How can I download folders from my email client?
My email service is shutting down soon and I would like to save all my email data locally. I created a POP3 account, but the folders I have set up online do not show up in Thunderbird. How can I get Thunderbird to sync emails and folders both so it looks very similar to what it's like on the web?
Chosen solution
POP mail accounts can only get access and download from the server Inbox. This is not a Thunderbird quirk, it is how all pop mail accounts work. But you can work with it.
You have two options. Option 1: Continue with the POP mail account and do the following. Note all emails downloaded to a pop mail account are automatically stored in your Thunderbird profile folder, but as you may want to delete that pop mail account at a later date, I would suggest you follow instructions to move them into Local Folders, although this could be done at a later date.
Create folder in 'Local Folders' mail account in Thunderbird. Move all emails out of Inbox into that folder, so the Inbox is empty. This just makes it easier when you are downloading loads of emails and do not want to mix them up. Then it is easy to select all emails and move as a block or if a lot of emails, in chunks.
Logon to webmail account using a browser. select a folder - (not Inbox) and move all emails into server 'Inbox'
then in Thunderbird, click on 'Get Messages' to download all of those emails into the Pop mail account Inbox. Create a suitably named folder in 'Local Folders' mail account and move all emails out of Inbox into that folder.
Repeat moving webmail emails into Inbox, downloading to Thunderbird and moving into new folder.
Option 2: Create an imap mail account. Menu icon > New Messages > Existing mail account make sure you select the imap option. Note; some servers require you to select that imap option in webmail account first.
Imap mail account sees a remote view of the folders on the server. You subscribe to see thsoe folders. Right click on imap mail account and select 'Subscribe'. select folders you wish to see.
Usually, imap mail accounts only download headers and when you select to see emails they are retriebed from the server and put in a cache to faciltate viewing, but they are not actually stored in your profile.
You would need to synchronise all folders for offline use. See info here for settings.
Set Offline settings:
- 'Menu icon' > 'Options' > 'Options' > Advanced' > 'network & Disc Space' tab
- click on 'Offline..' button
- 'Download messages for offline use when going offline?'
- select 'yes'
- click on all 'OK's
Then go into 'Offline' mode and folders will get synchronised. 'File' > 'Offline' > 'Work Offline' OR quick method....in bottom status bar, click on far left two blue screen icon to go into offline mode. icon will change to a two black screen icon.
Once everything has been synchronised for offline, you will have a copy in the thunderbird profile folder, BUT as soon as you back into Online mode it can synchronise again and you would not necessarilly want this to occur because if it synchs with empty server folders then you could lose all emails. So now, whilst in 'Offline' mode: create folders in 'Local Folders' account Move emails from the imap folders into the 'Local Folders' account folders. All emails in 'Local Folders' do not synch with anything and they are stored in Thunderbird profile folders.
Whichever method you choose, the ultimate result would be to put emails into a set of folders in your 'Local Folders' mail account.
Once everything is completed, at a later date, you can remove the mail account.
If you end up using same email address but on a different server, you can keep the mail account, but alter the server settings to point to new server.
Please note that doing this with an imap mail account, will delete all emails currently in that imap mail account as it shows a remote view of the server, hence why you put them in 'Local Folders'.
If you are not keeping the email address then you can delete the accounts knowing all mail is safely in 'Local Folders' mail account.
Finally, I would recommend you create a backup as this is now your only copy of emails.
How to do a simple manual backup of entire Profile including emails, address boks, preferences etc.
Make hidden files and folders visible:
In Thunderbird
- Help > Troubleshooting Information
- click on 'Show Folder' button
a new window opens showing the contents of your Profile name folder.
- Close Thunderbird now - this is important
- Go up directory to 'Profiles' folder.
Your Profile name folder is usually called 'xxxxxxxx.default' where the x's are letters and numbers.
- Right click on profile name folder and select 'Copy'
- You can now 'Paste' this into a suitable place eg: usb or external hardrive to act as a backup.
All Replies (1)
Chosen Solution
POP mail accounts can only get access and download from the server Inbox. This is not a Thunderbird quirk, it is how all pop mail accounts work. But you can work with it.
You have two options. Option 1: Continue with the POP mail account and do the following. Note all emails downloaded to a pop mail account are automatically stored in your Thunderbird profile folder, but as you may want to delete that pop mail account at a later date, I would suggest you follow instructions to move them into Local Folders, although this could be done at a later date.
Create folder in 'Local Folders' mail account in Thunderbird. Move all emails out of Inbox into that folder, so the Inbox is empty. This just makes it easier when you are downloading loads of emails and do not want to mix them up. Then it is easy to select all emails and move as a block or if a lot of emails, in chunks.
Logon to webmail account using a browser. select a folder - (not Inbox) and move all emails into server 'Inbox'
then in Thunderbird, click on 'Get Messages' to download all of those emails into the Pop mail account Inbox. Create a suitably named folder in 'Local Folders' mail account and move all emails out of Inbox into that folder.
Repeat moving webmail emails into Inbox, downloading to Thunderbird and moving into new folder.
Option 2: Create an imap mail account. Menu icon > New Messages > Existing mail account make sure you select the imap option. Note; some servers require you to select that imap option in webmail account first.
Imap mail account sees a remote view of the folders on the server. You subscribe to see thsoe folders. Right click on imap mail account and select 'Subscribe'. select folders you wish to see.
Usually, imap mail accounts only download headers and when you select to see emails they are retriebed from the server and put in a cache to faciltate viewing, but they are not actually stored in your profile.
You would need to synchronise all folders for offline use. See info here for settings.
Set Offline settings:
- 'Menu icon' > 'Options' > 'Options' > Advanced' > 'network & Disc Space' tab
- click on 'Offline..' button
- 'Download messages for offline use when going offline?'
- select 'yes'
- click on all 'OK's
Then go into 'Offline' mode and folders will get synchronised. 'File' > 'Offline' > 'Work Offline' OR quick method....in bottom status bar, click on far left two blue screen icon to go into offline mode. icon will change to a two black screen icon.
Once everything has been synchronised for offline, you will have a copy in the thunderbird profile folder, BUT as soon as you back into Online mode it can synchronise again and you would not necessarilly want this to occur because if it synchs with empty server folders then you could lose all emails. So now, whilst in 'Offline' mode: create folders in 'Local Folders' account Move emails from the imap folders into the 'Local Folders' account folders. All emails in 'Local Folders' do not synch with anything and they are stored in Thunderbird profile folders.
Whichever method you choose, the ultimate result would be to put emails into a set of folders in your 'Local Folders' mail account.
Once everything is completed, at a later date, you can remove the mail account.
If you end up using same email address but on a different server, you can keep the mail account, but alter the server settings to point to new server.
Please note that doing this with an imap mail account, will delete all emails currently in that imap mail account as it shows a remote view of the server, hence why you put them in 'Local Folders'.
If you are not keeping the email address then you can delete the accounts knowing all mail is safely in 'Local Folders' mail account.
Finally, I would recommend you create a backup as this is now your only copy of emails.
How to do a simple manual backup of entire Profile including emails, address boks, preferences etc.
Make hidden files and folders visible:
In Thunderbird
- Help > Troubleshooting Information
- click on 'Show Folder' button
a new window opens showing the contents of your Profile name folder.
- Close Thunderbird now - this is important
- Go up directory to 'Profiles' folder.
Your Profile name folder is usually called 'xxxxxxxx.default' where the x's are letters and numbers.
- Right click on profile name folder and select 'Copy'
- You can now 'Paste' this into a suitable place eg: usb or external hardrive to act as a backup.