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I need a way to use one set of filters for twenty-seven email accounts.

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  • Last reply by Dale_H_Cook

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For twenty years I used Eudora, which used one set of email filters for all of my twenty-seven email addresses. Modifying filters in Thunderbird is a major pain, as many filter rules must be applied to multiple email accounts. Is there any way to apply one set of filters to all of my email accounts other than the laborious process of manually copying a modified filter set to the other twenty-six email accounts?

For twenty years I used Eudora, which used one set of email filters for all of my twenty-seven email addresses. Modifying filters in Thunderbird is a major pain, as many filter rules must be applied to multiple email accounts. Is there any way to apply one set of filters to all of my email accounts other than the laborious process of manually copying a modified filter set to the other twenty-six email accounts?

Chosen solution

Since filters are account-specific, I don't think there's any simpler way than copying the msgFilterRules.dat file from one account's folder in the profile folder to the others (while TB is closed), which appears to be what you are doing.

You might be able to minimize this when modifying filters by making them independent of specific changes, e.g. if a filter acts on certain contacts, make the filter rule From + is in address book + (address book name) rather than From + is + (some contact).

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Chosen Solution

Since filters are account-specific, I don't think there's any simpler way than copying the msgFilterRules.dat file from one account's folder in the profile folder to the others (while TB is closed), which appears to be what you are doing.

You might be able to minimize this when modifying filters by making them independent of specific changes, e.g. if a filter acts on certain contacts, make the filter rule From + is in address book + (address book name) rather than From + is + (some contact).

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What is frustrating is that in Win7 I can't even use a batch file for the copying.