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Account with POP3 to IMAP, how to make sure I don't get thousands of duplicates?

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  • Last reply by Matt

beepwoop60
beepwoop60
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So thunderbird has a mail account configured with POP3, it has thousands of mails and is very valuable.

I want to replace it with IMAP, I followed this guide: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/switch-pop-imap-account

Now, as soon as I added the IMAP, it downloaded all of the mails from the server. I was quite surprised because normally the mails are not on the server with POP3.

The POP3 account has 1120 mails The (new) IMAP account has 1260 mails, I am surprised the IMAP has even more mails.

Now, I want to make sure all the files from the POP3 are also in the IMAP (really don't want to lose any mails). Is there a way to check if the IMAP account has every mail the POP3 account has?

I think if I drag all the mails from the POP3 account in the IMAP account I will get tons of duplicates, since it already has most of the e-mails.

tl;dr: want to change from POP3 to IMAP, as soon as I added IMAP it downloaded (I think) all the mails that the POP3 has. How can I check/make 100% sure that the IMAP account has all the mails the POP3 account has? (without getting dubplicates)

So thunderbird has a mail account configured with POP3, it has thousands of mails and is very valuable. I want to replace it with IMAP, I followed this guide: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/switch-pop-imap-account Now, as soon as I added the IMAP, it downloaded all of the mails from the server. I was quite surprised because normally the mails are not on the server with POP3. The POP3 account has 1120 mails The (new) IMAP account has 1260 mails, I am surprised the IMAP has even more mails. Now, I want to make sure all the files from the POP3 are also in the IMAP (really don't want to lose any mails). Is there a way to check if the IMAP account has every mail the POP3 account has? I think if I drag all the mails from the POP3 account in the IMAP account I will get tons of duplicates, since it already has most of the e-mails. tl;dr: want to change from POP3 to IMAP, as soon as I added IMAP it downloaded (I think) all the mails that the POP3 has. How can I check/make 100% sure that the IMAP account has all the mails the POP3 account has? (without getting dubplicates)

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Matt
Matt
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your pretty much on your own there.

beepwoop60
beepwoop60 Question owner
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Matt said

your pretty much on your own there.

Well.. That was not the answer I was hoping for.

Maybe I could let the POP3 account exist in Thunderbird but keep "Check for new messages at startup and Check for new messages every XX minutes" disabled?

That way the user can just keep using the IMAP account, if after some time the user is sure he is not missing anything on the IMAP account, I can delete the POP3 account.

edit: alright I think I found even a better solution. What if I just move the Inbox folder into my 'Local Folders'. That way I can delete the POP3 account and keep all the mails to be sure. I would love to hear what you think about this.

Modified by beepwoop60

Matt
Matt
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drag the email to local folders and delete the account. Once you have the mail in local folders it serves no purpose. Your way is not guaranteed. it sort of works until you click get all mail or something. My way is guaranteed.