Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Lolu chungechunge lwabekwa kunqolobane. Uyacelwa ubuze umbuzo omusha uma udinga usizo.

Profile folder is suddenly half the size it was a few days ago... Is this a problem?

  • 1 baphendule
  • 1 inale nkinga
  • 8 views
  • Igcine ukuphendulwa ngu jstanway

more options

I back-up my Thunderbird profile folder every week.

I noticed that this week it was less than 50% of the size it was last week.

Upon inspection this appeared to be due to the IMAP folders being much smaller this week. I had to wait for some of the email attachments, which I thought were stored locally, to download.

After a while and after opening as many of these IMAP folders as I could, I checked the size of my profile folder again and it's now about 75% of the size it was last week.

I'm a bit unsettled as the reason I use a desktop-based email client is to act as a temporary local backup for my webmail (IMAP) including email attachments until I get the time to sort through them... but it seems that many of the attachments have disappeared in the last few days (well, I can see them but if I want to open them I have to wait for them to download).

I'm also a little concerned since my profile folder has shrunk to below 50% of what it was and then, in the last few hours has grown to 75% of what it was...

Thunderbird did update itself in the last few days so I wonder whether this changed things?

Things I've tried:

1) Opening & closing thunderbird a few times.

2) Rebooting whole desktop PC several times.

3) Checking Thunderbird's 'Synchronisation & Storage' settings (which seem to be as they should be if I want everything to be downloaded & stored locally)...

I'm thinking of removing and then re-adding my webmail account to Thunderbird to see whether that will rest things a bit

Any thoughts or suggestions?

I back-up my Thunderbird profile folder every week. I noticed that this week it was less than 50% of the size it was last week. Upon inspection this appeared to be due to the IMAP folders being much smaller this week. I had to wait for some of the email attachments, which I thought were stored locally, to download. After a while and after opening as many of these IMAP folders as I could, I checked the size of my profile folder again and it's now about 75% of the size it was last week. I'm a bit unsettled as the reason I use a desktop-based email client is to act as a temporary local backup for my webmail (IMAP) including email attachments until I get the time to sort through them... but it seems that many of the attachments have disappeared in the last few days (well, I can see them but if I want to open them I have to wait for them to download). I'm also a little concerned since my profile folder has shrunk to below 50% of what it was and then, in the last few hours has grown to 75% of what it was... Thunderbird did update itself in the last few days so I wonder whether this changed things? Things I've tried: 1) Opening & closing thunderbird a few times. 2) Rebooting whole desktop PC several times. 3) Checking Thunderbird's 'Synchronisation & Storage' settings (which seem to be as they should be if I want everything to be downloaded & stored locally)... I'm thinking of removing and then re-adding my webmail account to Thunderbird to see whether that will rest things a bit Any thoughts or suggestions?

Isisombululo esikhethiwe

OK - So I managed to sort this by replacing my new, smaller profile folder with an older, 'regular' sized version taken from an Image backup I made a couple of days ago. Seems to be working fine. I'll keep a copy of the 'smaller' folder for a week or so just in case I hit problems...

I still don't know why or how this happened, nor whether it was worthy of my concern..?

Demonstrates the value of making regular, comprehensive backups... :-)

So - 'as you were' and thanks if you've read this...

Funda le mpendulo ngokuhambisana nalesi sihloko 👍 0

All Replies (1)

more options

Isisombululo Esikhethiwe

OK - So I managed to sort this by replacing my new, smaller profile folder with an older, 'regular' sized version taken from an Image backup I made a couple of days ago. Seems to be working fine. I'll keep a copy of the 'smaller' folder for a week or so just in case I hit problems...

I still don't know why or how this happened, nor whether it was worthy of my concern..?

Demonstrates the value of making regular, comprehensive backups... :-)

So - 'as you were' and thanks if you've read this...