears that the iphone uses IMAP

And I won't use it to ck email for a wk or 2.

Aw, heck, there goes that theory. I will keep thinking on it.

Yes, please keep testing, though it seems like that's probably not the factor.