re :If I choose 'Detach' I am offered a save screen, and I can save the photo. A warning tells me that the photo will be saved and then deleted from the email. Except it isn't - it is saved but still appears at the bottom NOT crossed out and with its original bytes, and can be opened.

Correct. The image in the email - if 'display attachments inline' is selected, will not show the image, it will be a broken file image because image has been removed. The attachment name below text in the attachment area will change colour eg: blue to signify it is a link. When you 'detach' you are asked where to save that image and the link to the stored detached image replaces the actual attachment image. If you double click on that attachment 'link' it will open in whatever program you have selected on your computer to open images. If you had the 'Size' column header selected, you would notice the size of the email has been reduced because image is no longer attached. This means you can reduce the email size stored, but still maintain a connection to the image.

So yes, it has been deleted from the email.

Thank you for replying- appreciated.

So 'Detach' is quite subtle, I didn't notice the attachment turned blue indicating it was a link, otherwise it looks the same as an attached attachment. So it links to where you saved it locally. However, of course, this doesn't reduce the overall storage size, it was actually a sideline to my main question because I couldn't see what it was doing.

So the problem remains of how to delete in-line images (of which I have a lot), any idea on that please?

The 'detach' option does reduce the size of the email because the attachment has been detached and deleted leaving only a link. After detaching, I did need to select another email and then reselect email to refresh the 'Size' column info. But my email of 8MB was reduced to 223Kb after using 'Detach'. Alternative, if you need to keep copy of image, you can use 'Save as' to save it and then perform the 'Delete' option on the attachment, but this will not create a link to the stored email. It has the same effect on size as 'Detach'.

If you are looking to save a load of space generally: Any time you 'move' or 'delete' and email, that email will disappear from the folder it was in and reappear in another folder or in Trash. In reality, that original email is still in the original folder, but it is hidden and 'marked as deleted'. When you compact that folder, the original email is fully removed and this will tidy up the file and reduce it's size.

• Right click on folder and select 'compact' to compact that folder.

Inbox, Drafts and Junk get the most activity when it comes to moving or deleting emails, so those folders would need more 'compacting' than others.

There are settings you can set up to do some auto compacting either specifically on the Inbox (if imap) or on all folders when a threshold has been reached. For imap accounts:

• Account Settings > Server Settings
• Under 'Mesasge Storage' select 'Clean up (Expunge) Inbox on Exit.

Auto compact settings:

• Menu app icon > Options > General
• scroll down to 'Network & Disc Space' section
• Select checkbox 'Compact all folders when it will save over X MB'

I would suggest you choose a lower number to force regular compacting eg: 20 MB, but the choice is yours.

Thanks for this,

Alas you haven't addressed my point on deleting in line photos?

Apologies for missing this part - I was too focused on 'Attachment'. If the photo is in line with the text of the email (as a great many of mine are) there appears to be no way of deleting it (or converting it to an attachment, when I could used the method above). How can I do it?

You need to change the view from 'Original HTML' to 'Plain Text'. 'Menu app icon' > 'View' > 'Message Body as' > select 'Plain Text' This removes formatting and the image will be shown as an attachment and my previous comment info will then work.

If you then go back to : 'Menu app icon' > 'View' > 'Message Body as' > 'Original Html', you will notice the image is replaced by an empty black outline.

AH HA! Now we are getting somewhere.

It works!

Many, many thanks.