We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Thunderbird keeps asking me to compact folders with high estimate of savings

  • 4 majibu
  • 1 ana tatizo hili
  • 44 views
  • Last reply by Wayne Mery

more options

Thunderbird keeps asking me to compact folders, c.f. the attached screenshot. Meanwhile, I also checked the profile files under AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles, the whole folder of the profile files has only 24.2 MB (25,477,204 bytes).

Thunderbird keeps asking me to compact folders, c.f. the attached screenshot. Meanwhile, I also checked the profile files under AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles, the whole folder of the profile files has only 24.2 MB (25,477,204 bytes).
Attached screenshots

Modified by Wayne Mery

Chosen solution

Repeated requests to compact often indicate a corrupted folder. Try rebuilding the folder by copying the existing mail to another folder, then deleting the folder's mbox file and msf file, e.g. Inbox and Inbox.msf, from the profile folder. TB will automatically create new files on restart.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Compacting_folders#Real_fix

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (4)

more options

Check settings at Tools>Preferences>General under Disk Space. Changing settings there may address the issue.

more options

david said

Check settings at Tools>Preferences>General under Disk Space. Changing settings there may address the issue.

You see the folder of this profile only has 24MB. Why would it ask me to compact folder and said it would save 102MB of space?

more options

Suluhisho teule

Repeated requests to compact often indicate a corrupted folder. Try rebuilding the folder by copying the existing mail to another folder, then deleting the folder's mbox file and msf file, e.g. Inbox and Inbox.msf, from the profile folder. TB will automatically create new files on restart.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Compacting_folders#Real_fix

more options

We are currently working on this issue. If you still have this problem please post a new support request. Also, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/compacting-folders now explains it MUCH better.