This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

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: Fetch new messages from server except imported messages

  • 1 reply
  • 3 have this problem
  • 8 views
  • Last reply by Matt

more options

I am using Windows Live Mail for years, but decided to use Thunderbird. I use my mail clients with POP3 connection. I can import my WLM messages into Thunderbird via Import Export Tools and imported all mesages into specified folder or hierarchical folders from WLM succesfully. But when I gets new messages from Server, occurs a problem for me.

Thunderbird gets all messages even a message already imported from WLM. So all messages will be downloaded again and it will be seen twice in Inbox.

But I want that a message was imported from local .eml/.mbox file, will not be download again.

I imported messages both from eml and mbox file. (Used IMAPSize to convert *eml to mbox file) But there is no difference, Thunderbird still fetchs all messages.

Windows Live Mail 2012 - Thunderbird 31.0 - Import Export Tools 3.0.1 - IMAPSize 0.3.7


By the way there is a workaround for me, but I wish for finding a better solution. I can move all messages on server into a remote folder like archive or else. Or deleting all messages from remote inbox. Thus, Thunderbird will get new messages from a fresh inbox and my imported messages wil not be downloaded again.

I am using Windows Live Mail for years, but decided to use Thunderbird. I use my mail clients with POP3 connection. I can import my WLM messages into Thunderbird via Import Export Tools and imported all mesages into specified folder or hierarchical folders from WLM succesfully. But when I gets new messages from Server, occurs a problem for me. Thunderbird gets all messages even a message already imported from WLM. So all messages will be downloaded again and it will be seen twice in Inbox. But I want that a message was imported from local .eml/.mbox file, will not be download again. I imported messages both from eml and mbox file. (Used IMAPSize to convert *eml to mbox file) But there is no difference, Thunderbird still fetchs all messages. Windows Live Mail 2012 - Thunderbird 31.0 - Import Export Tools 3.0.1 - IMAPSize 0.3.7 ----- By the way there is a workaround for me, but I wish for finding a better solution. I can move all messages on server into a remote folder like archive or else. Or deleting all messages from remote inbox. Thus, Thunderbird will get new messages from a fresh inbox and my imported messages wil not be downloaded again.

All Replies (1)

more options

Thunderbird has no idea what messages came from where in your import, so it downloads what mail is on the server.