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How do I avoid downloading the spam folder in a POP connection?

  • 8 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 17 views
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

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I am downloading mails from my yahoo account via a POP. Messages from both my inbox and spam folder are downloaded into my inbox on Thunderbird, thus undoing the spam filtering that yahoo already did. Is there a way to avoid downloading the spam folder or downloading it into the spam folder on Thunderbird?

I am downloading mails from my yahoo account via a POP. Messages from both my inbox and spam folder are downloaded into my inbox on Thunderbird, thus undoing the spam filtering that yahoo already did. Is there a way to avoid downloading the spam folder or downloading it into the spam folder on Thunderbird?

All Replies (8)

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What do you do with junk? See Tools / account-settings / junk settings. See also global junk settings in Tools /options /security /junk

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POP only downloads messages from Inbox. Verify your account type.

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christ1 said

POP only downloads messages from Inbox. Verify your account type.

Can you elaborate? What do you men with account type? The server is configured as a POP server (pop.mail.yahoo.com), should it be configured differently?

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What I was trying to say, if your account really is a POP account, I have no idea how you're able to retrieve messages from your spam folder on the server. The other possibility is that those messages do not get classified as spam on the server, Thunderbird is retrieving them from Inbox, and puts them into the local junk folder. In that case there is nothing you can do about it other than complaining to Yahoo.

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The messages are actually in the spam folder on yahoo, that's what is puzzling me. And they do end up in my Thunderbird inbox.

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Located some info that might explain what is going on. Please check this in the webmail account:

If you are still receiving spam in your email client, it is possible Yahoo Xtra webmail is allowing you to download spam email. You cannot disable Yahoo Xtra's Spam filter, but you can still choose whether or not you download spam.

  • Log in to Webmail
  • Click the Options icon
  • Click Mail Options
  • Click POP & Forwarding
  • Select Access Yahoo! Mail via POP

In the drop down box, select one of the following options:

  • Don't download spam email

Select this to stop downloading email marked as Spam to your email client OR

  • Download spam with no special indicators

Warning: Downloading spam with no special indicators will not indicate which of the emails are marked as spam. For safety reasons, we recommend using the next option instead.

  • Download spam, but prefix the word "Spam"
  • Click Save
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Toad-Hall said

Located some info that might explain what is going on. Please check this in the webmail account: If you are still receiving spam in your email client, it is possible Yahoo Xtra webmail is allowing you to download spam email. You cannot disable Yahoo Xtra's Spam filter, but you can still choose whether or not you download spam.
  • Log in to Webmail
  • Click the Options icon
  • Click Mail Options
  • Click POP & Forwarding
  • Select Access Yahoo! Mail via POP
In the drop down box, select one of the following options:
  • Don't download spam email
Select this to stop downloading email marked as Spam to your email client OR
  • Download spam with no special indicators
Warning: Downloading spam with no special indicators will not indicate which of the emails are marked as spam. For safety reasons, we recommend using the next option instead.
  • Download spam, but prefix the word "Spam"
  • Click Save

I have tried this before, the problem is that this doesn't seem to work in my account. It used to work before, but when yahoo moved to their new mail system it stopped working. The bottom line is, spam gets downloaded into my inbox unlabeled.

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I'm sorry to say that if yahoo are allowing the download then there is nothing that Thunderbird can do about it.

I would approach Yahoo to get it resolved. Maybe they could do something from their end, if trying to reset those options does not work.

In the meantime, I would set up your thunderbird Junk controls and train Thunderbird to recognise what is 'Junk', in order to get those emails auto filtered to your thunderbird Junk folder.

Junk Control info here: