Compacting actually removes the mail from the folder you think your deleted them from. So compacting it an essential part of housekeeping your deleted mail. Nothing more. Refusal to do it however has consequences on IMAP servers as the space used by the deleted emails is never released.

It has nothing to do with your current active emails, only those you think you have deleted.

Hi Matt, Thanks so much for the kind and helpful answer. And clarifying, I did click on Compact folders prompt ... As you said did not see any change with structure or emails filed. Neither did I see any change in the % full. Should I have? (I cut back sooooo much but only got it down to 90% from deleting, and after compacting, still 90%. Not really that heavy a load in my mailbox......!) Also...if you have time to reply... If not, I understand. -The prompt comes up pretty frequently--more than daily....Is it best to Compact anytime prompted? -Lower down on screen from my IMAP files, I have my old Local files....Do these take up space also so it helps to delete these as well, or are they totally separate? -Finally, do you/ does anyone know what the "Delete Recent history" option (under the Tools drop down menu) does exactly? Thanks so much again for any "enlightenment"...Best! Fran

Are you using gmail? If no, what server are you using?

Gmail: When you delete an email you need to make sure you have subscribed to see the gmail trash folder and when you click on delete the email must go into the subscribed gmail trash folder. Gmail will auto empty the gmail trash periodically. This will remove the email from the 'All Mail' folder.

If you are not using subscribed gmail trash folder then only the label is removed and the email is archived in the 'All Mail' folder, so % will not go down.

IMAP mail accounts use the term expunge to housekeep deleted mail. Thunderbird has an option to expunge the inbox on exit but over all the server side expunge is somewhat independent. I talk in absolutes, but nothing is absolute.

The server can expunge whenever it likes really. Thunderbird explicitly issues the commend in a couple of circumstances. One is when you compact.

As to the frequency of compact prompts. Are you using the current version of Thunderbird (Help menu > About it should be 60.5.1) There have been a number of bugs in the compact process fixed in recent years including spurious requests to compact. SO having the latest version will exclude all those possible issues.

In Options > Advanced > Network and disk space ensure the compact threshold is large enough to stop it appearing daily. I have mine set to 11Mb and really do not recall what the default is. The value is a trade off between compacting all the time and actually removing deleted mail. There is not really a one size fits all model. In your case with an IMAP account approaching full a smaller limit might be appropriate. But you can work out what works for you.

Yes, using version 60.5.1. Mail running much better since I started compacting, and % full does not increase much at all.

Thanks very much again for your responses. Fran

Toad-Hall, Thanks very mcuh for taking the time to post. Will keep your info in mind if I start using my Gmail. (Now I am using mostly all the Mozilla Thunderbird email version 60.5.1.) Best, Fran

Toad-Hall, Thanks very mcuh for taking the time to post. Will keep your info in mind if I start using my Gmail. (Now I am using mostly all the Mozilla Thunderbird email version 60.5.1.) Best, Fran

franseigel said

Yes, using version 60.5.1. Mail running much better since I started compacting, and % full does not increase much at all. Thanks very much again for your responses. Fran

You might also want to check your mail account using a web mail login. The information some servers supply is not entirely accurate where quota is concerned. Check that the web client also says quota 103% or whatever it is now.

Remember your trash is counted against quota, so empty it frequently.

Moving messages from your account to local folders in Thunderbird will also reduce quota use as it has the same result on the server as deleting the mail. But take it steady in the moving. Move a few messages and then a few more. You can swamp the thing and it just looses them if you move hundreds at a time. Or it can end up taking so long you think it has lost them.

IF you have a lot of messages to move, I prefer to use the import export tools to export the messages as an mbox file and then import them again as it does not have the issues of overwhelming the IMAP connection.

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

Thanks Matt. All good on that front now.

But just got another issue I will post on tomorrow if I can't solve. The one which stops mail from sending..... "Sending of the message failed. The message could not be sent because the connection to Outgoing server (SMTP) smtp.cox.net timed out. Try again." Never had 2 issues in a row.... I see the fixes on the forum....Will try to deal with it manana.... and or post again...I don't think it's from the prior issue, right? My inbox is happy at 89% now..... Tks. again....

Whoops, I copied and pasted the message from a help page. I don't want to mislead.... Mine is actually:

Sending of the message failed. The message could not be sent because the connection to Outgoing server (SMTP) smtp.fsartists.com timed out. Try again.

NOT Cox. net

Fran

Timeouts usually have a limited number of causes.

1. Setting are wrong. If you have never sent mail with the account this may well be the case, it is also not precluded even if it worked in the past. If the provider has changed something, or failed to change something like update a security certificate.

2. A privately registered domain that has been incorrectly configured in DNS. I note the mail exchanger is DNS (MX record) is fsartfab.com not smtp.fsartfab.com These are often the same server name. See https://tools.dnsstuff.com/#dnsLookup|type=domain&&value=fsartfab.com&&recordType=MX&&displaytype=pretty

Make sure that the SMTP settings used match those in the godaddy cpanel pages. and that if you are using SSL/TLS that you are using your own server certificate or have added the dodgy one for secureserver.net that the godaddy servers routinely offer up.

3. over active anti virus programs that just take to long to do their thing. Disabling email scanning usually fixes these. Anti virus issues are however insidious and are the primary reason running operating systems in safe mode with networking is regularly recommend in diagnosis

Hi Matt, The kind help you are giving is really above and beyond. I can't thank you enough. I on overwhelm with work and don't have the patience or brainpower for the tech issues so will work on getting a local tech person to assist. Have a great day and thank you again for your kindness and patience. (Are you in NYC by chance?) Fran S.