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I need to close an email account but want to keep my old messages-will Tbird delete messages if I close this account?

Markdrue
Markdrue
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My current email was included as part of my internet service which recently was changed, and subsequently my account is no longer active. I have messages in my Tbird mail which I want to keep. Will I lose the old messages if I delete it in Tbird? Thanks!

My current email was included as part of my internet service which recently was changed, and subsequently my account is no longer active. I have messages in my Tbird mail which I want to keep. Will I lose the old messages if I delete it in Tbird? Thanks!

All Replies (1)

user01229325
user01229325
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Hopefully you had a POP account and not an IMAP account with your old provider. With POP the entire message is downloaded to your computer. With IMAP the messages stay on the server and you just see them remotely. If you no longer have the account and it was IMAP, the message bodies might be gone already.

If you can still click on the header and see the entire message, you should create a new folder or folders under Local Folders and move the messages there.

When you remove the account info from Thunderbird the messages are hidden and not accessible unless you recreate the account exactly like it was. Move the messages to local folders and you can open them even after removing the old account from Thunderbird. Do this before removing the old account from Thunderbird.