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Can I reinstall Thunderbird and Import my previous messages?

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

ArtBass
ArtBass
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One of my accounts within Thunderbird continues to download the same email message over and over again and fails to get any new mail. I have hundreds of copies of the same incoming message from June 30th. When I use another Email Client to check my email - Yahoo email client - that gets my current email just fine and does not display the above message from June 30.

My internet provider, ATT, says that I will need to use another Email Client OR try to reinstall Thunderbird. If I reinstall Thunderbird, won't that remove all of my previously downloaded messages? I don't see an 'export' button to export all of my current settings, folders and messages.

Please help, Art

One of my accounts within Thunderbird continues to download the same email message over and over again and fails to get any new mail. I have hundreds of copies of the same incoming message from June 30th. When I use another Email Client to check my email - Yahoo email client - that gets my current email just fine and does not display the above message from June 30. My internet provider, ATT, says that I will need to use another Email Client OR try to reinstall Thunderbird. If I reinstall Thunderbird, won't that remove all of my previously downloaded messages? I don't see an 'export' button to export all of my current settings, folders and messages. Please help, Art

All Replies (3)

Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
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turn off email scanning in your anti virus program and your mail will download correctly. Then their will be no problem to want to fix.

Note that I got this "solution" from a Norton Anti virus support forum.

ArtBass
ArtBass Question owner
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I appreciate your help. I turned off the Email Scanning in Norton but the email client still gets stuck on downloading - fails to download messages.

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Perhaps the popstate.dat file which keeps a record of all downloaded emails has gone awol.

Try removing it and see if download improves.

You would need to delete the 'popstate.dat file and then Thunderbird will create a new one. The downside is that it will download everything that is on your server again, but just once.

make hidden folders and files visible:

Locate your Profile folders:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information
  • click on 'show folders'

a new window opens showing profile folders

  • Close Thunderbird - this is important
  • click on 'Mail' folder
  • click on the account name
  • Locate and Delete the 'popstate.dat' file.
  • Close window - top right X
  • Open Thunderbird.
  • Click on GetMail.

Download should happen and you will need to sort through the mail. This should fix the popstate file so that it has an uncorrupted record of what has been downloaded.

This will redownload everything once more but that should fix the duplicate issue. After fixing the popstate file you may have loads of duplicate email messages. You can use this Addon to help remove them:

Please report back on whether this fixed the issue.