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Thunderbird not downloading messages

GrahamMills
GrahamMills
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When I try to download messages on one of several POP3 accounts I get the error message Unable to write the email to the mailbox. Make sure the file system allows you write privileges, and you have enough disk space to copy the mailbox. and it keeps downloading the last message I received before the problem started.

I have tried repairing the folder, clearing cache and even turning off my anti-virus for Thunderbird but to no avail. No problems on my other accounts

Regards Graham

When I try to download messages on one of several POP3 accounts I get the error message Unable to write the email to the mailbox. Make sure the file system allows you write privileges, and you have enough disk space to copy the mailbox. and it keeps downloading the last message I received before the problem started. I have tried repairing the folder, clearing cache and even turning off my anti-virus for Thunderbird but to no avail. No problems on my other accounts Regards Graham

All Replies (5)

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
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re:and it keeps downloading the last message I received before the problem started.

It is possible there may be a log jam as it does not seem to get passed downloading that last email.

  • Logon to webmail account via a browser for that particular email address.
  • Delete the email which keeps being downloaded.
  • Empty the Spam folder.
  • Delete any really old mail which you do not need to store on server.

In Thunderbird Click on 'Get Messages' and report on whether it can now download any emails for that account.

GrahamMills
GrahamMills Question owner
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Hi Toad-Hall,

Deleting the message that was being continuously downloaded stopped any further downloads of that message and it did not start continuously downloading the previous message. The spam folder is empty and were are only 55 messages in that folder (now 80 since todays emails ) so no large amount. I am sorry to say however that I am still getting the error message and no new emails are being downloaded

Regards Graham

Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Try turning off your antivirus completely. Not just for Thunderbird.

I think the issue is your antivirus is locking access to the file the mail is stored in because it is scanning it after the last email came in. Generally we recommend a permanent exemption in antivirus products for the Thunderbird profile folders for this reason. Perhaps add one now. Exempting Thunderbird is one thing, keeping the antivirus out of the file system when Thunderbird is trying to use it is another.

GrahamMills
GrahamMills Question owner
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Well that was interesting. I suspended Avast for 10 minutes & did a send receive. All my queued messages were downloaded. Feeling brave I did another send receive. This time we were back to the error message again with Avast still suspended. Not sure where I go from there.

Regards Graham

GrahamMills
GrahamMills Question owner
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Hi Matt,

Well even more interesting. Yesterday I did not look at my email from lunchtime. This morning I suspended Avast for 10 minutes & did a send receive. All my queued messages were downloaded. I checked the file server and they had all gone.

After about 10 minutes I did a send receive again and a few more messages were downloaded but NO error message. So far it has continued like that. I seem to be getting emails and no error messages. No idea what happened but I am a happy bunny at the moment

Regards Graham