Cannot delete trash file. Followed instructions in safe mode. Still shows messages in trash folder and cannot delete
I keep getting message that "Server is disconnected. The server may be down or there may be a network problem." I had forgotten to adjust my setting to empty the trash on exit. I get sometimes 200+ spam/junk mails a day that are automatically marked as junk and go to the trash file. I think I have too many messages in the trash files and I have tried to delete the folders. I have read and followed the instructions to delete the trash folders from the safe mode- help, troubleshooting, open folder, close Thunderbird and delete the folders manually. I have been able to delete several folders that were in different subfolders. In the window it shows that they are deleted. I delete them permanently from the recycle bin. I have restarted the computer. When I open Thunderbird again it still has a trash folder that says it has 1300+ messages. I try to delete it with no success. The messages won't load so I can't delete them. My web master told me to use Round Cube to look at my email online- not with Thunderbird if I want to access from another location. I have tried to do that and delete the messages. It says there are over 3000 messages in the trash folder and I keep getting a message that there was a server error. I never received a message that I was over quota and I continue to receive and can send emails. I am really frustrated and any suggestions and possible solutions would be greatly appreciated. I use the email for my business so it is vital I have it running. It is IMAP. My domain is hosted by GoDaddy but my site it is hosted on another server. I never set up an account with the Go Daddy email page because I was using the web site webmail.mydomainname.com
All Replies (7)
If you use IMAP then the folder is on the server and you see a remote view of that folder.
You subscribe to see the folder and maybe you also synchronise the folder to get a copy on your computer, but it always going to be updated to reflect what is on the server. When you delete it off your computer and then access Thunderbird, it will recreate the folder as new and because you subscribe to see it, it will then match the folder on the server, so recreating what you have on the server.
Try this: In thunderbird make sure you are in 'online' mode. There should be a two blue screen icon in bottom left corner if online. If you see a two black screen icon then you are offline and Thunderbird cannot connect to the server. Clicking on this icon will toggle between online and offline.
right click on Trash / Deleted folder and select 'Empty Trash/Deleted' Then right click on same folder and select 'Compact'
Backup your emails.
Then compact all your folders - File > Compact Folders.
Then when TB connects with server it should update the server.
More info on deleting in IMAP mail accounts:
However, if you logged on to your webmail account using a browser then you can delete emails or empty the Trash off the server.
I have already also done what you suggested above. I cannot get the trash folder to empty. I also tried to compact and it did not help. I am still getting the message that the server has disconnected. I am still getting emails and I can send emails as well but I cannot empty the trash folder. I right click and it does not give me the option to delete the folder- the text is there but you cannot highlight it to start the function.
As the Trash folder is a copy of what is on the server, try this.
- Unsubscribe from seeing the trash folder.
- close Thunderbird.
- Go into your Profile mail account folder and delete the Trash folder and the Trash.msf folder. If it will not delete, right click on file and see if the Properties Atributes are 'Read only' this should not be selected.
- Restart thunderbird.
- subscribe to see Trash folder.
I cannot unsubscribe the trash folder. It is checked and is not available to change. I have tried several times to do this.
I'm assuming: You have logged onto your webmail account using a browser and deleted all emails in the Trash folder. So that the server Trash is empty. Confirm you have done this first.
In thunderbird: The folder was subscribed to so that you could remotely see the emails. Did you also synchronize this folder? If you subscribed and synchronised this folder, then a copy will be in your Profile Folder.
do you have 'Keep messages for this account on this computer' selected? Tell me if this folder was synchronised.
If yes you synchronised the folder:
Help > Troubleshooting information click on 'show folder' a new window opens showing profile folders
Close Thunderbird now - this is important.
- Click on 'IMAPMail' folder
- click on mail account name
- Right click on 'Trash file' - note it has no extension and open with Notepad.
- Can you see loads of emails?
- Edit by removing all the contents.
- Save file.
- Delete the Trash.msf file
Restart thunderbird.
Modified by Toad-Hall
re: I right click and it does not give me the option to delete the folder. No you cannot delete the folder, but you should be able to select 'Empty Folder'. Is this option greyed out? If you select it what happens?
I have tried several times to empty the trash folder. Every time I do so I get an error saying there is a server error. I CANNOT delete files from the trash folder. I was hoping if I couldn't empty that I could delete but I understand it is an established file. On the left side menu it shows there are 22 messages in the trash folder. Over under the spot where the messages SHOULD appear but do not it is saying that there are over 3000 messages. NO messages will load and read out. I am at my wits end. I have gone to webmail.mydomainname.com and Round Cube opens. I cannot empty the files. I have changed the settings to compact the inbox on exit and to empty the trash folder upon exit. It is not emptying. I use Kaspersky. Mozilla is am approved user. I did not realize that the files were not being deleted from the server as I was not used to using IMAP and didn't fully understand how it works until recently. I just need to delete the files in the trash folder so I can free up space and use my email. I won't make this same mistake again. It is because I get sometimes 100+ stupid junk mails that are automatically sent to the trash folder but I did not realize were not being deleted at the end of the day. It is becoming very difficult to get or receive emails any where and I use this extensively for my business so I need to get this resolved. I have uninstalled Thunderbird from my computer for a second time. I know this won't really help my problem until I can delete the messages from the server but I am trying everythign I have known in the past might work.