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Messages marked as "Junk" will not go in the Junk folder but stays in the Inbox.

  • 22 cavab
  • 13 have this problem
  • 8 views
  • Last reply by gipsyking

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All my messages go into the "Junk Box for some reason and I tried everything to redirect them in to the "Inbox" but failed.

Messages marked as "Junk" will not go in the Junk folder but stays in the Inbox.

Messages created "filter from" keep coming in the "Inbox regardless.

Needless to say that "All" my messages going to the "Junk folder" now and I can't find the solution.

All my messages go into the "Junk Box for some reason and I tried everything to redirect them in to the "Inbox" but failed. Messages marked as "Junk" will not go in the Junk folder but stays in the Inbox. Messages created "filter from" keep coming in the "Inbox regardless. Needless to say that "All" my messages going to the "Junk folder" now and I can't find the solution.

All Replies (20)

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It sounds like your Junk controls have got no idea what to do with emails and so by default is sending them to the Junk folder as a precaution and is waiting for you to tell Thunderbird what is Junk and what is not Junk.

First check your Junk Controls for each mail account. 'Tools' > 'Account Settings > 'Junk Settings' for mail account or right click on mail account name in folder Pane and select 'Settings' then select: ' Junk Settings' for mail account

Select: 'enable adaptive junk mail controls for this account.' Select: any of the listed address books which will act as a whitelist - any emails from these email address not to be listed as Junk.

Destination & retention' section Select: 'Move new junk messages to' If POP: Select: 'Junk folder on' pop mail account name If IMAP: Select: 'Other' and choose 'Junk folder on the imap mail account' click on OK


Then check your Options: 'Tools > 'Options' >'Security' > 'Junk' tab or 'Menu icon' > 'Options' > 'Options' >'Security' > 'Junk' tab Select: 'when I mark messages as Junk' select: 'Move them to the account's Junk folder'

It is useful to know what it is doing, so... Select: 'enable adaptive junk filter logging'

I would suggest you retrain your Junk filter as at the moment it is hard to know what it is doing or not, it may have no data to use, but either way let's start with a clean sheet. Click on 'Reset training Data' click on 'OK'

Start Training Junk controls: Now go to the 'Junk' folder in folder pane. select good emails and click on 'Not junk'.

go to the Inbox and select emails. Any that are junk, click on the 'Junk' button.


re :Messages created "filter from" keep coming in the "Inbox regardless. Please post an image of one of these 'filters'. Is it a typical example of those types of filter? It is not worth trying to set up a filter for each email address because those email addresses/subjects etc are likely to alter on a regular basis. It is best to train Junk controls to do this automatically. So to start with, I would just disable those types of filters so letting you train the Junk controls.


Additional: Do you use CCleaner ? If yes, then you need to set up an exclusion for Thunderbird profile folders and files. CCleaner can delete session, temp, cache, passwords etc, which can cause all sorts of annoying issues in Thunderbird.

Modified by Toad-Hall

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As you can see the attachment I mark every email I don't want as "Junk" but they just keep coming in and staying in the "Inbox"

Also as I mentioned on the top my "junk Box decided to collect every incoming email and I'm not able to redirect all incoming email to the "Inbox" as before. How can I fix that, it is very annoying.

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What you do not mention is whether you have worked through the Junk Controls for each mail account and reset the training data as instructed and then work through the Junk folder selecting what is and what is not Junk to retrain the Junk controls. This is important and feedback on what you have done is required. Do not assume that you did all that ages ago because I'm asking you to recheck all is correct and then retrain the Junk which requires specific steps. Retraining will wipe out old info and start afresh.

  1. Have you checked all Junk Controls for each mail account including setting address books as whitelists?
  2. Have you reset the training data in Options?
  3. Have you worked through all emails in the Junk folder selecting Junk and not junk ?

Recommend that the 'Collected Addresses' address book is not selected as a whitelist as it can contain various email addresses that may not be your regular address books.

Thanks for the image, which shows your list of filters, but could you post an image of an actual filter for eg; the first filter.

   4. Please post an image of one of the 'filters'.

All of those filters have been created for an individual email address which should be being handled by the Junk Controls and not Message Filters. It is not practical nor necessary to create a filter for each email address that sends junk as this can end up running into the thouands. If you have set up everything as requested, you should be able to select any of those incoming addresses as Junk. As you can see in your filters, at least one domain has more than one email address and one filter is repeated; (1st and 3rd).

Message Filtering is best for moving /sorting good emails into various folders. Junk controls are best to deal with Junk.

I did suggest you stop/disable those filters for the moment to train the Junk Controls, but they are all still enabled, so impossible to train Junk on those emails.

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Hi, My biggest problem is I don't know how to change all incoming mail destination, all mail coming straight to the Junk Folder. Until I learn how to redirect the mail I really can't do much with mail mark as Junk because they supposed to go to the Junk Folder. However I reset the Training Data but should I untick everything in this picture? I don't understand everything in your message.

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I have been using Thunderbird for about ten years but never had so much trouble with it like now. Note where inbox position now, not on top but four space down where it should be. Why don't Thunderbird have a default button built in so when accidentally pressing something and it changes the profile it could be brought back to default?

Im still not able to receive my emails in the Inbox like I should but in one of the 2 Junk Boxes. Why is there 2 Junk Folders and 2 Trash bins to start with? ) I did an uninstall and reinstall but as I expected it come back the same.

Would you have a simple answer to this please?

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Ordinarily, the Junk Controls operate on messages. The odd thing here is that you have folders in the Junk folder.

What happens if you try to drag a folder back to where it belongs?

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BTW, when filters are used to move messages to junk, they don't train the Junk Controls, this being another reason to follow Toad-Hall's advice to use filters just for managing good messages.

The FiltaQuilla addon introduces the abilty for filters to do training, but right now this is the least of your problems.

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What happens if you try to drag a folder back to where it belongs?

It cannot be done, it will open or just spring back. taa

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Your list of folders looks unusual. I don't think you have folders in the Junk. It's just showing an unusual organisation of folders, which you may have selected using the Favourite option or by using an addon.

Please confirm you have this setting:

  • 'View' > 'Folders' > select 'All'

You have a Junk mail account folder called 'JunkFolder'.

  • Q : Did you change the name of the 'Junk' folder to say 'JunkFolder' ?


re : should I untick everything in this picture? Yes. This will disable those types of filters so letting you train the Junk controls.

re : I don't understand everything in your message.

  • Q: What do you not understand ?

You need to post some images of specific things, so that we can to the bottom of this.

Post images of the following. Please post an image of one of the 'filters'. Tools > Messages filters select the top filter and click on 'Edit'

  • Post image of that filter, so details of filter can be seen.

Tools > Account Settings > Junk Settings

  • Post image showing the Junk settings for the mail account.
  • Q: What version of Thunderbird are you using?
  • Q: What is your Operating System ?

re :Why is there 2 Junk Folders and 2 Trash bins to start with? You say you ahve using Thunderbird for 10 years, so I'm very surprised that you have no idea about the 'Local Folders' mail account. Your mail account has one 'JunkFolder' and your 'Local Folders' account has one 'Junk' folder. What is weird is the fact that your 'Junk' is called 'JunkFolder' and I think this could be the issue, but please confirm requested details/images first.

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Toad-Hall said

Your list of folders looks unusual. I don't think you have folders in the Junk. It's just showing an unusual organisation of folders, which you may have selected using the Favourite option or by using an addon.
Good point. After a bit of experimentation I managed to produce something similar to the OP's picture. I hadn't realized how easy it is to get the displayed folder out of sync with the tab. So, indeed, the Junk folder could be selected (yielding the tab label we see) and yet we see something else in the Folder Pane.

"Favorite Folders - Compact View" gives me something close to gipsyking's image. And I'd argue that only View|Folders|All is useful and safe to use when concerned about what is where.

I'll add here that I see some part of gipsyking's problem in an Outlook (Office 365?)  account connected via IMAP. You can mark a message as Junk until you're blue in the mouse-clicking finger and the damn' thing just keeps coming back to the account Inbox. It seems that so long as the server can see it, the server is able to reclassify it and put it back.

My solution, after the errant message has come back once, is to shift it to Local Folders|Junk. Here in this installation of Thunderbird, this is a trivial action, because the Local Folders Junk folder is in a tab (courtesy of the QuickFolders add-on) so it's a simple drag-and-drop to a more-or-less permanently visible tab.

Now it's out of the reach of the Outlook server, it stays put.

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Toad-Hall said

Your list of folders looks unusual. I don't think you have folders in the Junk. It's just showing an unusual organisation of folders, which you may have selected using the Favourite option or by using an addon. Please confirm you have this setting:
  • 'View' > 'Folders' > select 'All'
You have a Junk mail account folder called 'JunkFolder'.
  • Q : Did you change the name of the 'Junk' folder to say 'JunkFolder' ?
re : should I untick everything in this picture? Yes. This will disable those types of filters so letting you train the Junk controls. re : I don't understand everything in your message.
  • Q: What do you not understand ?
You need to post some images of specific things, so that we can to the bottom of this. Post images of the following. Please post an image of one of the 'filters'. Tools > Messages filters select the top filter and click on 'Edit'
  • Post image of that filter, so details of filter can be seen.
Tools > Account Settings > Junk Settings
  • Post image showing the Junk settings for the mail account.
  • Q: What version of Thunderbird are you using?
  • Q: What is your Operating System ?
re :Why is there 2 Junk Folders and 2 Trash bins to start with? You say you ahve using Thunderbird for 10 years, so I'm very surprised that you have no idea about the 'Local Folders' mail account. Your mail account has one 'JunkFolder' and your 'Local Folders' account has one 'Junk' folder. What is weird is the fact that your 'Junk' is called 'JunkFolder' and I think this could be the issue, but please confirm requested details/images first.
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1-Please confirm you have this setting: 'View' > 'Folders' > select 'All' A-It worked-the folders are back in order now 1-You have a Junk mail account folder called 'JunkFolder'. Q : Did you change the name of the 'Junk' folder to say 'JunkFolder' ? A- When I started getting incoming mail in the Junk folder I installed another folder and called Junk Folder, thinking I can direct all junk's into that folder. I have deleted now. Q: re : should I untick everything in this picture? Yes. This will disable those types of filters so letting you train the Junk controls. A-I did just now

    Q: What do you not understand ? 

You need to post some images of specific things, so that we can to the bottom of this. Post images of the following. Please post an image of one of the 'filters'. Tools > Messages filters select the top filter and click on 'Edit' Post image of that filter, so details of filter can be seen. Tools > Account Settings > Junk Settings Post image showing the Junk settings for the mail account. A: Image posted. Q: What version of Thunderbird are you using? A: 38.2.0

Q: What is your Operating System ? 

W10 Pro 64 re :Why is there 2 Junk Folders and 2 Trash bins to start with? You say you ahve using Thunderbird for 10 years, so I'm very surprised that you have no idea about the 'Local Folders' mail account. Your mail account has one 'JunkFolder' and your 'Local Folders' account has one 'Junk' folder. What is weird is the fact that your 'Junk' is called 'JunkFolder' and I think this could be the issue, but please confirm requested details/images first. A: When things are going good you don't wan't to take interest in what makes the wheels turning. And that is why I have such small knowledge in Thunderbird. When you assume I can easily fallow you that is not so but when you say :Please confirm you have this setting: 'View' > 'Folders' > select 'All' That is clear as a bell. Don't think I'm not great full for the time you take trying to help me because I'm, just not to sure what to click and why. I'm saving your notes for future problems.

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I think these are the you asked for

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Please walk us through what your "From is:" filter is intended to do.

I'm not sure that you'll ever get a message with an empty "From:" field, nor that a filter with an empty rule box will do anything useful.

Can you show us one with the from: address field filled in?

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I had that many in there-first pic

The individual looks like the second pic taa

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gipsyking said

Toad-Hall said
Your list of folders looks unusual. I don't think you have folders in the Junk. It's just showing an unusual organisation of folders, which you may have selected using the Favourite option or by using an addon. Please confirm you have this setting:
  • 'View' > 'Folders' > select 'All'
You have a Junk mail account folder called 'JunkFolder'.
  • Q : Did you change the name of the 'Junk' folder to say 'JunkFolder' ?
re : should I untick everything in this picture? Yes. This will disable those types of filters so letting you train the Junk controls. re : I don't understand everything in your message.
  • Q: What do you not understand ?
You need to post some images of specific things, so that we can to the bottom of this. Post images of the following. Please post an image of one of the 'filters'. Tools > Messages filters select the top filter and click on 'Edit'
  • Post image of that filter, so details of filter can be seen.
Tools > Account Settings > Junk Settings
  • Post image showing the Junk settings for the mail account.
  • Q: What version of Thunderbird are you using?
  • Q: What is your Operating System ?
re :Why is there 2 Junk Folders and 2 Trash bins to start with? You say you ahve using Thunderbird for 10 years, so I'm very surprised that you have no idea about the 'Local Folders' mail account. Your mail account has one 'JunkFolder' and your 'Local Folders' account has one 'Junk' folder. What is weird is the fact that your 'Junk' is called 'JunkFolder' and I think this could be the issue, but please confirm requested details/images first.
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After fallowing your instruction my "Inbox" is back where it should be(see picture) and finally I'm getting my emails in it.

Filtered messages still staying in the Inbox but that is the less of my problem right now.

Looks to me if using spam filter instead of just mark it as Junk will throw the spanner in the system.

After this little experience I learned a bit of Thunderbird for future problem, hopefully won't be much.

Thank you for your help.

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folder Pane looks good. Junk folder names now look correct.

Re Account 'Junk Settings.'

'Tools' > 'Account Settings' > 'Junk Settings' for the mail account. You have selected some but not all the necessary items. the first two items are already selected: 1.Select: 'enable adaptive junk mail controls for this account.' 2.Select: any of the listed address books which will act as a whitelist - any emails from these email address not to be listed as Junk.

But you need to get this next part working correctly. See image below as aid. Destination & retention' section

  • Select: 'Move new junk messages to'
  • Select: 'Junk folder on' pop mail account name
  • click on OK
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Once you have corrected the 'Junk Settings' as indicated in previous comment, then they should start working as they will know where to put Junk.

You will now need to train the Junk controls. Please disable (unckeck) all of those message filters as you now want to get those messages going auto to Junk via the Junk controls and not the filters.

When emails arrive in the Inbox, but they are Junk, click on 'Junk' button. When emails arrive in 'Junk' folder, select to read them. If they are good emails, then click on the 'Not Junk' button.


re : Message Filters: Many of those Message filters do not seem to have been created correctly as in the various images you supplied, there is often information incorrect or nor selected. But as I said, those filters should not be necessary once Junk Controls are trained. Later, you can delete them when the Junk controls start to move them automatically.

Modified by Toad-Hall

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re :Filtered messages still staying in the Inbox but that is the less of my problem right now.

Once you have made the necesary changes to Junk Settings - see above. Disable those Filters. In Inbox, select those emails that as you put it - did not filter and click on the Junk button. This trains the Junk Controls, to remember that email and send it auto to Junk - Hence why the Filters will soon not matter any way.

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