In Thunderbird - What does the asterisk mean next to the number of messages in parentheses for my Inbox? i.e. Inbox (*13)
My Inbox and Trash mailboxes/folders for one my email accounts has just started displaying an asterisk next to the number of unread messages. This is only happening for one of my 3 email accounts. So for that account, the main Thunderbird window shows Inbox (*13) and also Trash (*6).
I am trying to figure out what the asterisk means. Can anyone enlighten me on this.
I don't think it has anything to do with Starred messages. I believe that asterisks and stars are two different things in Thunderbird.
All Replies (9)
I can't see any mention of it in the release notes. My guess is that it indicates that some or all of the unread messages being counted are in subfolders and so may not be immediately visible. The asterisk comes and goes as you contract and expand the folder tree.
No. That can't be the answer. If it was you could easily replicate the situation by creating a new folder under the inbox and then putting an unread message into it (or marking a message as unread within the folder). This does not result in an asterisk before the count of unread messages in parentheses for the parent folder.
If anyone has any other ideas please let me know. I have searched extensively for an answer and I have not been able to find any reference to this.
Try collapsing and then re-expanding the tree after adding your unread message in a subfolder.
When I try your suggestion for either of my other email accounts (the ones that do not have asterisks before unread mail count) by creating a new folder nested within/under the inbox (or any other folder / tree) and placing an unread message into the folder (or marking an item within this folder as unread) - then I am not getting an asterisk before the count, even after collapsing and re-expanding the tree.
Are you able to replicate the asterisk before the unread count in parentheses by creating a subfolder with an unread message?
Thanks for your help in trying to figure this out.
Yes. The only exception I have met so far is that it ignores Saved Search folders, which leads me to think it might be a bit erratic with Unified folders view where, as with Saved Searches, virtual folders are involved.
It seems to indicate that you have sub folders. It does not relate to unread messages. Click on a folder with sub folders, the main folder asterisk disappears & any sub folders that also contain sub folders have asterisks.
I've beens searching for weeks what was this asterisk! Indeed if you expand/collapse the inbox, you will see or not the asterisk.
However, one thing is confusing (it is probably why I didn't understand the meaning of this asterisk): if you got a new email in your "collapsed" INBOX, the asterisk will be present even if the unread email is not in a sub-folder.
See the attached snapshot.
Edeziri site na Sébastien
Two months and still no answer. All of my email accounts have subfolders. Only two have *s.
Why, oh why did I update Thunderbird.