gmail and thunderbird and deleting mail

9 years ago

I googled how to use Thunderbird with gmail and followed all the instructions.

The only problem I'm having is that if I delete an email on Thunderbird it also gets deleted on gmail. I've tried searching the subject every way I can think of, but don't get an answer to the situation.

I have posted on the gmail help forum also, but so far no response.

I'm hoping someone here can tell if a. there's a way to delete email in thunderbird without it being deleted on gmail or b. steer me to a site that gives me that info.

Thanks

Comments (8)

zep516
9 years ago
In Thunderbird click,

tools -> account settings -> account_name -> server settings -> "when I delete a message."

What is it set to and What other options are available ?
secsteve
Original Author
9 years ago
Zep,

It is set to "move to trash". There is a drop down menu there with In Box and the gmail. Clicking on gmail gives you a number of options - Drafts, sent mail,all mail, spam, trash, important and starred.

I'm guessing the all mail box under gmail should be the setting, correct?
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Might try using windows advanced search. Search for a missing folder name... or just search inbox and then open it in explorer and you'll be very close to seeing what you need. Outlook Express would sometimes have all mail disappear because you punched the wrong button, but it was still there in a database file and windows started a fresh new database. Maybe you;ll get lucky and Tbird did the same.
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The targeted emails come from various sources - so I can't just filter that way. On my neighborhood listservs, I may save emails in folders such as professional recommendations, things to do, etc. Then there are work emails. And others. Within gmail, I label them - and archive them. Not sure if this means they are now in folders with those label names? I would like to be able to save some of these folders to PC. I had thought Thunderbird was the way to do it. I have several thousand emails in my gmail account (due to listservs). I don't necessarily want to erase them or sort through them now - but I don't want to import those into Thunderbird or save them to PC. If I imported everything into Thunderbird, it doesn't seem to import them in the groupings (labels/folders) I have set up in gmail. It would be hugely inefficient to import a few thousand emails, just to save perhaps a hundred or so - and have to delete everything else. Paulsm - I don't want to bring all those emails into Thunderbird to begin with. I do see that from within Thunderbird, I have the option to save to PC. But I don't want to have to resort those emails in Thunderbird after I have already sorted them in Gmail. Damcoy - I was thinking something along the lines of what you suggested - but it's pretty cumbersome. The emails don't come from specific addresses. I could go to my labels - select all from within that folder/label - and then gmail allows me to move it - but only to another label - or IMAP (sent/trash or drafts). So none of those work. I did think about selecting all those emails (but I think I have to do it individually - which is a pain) - creating a new email address I could forward them to - and then link the Thunderbird to just import from that newly created email address. I'm thinking there has to be a better way. Maybe there's a way to do this without using Thunderbird at all. I want to be able to save certain emails to a folder on my PC. Anyway to do this? Thank you. Lynn.
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Yep, it doesn't indicate whats wrong or what you should be doing. It usually happens when you messed up configuring filters. Try to delete all the filters in the settings. Does "Sent" tab appear in gmail homescreen? That could also be the problem. If so then simply click "show" in settings under "Labels". If it doesn't work try to check the guide in the link below. Here is a link that might be useful: Fix to Gmail sent items
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acraftylady
9 years ago
Someone correct me if I have this wrong as it's been a while since I had my gmail forwarded to a mail program.

In gmail go to the gear icon in the upper right and click settings. In there go to the forwarding and pop/imap tab. In there look at the second one. You have to pick one, enable for all mail, enable for mail that arrives from now on. Then once you enable one of those you can pick to keep a copy on gmail, archive on gmail and such. I hope that is what you are wanting to do. Mary
secsteve
Original Author
9 years ago
acrafty lady

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that, but the enable for all mail, enable for mail that arrives etc. is under the POP sitting. I'm using IMAP which doesn't have those sittings. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

I want to delete email in Thunderbird, but not on the gmail account.
acraftylady
9 years ago
Yes that is what those settings are for to keep the email on gmail after it forwards to the mail program so that should be the setting as that's how I did it. I didn't think gmail was Imap but someone correct me as I don't understand that exept that I know my AOL mail is Imap but most others are Pop. I am using incredimail though not thunderbird so maybe that makes a difference. Alll I know is I use several email providers and I have to enable that setting from the email provider not from the mail program. Mary
DA_Mccoy
9 years ago
In TB:

Tools>Account Settings>Server Settings (for the specific account).

Three perhaps pertinent settings:

Leave messages on server
For at most 14 days (default)
Until I delete them

I have all three checked and my 5 Hotmail/Live/Outlook accounts stay on the web page accounts.

DA
dadoes
9 years ago
IMAP works such that what you do in the client is reflected to the server, and vice versa. That's the point of it vs. POP3. Any messages you want to retain on the GMail server, you can't delete them from the (IMAP) GMail account tree in Thunderbird.

I *never* keep long-term copies of mail on a server. It's *my* mail, I want it archived to *my* computer. IMO there's too much risk of a hacker getting access by brute-force or a server-side security flaw. My computer is more secure, less likely to be hacked, and I can back up the data. I have messages in Thunderbird that date 10 years back. And archived data MUCH older from Outlook Express.
acraftylady
9 years ago
Ok I have no clue. The few times I wanted to keep my gmail on the server I used that setting so when I deleted from my mail program it was still retained at gmail.com. I guess I assumed I have to use pop with gmail so will try the imap and see if I can set that from within my mail program instead. Mary

gmail and thunderbird and deleting mail

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gmail and thunderbird and deleting mail

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