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.

Avatar for Username

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

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

How do I download my folder structure from Yahoo to my desktop install of thunderbird?

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

dwalker9000
dwalker9000
more options

I have been using Yahoo webmail for almost 15 years. I have a LOT of email saved folders on the web portal. I installed Thunderbird today, and wanted to download the entirety of my email from yahoo, including all the email and folder structure, but apparently there's no way to do that? When I download my email, it ONLY downloads what's in the inbox proper, and I can see no way to have it sync and download all the folders and the email within those folders. I wanted to have a local copy of all those emails. Please tell me there is a way to do that>

Dan

I have been using Yahoo webmail for almost 15 years. I have a LOT of email saved folders on the web portal. I installed Thunderbird today, and wanted to download the entirety of my email from yahoo, including all the email and folder structure, but apparently there's no way to do that? When I download my email, it ONLY downloads what's in the inbox proper, and I can see no way to have it sync and download all the folders and the email within those folders. I wanted to have a local copy of all those emails. Please tell me there is a way to do that> Dan

All Replies (3)

Zenos
Zenos
more options

You need to be using IMAP in order for an email client to be able to access folders on the server.

What does it say for this account under server type in Account Settings?

dwalker9000
dwalker9000 Question owner
more options

I have set it up as imap, but what I want is to have all the folders/messages on my local pc, which apparently is only available via POP3? If there's a way to download all folders/messages/attachments locally using IMAP, I don't see it.

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Imap sees a remote view of what is one server. All subscribed folders are synchronised to show what is on server.

You need to subscribe to see folders. Right click on mail account name in Folder Pane and select 'Subscribe' to see the list. Select checkboxes of folders and click on 'Subscribe'. Then click on 'OK'

You can choose to download emails (not only headers) into Thunderbird by setting up to synchronise folders for offline use. Right click on mail account name in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'. select 'Synchronisation & Storage' Select to 'keep messages for this account on computer'. Select 'synchronise alll messages locally regardless of age' make sure all is st up as required and click on OK Good info with image: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/imap-synchronization#w_configuring-synchronization-and-disk-space-usage

Once all is download, I suggest you go into offline mode as this will stop further synchronising whilst you create new folders in 'Local Folders' mail account. Check you can read emails in offline mode. If yes, the 'Copy' emails from imap folders into 'Local Folders' mail account folders.

'Local Folders' mail account does not synch with anything. These emails are stored on your computer and it would be adviseable to then make a backup of your profile folder.

Once you are sure all is properly downloaded and stored outside of the imap account, you can choose to delete emails from imap account which of course will also delete off server.