When you delete an email, it is hidden and 'marked as deleted', but it is still in the file. This is just in case you delete in error and need to recover.

After deleting emails, right click on folder and select 'Compact'. This will remove all of those 'marked as deleted' emails.

Are you talking about an imap or pop mail account?

IMAP or POP? What's the difference and how do you tell what you have?

POP mail accounts can only access the server Inbox and download mail to the mail account Inbox. These emails are stored on your computer. You can choose to keep copies on server and you can choose whether to delete them if you delete in Thunderbird. In Offline mode you can read emails.

IMAP mail accounts see a remote view of the server. You subscribe to see folders. These folders constantly synchronise with the server, so the view is the same. If you delete off server via webmail, those emails will get deleted in thunderbird. If you delete in Thunderbird, it will get deleted off server. In effect, they are one and the same. You need to synchronise folders for offline use to get copies into Thunderbird do that you can read them in offline mode. If you change server settings to point to a new server (eg: you have webhosting and change to another) then the new server Inbox will be blank and so will your imap mail account folders. You could lose all emails. Imap mail accounts store all emails on server this means you can set up another imap mail account on another computer and still see everything you have received and sent.

How to find out what you are using:

• Right click on mail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'
• Select 'Server Settings' for the account

At the top, on the right side, it will say 'Server Type'. It will be either 'POP Mail Server' or 'IMAP Mail Server'

I am logging in to a POP server. That answers the question about why the mail is still there although I delete it in T-bird.

However, why does archive not work the way it used to work? I'm tired of waiting while T-bird downloads copies of messages from last year.

I just noticed a new problem. The mailbox seems to be stuck on about March 1, It won't get any mail from later than that date but rather just keeps getting another copy of the mail from before that date. The folders are all compacted.

Do I just need to re-install?

There is nothing wrong with the program and reinstalling rarely fixes issues. Most issues are with profile files or mail account files, not the program.

re :why does archive not work the way it used to work? I'm tired of waiting while T-bird downloads copies of messages from last year. TB is not downloading them because you are using POP. TB is opening a folder, but it seems something is not quite right if you think it is suddenly taking an age to open.

re :It won't get any mail from later than that date but rather just keeps getting another copy of the mail from before that date. Maybe the index is out of sync.

• Right click on folder and select 'Properties'
• click on 'Repair folder' button
• click on OK

select Inbox' and then reselect the archive folder 'fixed' folder again If this repairing of index works, then all should start to display correctly. But if still have an issue, describe that issue as it may have changed due to repair folder.

Then provide this info: What did you set up in 'Archive Options'  ?

• Right click on mail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'
• Select 'Copies & Folders'

In 'Message Archives section. I presume this is selected: 'Keep message archives in: I presume this is selected: 'Archives folder on:' Is the pop mail account name selected or is 'Local Folders' selected?

• Click on 'Archive Options' button

So I can understand your current setup, please tell me what is selected at the moment. What have you got selected ?

1. A single folder
2. Yearly archived folders
3. Monthly archived folders

Have you selected the checkbox:

• 'Keep exisitng folder structure of archived messages'