You need to share more information. On the one hand, it sounds like a current account, but on the other hand, you mention migrating messages. Do give specifics on how you got where you are, and maybe we can help.

Hi David, thanks very much for your reply. I connected my aol email account to Thunderbird so I could archive and save the emails independent of aol so I could have access to them if I moved to another service. It appears all my aol folders are copying over, but not all the emails in them. For example, I noticed that the "Inbox" on Thunderbird shows emails only going back to Sept 21 but my aol account shows them going back to 2013. I thought it looked odd that the total number of emails which Thunderbird tallies in this folder is exactly 10000. So, I looked around for a setting that might have to be adjusted so that it's unlimited but have not found anything. Let me know if there is any other info I can provide. thanks Mike

I still don't know what happened. You say you copied folders - from where and how? Was this an install of AOL account to Thunderbird, and then you copied messages also? Please give all steps taken. Are these POP or IMAP accounts. Where were accounts before using Thunderbird?

Sorry, for my not explaining this in a way that makes sense. I'm not as technical with the program or process so please bear with me.

You are correct, this was an install of an AOL account to Thunderbird. I used the recommend IMAP settings. Thunderbird automatically imports the messages and folders from AOL into the software. Account settings include "keep messages in all folders for this account on this computer" and "synchronize all messages locally regardless of age" and "don't delete any messages".

It was suggested to me in a chat help yesterday that to save messages for future use if the aol account was discontinued to drag and drop the folders to the "local folders" folder in thunderbolt, which I have done. thanks for your patience! Mike

So, the messages are available online via web? If so, then Thunderbird would show them. You downloaded folders on Thunderbird after installing the account? Did you specify that all folders should be accessible offline? Did you check that all messages were there? Thunderbird does not download all messages unnecessarily. If you want all messages downloaded, click File>offline>download/sync.

yes, messages are available online in AOL, but are not all appearing yet in Thunderbird. I can't remember whether I had to download specific folders or whether it happened automatically when adding the aol account to Thunderbird, but all the folders are there just not all the messages that are in the folders. I followed your instruction and it is busy on the task....will update you when that is complete to see if that solved the problem thanks

Hi David, here is an update. using the offline/sync function you recommended saved tons of additional emails. the number of emails for each of the individual folders that are in my AOL account. However, the inbox and sent folders in Thunderbird failed to capture any additional emails - each capped at 10,000.

So, I added another "saved on aol" folder called "Old Mail Archive" and moved all messages from the Old Mail folder on AOL into that folder what were not appearing in the Thunderbird synced folder (Inbox on thunderbird). This saves those emails on AOL. Then I ran the offline sync function several more times with the hope that this folder would also be picked up by Thunderbird however, after several attempts at the sync function Thunderbird passes over the new Old Mail Archive folder (but rechecks each of the other Saved on Aol folders each time I run the function).

My Sent box on AOL shows emails going back to 2011. However Thunderbird Sent box has only captured 10,000 which only takes me back to Sept 2019.

So, two questions. All the "Saved on AOL" folders are showing up in Thunderbird except the new one I created. Is there something I can do to get the new Old Mail Archive folder which is currently on AOL to be recognized by Thunderbird or does it just take a while before it kicks in?

Second, do I have to pay a subscription, donate to or upgrade Thunderbird so that a folder like the "Sent" folder can sync more than 10,000 emails which appears to be the cap? thanks Mike

I can't address some of your questions, as I do not know AOL at all. On your last question, no, there is no fee for extra services. I do know that Thunderbird has no limits on number of messages, but I do not understand why you seem to be hitting a limit at 10,000.

in case anyone else asks you...to get a new AOL folder recognized by Thunderbird you have to create a matching subfolder in Thunderbird, close the program, reopen (so it appears in the list), then click on the folder in thunderbird to get it to "seek" corresponding messages from the AOL folder. still caps at 10,000 for this folder too. which is frustrating because I have over 110K emails in that folder. ughh!!!

To get more than 10,000 emails from AOL in your inbox folder you must change your IMAP server to export.imap.aol.com

And all my 10,000++ emails are in TB

change back to server imap.aol.com and again only 10,000 emails are visible.

see link to AOL.com https://help.aol.com/articles/download-your-email-from-aol-mail-with-imap