How to edit messages I create in IMAP folders in Thunderbird
Hello everyone,
I would be grateful if anyone could offer a solution.
I use Thunderbird Version 91.9.1 on a Windows 10 PC. I am in England UK. I have several gmail, outlook and gmx email accounts, which i use in one desktop client for convenience. It used to be MS Outlook, but now I am using Thunderbird. All my emails are setup as as IMAP.
In my email accounts I have many folders, and there are some messages which I need to update regularly. I originally created these messages in 'drafts' in MS Outlook and then moved them to their different folders where i can edit them. MS Outlook allows you to edit messages in IMAP folders, i.e. you can treat them as 'drafts' as long as you created the message.
In Thunderbird, my IMAP messages which I can usually edit in MS Outlook, are not available to 'edit'. They open as templates.
How can i change this? How can I continue doing this in Thunderbird? I don't mind setting all my messages as 'drafts' if there is only one setting.
I don't want to contemplate the other option of moving the message to the draft folder to edit and then move it back. That would be very inconveniet as i have many emails, each with different folders. In a nutshell, I want to be able to edit messages in my IMAP folders, the messages I have created myself.
Any advice welcomed and I thank you in advance.
Modified by newcake
All Replies (6)
First, there is no clean solution here because you're attempting to use Thunderbird for something for which it was never intended. You can tell TB to store drafts in any folder, such as inbox, so that eliminates that piece of the workflow, but my experience shows that each update creates another draft copy. If your intent is updating documents you've created, have you considered using an online document facility, whether Google Docs or another? My suggestion is to rethink your goal; keeping email and non-email on the same system is problem-prone. Good luck.
David
Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I know about Google Docs and online facilities.
How do I set Thunderbird to store drafts in any folder? It is ok, if another copy is created by accident.
Go to tools>accountsettings>youraccount>copies&folders . You can specify any folder for draft messages.
Thank you for your reply, David.
I already have the settings set on 'drafts' folder of the gmail accounts in Thunderbird. I have several gmail accounts which I use as IMAP. It doesn't really solve the problem i have. I keep editable messages which I create in drafts then move to other folders. I find that i cannot edit in other folders in Thunderbird. I didn't have this problem in MS Outlook.
I'm guessing another solution may be to set all folders as 'drafts' in Thunderbird. Is there any way to do that?
If not, how can I edit a moved draft message which I place in another folder?
I hope I don't end up in the situation where I have to move the message back to 'drafts' to edit it, then move it again. Heck, that would be time consuming.
Again thanks to you and to anyone else who may chip in.
Modified by newcake
I agree, editing always creates a new message. There is an addon, eml-editor, which may provide some functionality you could use. You could also define the inbox as the draft folder, but it still creates new messages each time. I see no easy fix. Or, you could define a local folder for draft and then you could move from that folder to other folders. I think that may work for you.
The eml editor doesn't do anything. When I double click the message I want to edit the eml editor doesn't show. It only shows in the main pane before i open the message.
I even tried adding another addon, the html edit, but i can't see that in the main windows.
I don't think i'm going to get anywhere with this problem. It is a weakness in Thunderbird, and a bad one. I think I'll go back to MS Outlook.
thanks for your help