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delete mail into local trash folder

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  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

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I would like to have deleted mail go to local folder called trash instead of to deleted folder on outlook. is this possible and how do I do it? running win 7 and TB 38.5.1

I would like to have deleted mail go to local folder called trash instead of to deleted folder on outlook. is this possible and how do I do it? running win 7 and TB 38.5.1

Chosen solution

It sounds like you have an imap mail account. So you are seeing a remote view of the folders and their contents on the server. In effect, the imap folders in Thunderbird are the same as the folders on the server. As the emails are on the server, when you delete them they will go into what ever the 'Trash'/'deleted' Items' folder is called on the server.

If you synchronised those subscribed folders to get a copy into Thunderbird, you could use right click on email and select 'Move to' > 'Local Folders' > 'Deleted'.


Pop mail accounts are completely different. The emails are on your computer in your Thunderbird profile folder, so you can select to delete them and move them to the pop mail account or Local Folders 'Deleted' folder as Zenos has already mentioned. You are managing emails on your computer not a remote server.

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You can set what happens when you delete in Account Settings. This should allow you to nominate any arbitrarily selected folder.

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Zenos said

You can set what happens when you delete in Account Settings. This should allow you to nominate any arbitrarily selected folder.

Sorry, but I just can't find that setting anywhere

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Tools|Account Settings|{select account}|Account Settings→When I delete a message…Move it to this folder

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Zenos said

Tools|Account Settings|{select account}|Account Settings→When I delete a message…Move it to this folder

K, got that, but it is defaulted to msn.com, if I try to change it list of folders comes up, but not "local folders" where there is a trash I wanna go

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Chosen Solution

It sounds like you have an imap mail account. So you are seeing a remote view of the folders and their contents on the server. In effect, the imap folders in Thunderbird are the same as the folders on the server. As the emails are on the server, when you delete them they will go into what ever the 'Trash'/'deleted' Items' folder is called on the server.

If you synchronised those subscribed folders to get a copy into Thunderbird, you could use right click on email and select 'Move to' > 'Local Folders' > 'Deleted'.


Pop mail accounts are completely different. The emails are on your computer in your Thunderbird profile folder, so you can select to delete them and move them to the pop mail account or Local Folders 'Deleted' folder as Zenos has already mentioned. You are managing emails on your computer not a remote server.