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

Why does the message time / date use the original time sent?

  • 4 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by shochberg

more options

Hi, I notice that emails that are delayed come in using the time originally sent, rather than the time that they reach my server. This is unusual, since it can end up with a "new" message ending up well down the list from other messages sent more recently. Is that the intended operation?

Note the following header - this shows up in my inbox based on the 2:57 creation time, even though it didn't even leave the originating server until substantially later.

From - Tue Mar 25 21:59:03 2014 X-Account-Key: account2 X-UIDL: UID86003-1263191493 X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-Mozilla-Keys: Return-path: <prvs=1154a0f3f5=owner-taa@list.tetn.net> Envelope-to: [email address removed] Delivery-date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:11:16 -0700 Received: from og1.ijnet.net ([216.246.89.40]:47913) by napkin.mysitehosted.com with esmtp (Exim 4.82) (envelope-from <prvs=1154a0f3f5=owner-taa@list.tetn.net>) id 1WSZYx-00074s-NB for [email address removed]; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:11:15 -0700 X-Envelope-From: prvs=1154a0f3f5=owner-taa@list.tetn.net X-Envelope-To: [email address removed] Received: From hopkins.tea.state.tx.us (198.214.98.149) by og1.ijnet.net (MAILFOUNDRY) id VQwf2rRqEeOelwAw for [email address removed]; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 22:10:59 -0000 (GMT) Received: from ([198.214.97.182]) by hopkins.tea.state.tx.us with ESMTP id 5503449.345156795; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:48:03 -0500 Received: from miller (miller.tea.state.tx.us [198.214.97.182]) by miller.tea.state.tx.us (AIX5.2/8.11.6p2/8.11.0) with ESMTP id s2PLgCe45034; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:42:12 -0500 Received: by LIST.TETN.NET (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 14.5) with spool id 204073

         for [email address removed]; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:32:55 -0500

Approved-By: [email address removed] Received: from hopkins.tea.state.tx.us (hopkins.tea.state.tx.us

         [198.214.98.149]) by miller.tea.state.tx.us (AIX5.2/8.11.6p2/8.11.0)
         with ESMTP id s2PJvne69120 for <[email address removed]>; Tue, 25 Mar 2014
         14:57:49 -0500

Received: from ([198.214.97.51]) by hopkins.tea.state.tx.us with ESMTP id

         5503449.345151870; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:57:47 -0500
Hi, I notice that emails that are delayed come in using the time originally sent, rather than the time that they reach my server. This is unusual, since it can end up with a "new" message ending up well down the list from other messages sent more recently. Is that the intended operation? Note the following header - this shows up in my inbox based on the 2:57 creation time, even though it didn't even leave the originating server until substantially later. From - Tue Mar 25 21:59:03 2014 X-Account-Key: account2 X-UIDL: UID86003-1263191493 X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-Mozilla-Keys: Return-path: <prvs=1154a0f3f5=owner-taa@list.tetn.net> Envelope-to: [email address removed] Delivery-date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:11:16 -0700 Received: from og1.ijnet.net ([216.246.89.40]:47913) by napkin.mysitehosted.com with esmtp (Exim 4.82) (envelope-from <prvs=1154a0f3f5=owner-taa@list.tetn.net>) id 1WSZYx-00074s-NB for [email address removed]; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:11:15 -0700 X-Envelope-From: prvs=1154a0f3f5=owner-taa@list.tetn.net X-Envelope-To: [email address removed] Received: From hopkins.tea.state.tx.us (198.214.98.149) by og1.ijnet.net (MAILFOUNDRY) id VQwf2rRqEeOelwAw for [email address removed]; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 22:10:59 -0000 (GMT) Received: from ([198.214.97.182]) by hopkins.tea.state.tx.us with ESMTP id 5503449.345156795; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:48:03 -0500 Received: from miller (miller.tea.state.tx.us [198.214.97.182]) by miller.tea.state.tx.us (AIX5.2/8.11.6p2/8.11.0) with ESMTP id s2PLgCe45034; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:42:12 -0500 Received: by LIST.TETN.NET (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 14.5) with spool id 204073 for [email address removed]; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:32:55 -0500 Approved-By: [email address removed] Received: from hopkins.tea.state.tx.us (hopkins.tea.state.tx.us [198.214.98.149]) by miller.tea.state.tx.us (AIX5.2/8.11.6p2/8.11.0) with ESMTP id s2PJvne69120 for <[email address removed]>; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:57:49 -0500 Received: from ([198.214.97.51]) by hopkins.tea.state.tx.us with ESMTP id 5503449.345151870; Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:57:47 -0500

Modified by Andrew

Chosen solution

That workaround only applies to an IMAP account where only headers are downloaded. Fairly uncommon really as that is not the default.

The received date is available in the pane always, just right clicking the headers and selecting it from the list is all that is required. Sorting by the order received however negates all the dates and maintains the strict order of mail received. However all of these things are on the View > sort order menu, including grouped by sort that beloved today yesterday last week sorting of Outlook users.

Funnily enough, I find everything about Outlook without exchange awkward and somehow limited, but it is an exchange client really not a general mail client in my opinion.

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (4)

more options

Yes the sender gets to set the date. Just like snail mail, I date the letter today and post it three days hence and you get it with an old date. You can always change your sort to order received it that is what you want. View menu (Alt+V) >sort by > order received

more options

Hmm, yes, I'm used to the way it works in MS Outlook so this is a little strange.

There is a workaround, which I've seen posted as far back as 2008. It worked for me in a little test. Here's a link with more information: Putting The “Received” Column In Thunderbird To Work – Dmitry Leskov.

more options

Chosen Solution

That workaround only applies to an IMAP account where only headers are downloaded. Fairly uncommon really as that is not the default.

The received date is available in the pane always, just right clicking the headers and selecting it from the list is all that is required. Sorting by the order received however negates all the dates and maintains the strict order of mail received. However all of these things are on the View > sort order menu, including grouped by sort that beloved today yesterday last week sorting of Outlook users.

Funnily enough, I find everything about Outlook without exchange awkward and somehow limited, but it is an exchange client really not a general mail client in my opinion.

more options

Aha, of course, I didn't even look at the other available options. Although the "received" column makes more sense than the "order received", which appears to be just some kind of sequence number.

Thanks.