why when saving messages in bulk, do you not get the save as type option?
When using "save as" highlighting just one message you get the file name and a dialog box to change the saved message type from .eml to text etc. When you save as with more than one message selected you only get a "folder?" option in File explorer. You cannot choose the file type to save the messages in. I want to save the messages in text format as it is smaller and easy to check and read in a eventually zipped file, with eml files I have to open a mail reader. Please make this consistent that however many files you save (with or without a filter) you can choose the format to save ALL the files in. I have had to save 80 messages individually to get this done! Using Windows 8.1, Thunderbird version 45.1.1
All Replies (6)
Try the ImportExportTools add-on:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/
I find it easier to manage email messages inside an email client, where they are stored in context, with connections to replies and original messages. Don't you find that they just turn into a pile of disconnected discrete messages when saved externally?
Downloaded and installed add-on, now how do I use it? I want to store date related items in text form for reference in database or listed by date/subject. I tried both export options and still cannot save in text format for multiple messages, how does it deals with similar names for messages (which is taken from subject line).
Enough of this. EML is a text format. If you don't like it change the file extension using your operating system tools to TXT. job done.
But why you would want to store mail in a TXT file escapes me. Defeats all the options that Operating systems support to double click and view in the mail client. makes sorting the HTML content about as hard as it is possible to do so without actually destroying the data and looses all attachments.
So you want a database, that does not mean you want TXT file, that just means that the information is not being stored in the best manner possible. How were you planning on reading this information?
However you want to do it, you do it. As you appear to want detailed instructions on how to save a file. See the picture
This still does not address the problem of saving SELECTED messages, not folders. I only want to keep a small portion of messages in Text. The rest can stay within thunderbird in mail format. This is why I don't want to change the default format.
One of these days I am going to actually use the import export tools add-on for something. But somehow I know enough to explain to others how to use it. How does that work? Well I click on menus and look at context menus. that is how. stephenc said
This still does not address the problem of saving SELECTED messages, not folders.
You place the mail your intending to export into a folder and hey problem solved. Because you want to export every single message.
Or you use the operating system tools that come with your computer to rename the EML file to TXT file. I said that already as well, perhaps you missed it.
It is also probable that the context menu does exactly what you want it to do. I found that by looking by the way. Not through asking some to look for me.
Ho hum. ;-)
