POP mail accounts. Pop mail accounts can only access and download from the server Inbox to the pop mail account Inbox in thunderbird. They do not get access to any other folder. All pop mail accounts work this way. All mail is stored in your Profile folder name mail account. You can create other folders for organising and storing messages.

Usually, when emails are downloaded from a server Inbox, they are deleted from the server Inbox. You can change this: Tools > Account Settings > Server Settings for pop mail account or right click on mail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings' then select 'Server Settings' for the pop mail account select : 'Leave messages on server' You can also select none, either or both of these options: 'fora t most xx days' 'Until I delete them' click on OK to save changes and close Account settings.

Webmail accounts accessed via a browser will show all the server folders. If you have set up your pop mail account to leave a copy on the server, then it will be visible in the server Inbox. But you cannot see any Thunderbird pop mail account folders via a webmail, only server folders.

IMAP mail accounts: Imap mail accounts see a remote view of folders on the server. You subscribe to see folders. Headers are downloaded and when you select to see an email, it is downloaded from server and stored in a temporary file. These emails are not stored in Thunderbird. You cannot view emails in offline mode.

if you synchronise those subscribed folders then a copy of the folder is downloaded and stored in the Thunderbird profile folder. These folders synchronise with the server, so if you delete an email in webmail or thunderbird, it is deleted from the server, so will be deleted from both. You can view these emails in offline mode.

Local Folders mail account In addition, you will see a 'Local Folders' account in Thunderbird. Emails stored in these folders are stored on your computer in the thunderbird profile folder name. Some people use Local Folders as a global inbox for pop mail accounts.

Some people who use imap mail accounts, store messages in the 'Local Folders' account as a means of taking them off the server to reduce quota useage.

How do I know what type of mail I have created? Tools > Account Settings > Server Settings for pop mail account or right click on mail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings' then select 'Server Settings' for the pop mail account at the top it will say: 'Server Type' and either Pop or Imap Mail Server

Where are my emails stored in Thunderbird? In your Profile folder name. More info here:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

So if I set up Thunderbird as an IMAP client I should be able to see the folders on the server?

If you set up IMAP you will see whatever folders are on the server. That is how it works.