What is it in settings>general that does not do what you want?

thank you, perhaps my question was not well written. I have thousands of emails in my folder (old emails). The attachments are only stored with the email, unfortunately.

I would like to have a place where I can see all the attachments as files (like JPG). Thunderbird can not export those attachments from old emails (thousands) from the email folder to a (external) Windows folder. Correct?

If correct, is there any cmd / powershell / addon idea? (the most known addon did not work)

Install FiltaQuilla and create a filter that saves or detaches attachments. Filters can be run manually on any folder.

thank you, yes I think this is what I searched. I tested it here on another PC, promising, and later I will try it with the correct one.

To have asked already: FiltaQuilla also works with POP account, and the option "save attachments" (not: detach) does not change my Thunderbird and the mailbox at all, correct?

I think the addon "Extract 'Em" is just more exactly what I searched :) Will try it, and it is also "Featured" in the Thunderbird download area. Has file type search and subfolder included.

(ok, that addon does not finish the task, at some point it just stops but without finishing. Will try FiltaQuilla, but then unfortunately I have to choose all subfolders one by one as filters can not be used including subfolders (correct?).

Saving attachments does not alter the original message. Detaching saves the attachment and deletes it from the message.

Filters run on one folder at a time, but you can copy messages in subfolders to a temporary folder and run the filter on that one.

Another add-on: https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-us/thunderbird/addon/attachment-extractor/