Thunderbird just deleted all of my emails
I have just synced Thunderbird with my web email which worked fine. I then emptied my web email account as it was full. This is the methodilogy that I have been following with Thunderbird for the last 20+ years.
Thunderbird then re-synced with the now empty web email and deleted all of the emails that I had downloaded. I then checked the trash but it is empty. I have just lost around 1 years worth of emails.
Just for clarity the web email is an IMAP account.
All Replies (5)
An IMAP account on TB mirrors what the set up and contents are in your web-based email account. So, if you delete an item on your web-based email, it would be deleted on TB, unless you created an Offline copy of the item.
This account has been IMAP for about 5 years and I have never had this problem before. Is this something that is relatively new? I have not used TB in about 1 year.
I tend to use TB to just back up my emails. Is there a way to automtically make offline copies or must I do this manually?
gazjampat said
This account has been IMAP for about 5 years and I have never had this problem before. Is this something that is relatively new? I have not used TB in about 1 year.
No, it's not new. It's how all Imap accounts work no matter what third party email client you use. All Imap accounts can only display whatever is on server. That is their purpose, emails are stored on server and Imap accounts gets access to server and all folders on the server. Imap accounts synchronise with server. Because all Imap accounts are designed to only display whatever is on server, you should never consider anything to be an independent copy on your computer. The benefit of Imap accounts means you can see identical emails via browser accessing webmail account and any other including multiple devices that use imap eg: Desktop, Laptop, phone that use imap to access emails.
Pop accounts are different. Pop accounts can only access the server Inbox and download emails from that folder. They cannot access any other folder on server. Pop accounts store emails on your computer. They do not synchronise with server. Deleting emails off server has no effect on emails fully downloaded into a Pop mail account. Pop accounts are considered an independent copy on your computer. Pop accounts are best used when you only access via one computer.
If you use Imap and need to keep a separate copy of emails so originals can be deleted off server, then fully download them and then get 'Copy' into a suitable fiolder in 'Local Folders' account. Emails stored in 'Local Folders' account are an independent copy and do not synchronise with server. Once you have a good copy you can remove emails off the server.
Dear Toad Hall, Thanks for the detailed explanation. Now I understand the difference and how to use IMAP correctly.
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