In account settings / copies and folders you can set what to do. You could direct a copy of any sent message to your local folders (I do)

Outbox is for messages that isn't yet sent (send later and offline) Any messages there should be sent as soon as it's possible and by that empty itself.

In IMAP accounts your sent-folder might be on server.

I tried adjusting account settings, but hasn't worked - no Sent Items folder has appeared.

Where do you direct your sent messages? If its on server, have you subscribed to it? You could, as I do, use a sent-folder in Local folders to collect sent-messages from all accounts.

There should be a Sent items folder in my Local folders as you suggest but though I have set this up in account settings, it has not appeared. My sent messages simply disappear. My other account works fine - I checked if my sent items were going there, but no.

First make a sent folder under Local folders Then in account settings / copies & folders mark Other and go thru the folder-tree to Local Folders / sent

I followed your advice, got a sent items folder set up, but emails still dont go to it, even though when I send an email, a message says "sending copy to sent folder"

Can you take a snapshot from your config file? if so I want you to open config editor You find it under options / advanced / general the button in the advanced configuration part

Promise not to do any harm. Any change is immediate.

Search for : fcc_folder and take a snapshot of that X out of config editor Paste this image in your answer

Heres the snapshot you asked for .Hope it helps. Sorry for the delayed reply.

looks fine to me You did use other? (image 1)

Have you tried to subscribe to your IMAP accounts SENT?

Right click on account name and select subscribe and the sent-folder If you cant see it check your account settings on the server (use webmail) And change the settings for copies to point to this folder (image 2)

I looked in subscribe as you advised - theres only Inbox listed there. Sorry to be a dummy, but I don't know how to access my settings on the server, nor do I know what IMAP account means!

You can reach the server settings for your account thru webmail.

Try enter http://abelgratis.co.uk and follow any leads to webmail.

You can read about POP and IMAP on this site http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/2_POP_vs_IMAP.html

I got to the server following your instructions and indeed found my sent messages there. Only hurdle now is there doesn't seem to be a way to redirect them directly to my pc email. I also tried the route described on the chrisramsden page, but no "leave mssgs on server" setting found.

I got to the server following your instructions and indeed found my sent messages there. Only hurdle now is there doesn't seem to be a way to redirect them directly to my pc email.

I cant tell what options you have on server, but I would guess you have choices like what folders to show in IMAP. If sent is set to show then you can subscribe to it from inside Thunderbird Sent can sometimes be named "Sent Items"

I also tried the route described on the chrisramsden page, but no "leave mssgs on server" setting found.

This is ONLY an option for POP -setups. As they always wants to download the original msgs to a PC (And thereby deleting it from server). This option prevent the deletion.

IMAP keeps all original msgs on server. and downloads a copy of either only the header or sometimes the msg. Sync keeps the two (or more) folders synchronized. If you delete a msg or move it outside IMAP-account folders it will be deleted from the server.

You can access all your mail from may different units. But the downside is that if you delete on one of your units it will be removed from all other units views of the account folders.

Easiest is to think at what you see is only a view into whats on server.

Then there are different ways of securing msgs. Like copying to local folders and making backups.

I guess I have to live with that. I notice that messages made as replies to inbox mssgs do go into my sent file, so thats something! Thanks for your time sorting this out.

Gnospen said

You can read about POP and IMAP on this site http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/2_POP_vs_IMAP.html

That link shouldn't work. I don't have an account with vfast.co.uk (the webhost/ISP) and have not for several years. I guess they simply haven't taken my site down yet.

I moved my site here: http://xenos-email-notes.simplesite.com/ and the particular page you cited is now here: http://xenos-email-notes.simplesite.com/416814285

It's ugly but it's free and my current ISP no longer offers free webspace. :-(

@Zenos Thank you for the new link and thank you for creating it.