Problems Configuring Folders with Global Inbox
I'm giving Thunderbird a try because I'm unhappy with spam filters and rules not working in Outlook. I am tired of checking all my spam every day, to be sure that a wanted email is placed there. I want my T-BIrd to receive all spam, and use T-BIrd's rules to then firmly isolate, or even delete, specific spam that I receive.
I've set up four email accounts, using a Global Inbox, so everything is together. While I had been using IMAP with Outlook, I understand I need to use Pop3 for this to work with Thunderbird, so I did that. But....
I am getting some emails with Thunderbird, but not all, even those addressed to me. Will leaving Outlook open during this transition period prevent T-Bird from working properly? Likewise, can gmail.com be open when trying to debug messages? I just sent myself a gmail message, which was received in Outlook, but not in T-Bird (and I couldn't find it in Gmail either, which is /really/ confusing).
Oh, shoot, I tried sending mail using my Gmail account from Thunderbird, and it failed. I went to look up Server settings for Gmail with T-Bird, and the article said I'd have to use IMAP, which I cannot use if I want to have the Global Inbox. So, is use of T-Bird dead for me, if I require/desire a Global inbox?
Of the emails I've received so far, only one is marked by T-Bird as Junk, which I can identify by the red color, and when I click on it, I have a "Not Junk" button. But there is no Junk folder, which is where I thought it would be.
All Replies (4)
OK let's start from the begining.
Have you removed the imap accounts from Thunderbird ?
re: I want my T-BIrd to receive all spam
If gmail detect spam and put it in server spam folder then you are never going to see it in a pop account because pop accounts can only access and download from the server Inbox. Only imap accounts can display anything in any server folder.
re: I am getting some emails with Thunderbird, but not all
You will not get any emails that are not in the server Inbox. aka any emails in any other server folder will not get access by a pop account.
You also have to make sure you have set up gmail to allow download for all emails in Inbox. Then you should get the oldest 250 emails downloaded from Inbox. https://support.google.com/a/answer/6089246?hl=en#zippy=%2Cre-downloading-messages-and-excluding-existing-messages
You can create POP accounts. Pop accounts can be set up to use 'Authentication method: OAuth' , but if you want to use 'Authentication method: Normal Password' then you have use to a different method - you cannot simply use the password - but I'll advise on that later as it depends on what you have set up.
At this point in time please confirm: Can you only see 'Local Folders' in the Folder Pane? There are no separate mail accounts in Folder Pane.
Then post the following information: In Thunderbird
- Help > Troubleshooting Information
- scroll down to 'Mail and News Accounts' section
- Copy all the data in that section and paste the info into this forum question.
re :Of the emails I've received so far, only one is marked by T-Bird as Junk, which I can identify by the red color, and when I click on it, I have a "Not Junk" button. But there is no Junk folder, which is where I thought it would be.
Sounds like you have not set up all the Account Settings information. eg: for each account - 'Copies & Folders' and 'Junk Settings' For 'Sent', Drafts, Templates, Archives, Junk - are they all using the correct Other option in Local Folders ? Example: 'Junk Settings'
- select 'Move new junk messages to:'
- select 'Other' and 'Junk on Local Folders'
Thanks very much for your response. It is very helpful.
At this point in time please confirm: Can you only see 'Local Folders' in the Folder Pane? There are no separate mail accounts in Folder Pane. Only Local Folders are shown, and those include Inbox, Drafts, Trash and Outbox. No Junk or Spam folders.
Mail and News Accounts Troubleshooting Information: ID Incoming server Outgoing servers Name Connection security Authentication method Name Connection security Authentication method Default? account2 (none) Local Folders None Normal password account6 (pop3) pop.gmail.com:110 None No authentication .gmail.com None No authentication true account7 (pop3) inbound.att.net:995 SSL/TLS Normal password outbound.att.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true account8 (pop3) inbound.att.net:995 SSL/TLS Normal password outbound.att.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true account9 (pop3) inbound.att.net:995 SSL/TLS Normal password outbound.att.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true
As mentioned above, Gmail is not working. It appears that Gmail may require IMAP rather than POP3, and if that is the case, I cannot use a Global Inbox, which is my primary requirement.
As to the Account Settings, all were set to move to Local Folders, except the "Move new junk messages to" was unchecked. I see that it also can be set to move to a Junk Local Folder, so that, I think, answers why none of my Junk messages are visible there. And upon setting that, I immediately get a Junk folder in Local Folders. Also, upon Sending an email, a Sent folder is created and the email was put there.
So, I think most things are working, but I still have the problem with Gmail. The big question is: Can Gmail be set up to work in Thunderbird with POP3, and not IMAP? If Yes, I just need to get the right settings. If NO, then I apparently cannot use a Global Inbox, and therefore cannot use Thunderbird.
Oh, and I think I don't have a real problem with the Spam. I had used POP3 for many years, without a problem. I think that whatever spam my ISP prevents from getting to me, I didn't need. It's what DOES come to me, that I decide I don't want that is the problem. I use Outlook now, and have rules set up to DELETE certain specific spam that keeps getting sent to me, but it doesn't work right, and is simply sent to the Spam folder where messages that I /may/ want are placed as well, so have to go through them.
If I can create rules that will delete specific domains or senders using Thunderbird, that should work fine.
Rick Raisley said
Thanks very much for your response. It is very helpful. So, I think most things are working, but I still have the problem with Gmail. The big question is: Can Gmail be set up to work in Thunderbird with POP3, and not IMAP?
Yes, I use it to get mail from this site. Thunderbird will autoddetect the correct setting when you set up the account.
The setting you have however are most certainly not correct and I do wonder how you could get them so wrong as Thunderbird will download the correct setting for gmail from here. https://autoconfig.thunderbird.net/v1.1/gmail.com
Port 110 has never been the port used by gmail for pop accounts, authentication has always been required and connections must be secured by SSL/TLS. The outgoing server name you included is not complete
It is also necesary that you have POP and or IMAP enabled on the Gmail web site. I do not know what their defaults are, but I think the default IMAP to on and POP to Off. This link should get you there. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#settings/fwdandpop
Note that Gmail requires oAuth authentication and that inherently requires cookies to be enabled in Thunderbird to record the authenticate process and feed back the results to Thunderbird. Some security software and more paranoid folk disable them and then have authentication issues.