Search for correspondent name?
Just returned to Thunderbird as Apple Mail fails to search at all! In Thunderbird, I can search for the contents of messages but can't seem to search for the name of a sender. So, if 'Mike Smith' sends a message and I'd like to search for Mike Smith ... no results. If Mike Smith's message says 'I have a new dog' or 'Dog' is the message name, I can find it. How can I search for a sender? TIA.
Chosen solution
rogershuff said
Hi - I changed the Display setting but no good. What I think is happening is the Thunderbird is not returning results for messages that it thinks are Junk. Pretty much every message in one account was flagged as Junk initially but as I mark them as Not Junk, I get some results. Could that be it?
Certainly, when the global search was developed it was decided that deleted mail and junk would not be included in the search results as no one would be searching for spam. Likewise you will find the "quoted" parts of email will also not be indexed. Only the new text included in the email body.
Read this answer in context 👍 1All Replies (6)
I am using the latest Thunderbird v6.0 and cannot replicate this problem here. I highlight the main INBOX folder and then fill in the name I want to search for in the Search Field at the top of the Thunderbird window. From that a drop down list should appear with any search item found. As far as I know Thunderbird scans all parts of emails to find a match in any highlighted folder and it's subfolders.
Doesn't work (I am on 60.0). I attach a screenshot. You'll see that there are a number of messages from Hartley but a search does not find them.
Thunderbird displays "pretty" names that are exctracted from your address book in the user interface, so if Goofy@wallyworld.com sends you an email and you have him in your address book as "Bill Clinton" what will appear in your mail list is "Bill Clinton" now is Goofy@ wallyWorld.com has called himself "Honest William" in his display name you can search for William and find the mail, not so searching for Bill as that is not in the mail.
To see if that is affecting your searches, change the preference in Display > Advanced to turn off the display of names from your address book.
Hi - I changed the Display setting but no good. What I think is happening is the Thunderbird is not returning results for messages that it thinks are Junk. Pretty much every message in one account was flagged as Junk initially but as I mark them as Not Junk, I get some results. Could that be it?
Chosen Solution
rogershuff said
Hi - I changed the Display setting but no good. What I think is happening is the Thunderbird is not returning results for messages that it thinks are Junk. Pretty much every message in one account was flagged as Junk initially but as I mark them as Not Junk, I get some results. Could that be it?
Certainly, when the global search was developed it was decided that deleted mail and junk would not be included in the search results as no one would be searching for spam. Likewise you will find the "quoted" parts of email will also not be indexed. Only the new text included in the email body.
Looks liked I have found the solution. Thanks.