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.

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

Thunderbird inbox mail delete fails with TRYCREATE server exception

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Matt

more options

'Intermittent fault in TB client with MSExchange Server backend when deleting Inbox mail. Mail items disappear from inbox view but reappear almost immediately. TB client pops error message on status bar, see the attached image. Error message = The current operation on ['Inbox' did not succeed. The mail server for account x@x responded: [TRYCREATE] Mailbox doesn't exist: INBOX.Trash (xxx.x + xxx.x secs)

This mystifies 'help' desk at my ISP. Intermittent problem, not a killer. Can't locate any TB help topics on this but point me in the right direction if you know this solution.

'Intermittent fault in TB client with MSExchange Server backend when deleting Inbox mail. Mail items disappear from inbox view but reappear almost immediately. TB client pops error message on status bar, see the attached image. Error message = The current operation on ['Inbox' did not succeed. The mail server for account x@x responded: [TRYCREATE] Mailbox doesn't exist: INBOX.Trash (xxx.x + xxx.x secs) This mystifies 'help' desk at my ISP. Intermittent problem, not a killer. Can't locate any TB help topics on this but point me in the right direction if you know this solution.
Attached screenshots

Modified by Andrew Sewell

Chosen solution

SOLVED (kind of). TB support showed posts from years back on the same problem. I'll go with those solutions (relaunch TB client).

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (2)

more options

Chosen Solution

SOLVED (kind of). TB support showed posts from years back on the same problem. I'll go with those solutions (relaunch TB client).

more options

My guess is you are running into the dreaded different default folder names. IMAP is supposed to "correctly identify" these special folders, but guess what!

First use whatever you have for web mail and confirm the folder on the server is the default exchange "deleted Items" then right click the account i the folder pane and select subscribe. Ensure the "deleted items" folder is subscribed.

Now go to account settings > server settings and ensure that the move for deleted mail is to the "deleted items" folder.

Once you have done this the icon shown beside the deleted items folder should change to the trash can.

I think what is happening is Thunderbird deletes by moving to trash. In the background a delete is sent to the server which deletes the mail, it is them moved to the server "deleted items" and some sort of timing issue is resulting in an error about the trash folder because the email is no longer in the inbox to move. But as I said, I am guessing.