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.

Thunderbird won't download Gmail emails via IMAP older than 1 1/2 years

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by Matt

cs
cs
more options

I have been trying to download all my email from Gmail via IMAP, but I'm only able to download emails back to 6/20/2017, 1 1/2 years ago.

Why Is this? How can I download / Synchronize all my emails (while keeping all their information, including the dates they were sent intact)?

    • I couldn't upload the image of the settings, but the following Synchronization & Storage Settings are selected: 
-  Message Synchronizing
-  Synchronize All Messages
-  Don't Delete Any Messages

_________________


Back story (not to bore you): Gmail has a storage limit of 15 Gigs, and my email has already used 15+. I would like to keep all my emails to reference later on my home computer running Thunderbird, and upload them to another gmail account so I can search them on my smart phone. I would like to dates of each email intact.

I have been trying to download all my email from Gmail via IMAP, but I'm only able to download emails back to 6/20/2017, 1 1/2 years ago. Why Is this? How can I download / Synchronize all my emails (while keeping all their information, including the dates they were sent intact)? ** I couldn't upload the image of the settings, but the following Synchronization & Storage Settings are selected: - Message Synchronizing - Synchronize All Messages - Don't Delete Any Messages _________________ Back story (not to bore you): Gmail has a storage limit of 15 Gigs, and my email has already used 15+. I would like to keep all my emails to reference later on my home computer running Thunderbird, and upload them to another gmail account so I can search them on my smart phone. I would like to dates of each email intact.

Modified by cs

All Replies (2)

cs
cs Question owner
more options

I couldn't upload the image of the settings, but the following are selected: 

 -  Message Synchronizing
 -  Synchronize All Messages
 -  Don't Delete Any Messages
Matt
Matt
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Have you tried the mbox formatted "takeout" my data gmail offers. it takes days to get it usually, then send you a link to download your mail. See https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout?pli=1

The zip file they give you has an mbox for each folder/label and you can just "drop" those mbox files with some renaming ( it is better to import them with the import export tools add-on) into the local folders folder in the Thunderbird profile and when Thunderbird is opened the mail is "just there"

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/