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

Downloading older Sent messages

  • 2 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by text-tone

more options

I am up to the server limit on my POP mail account. I have downloaded all the Inbox messages and removed them from the server, but messages in the Sent folder on the server are the problem. I started using Thunderbird about a year ago and all Sent messages since then are in Thunderbird, but older ones prior to that date remain on the server. I would like to download these older Sent messages before I delete them.

How can I get Thunderbird to download the older Sent messages that I can see on the server ? Thanks

I am up to the server limit on my POP mail account. I have downloaded all the Inbox messages and removed them from the server, but messages in the Sent folder on the server are the problem. I started using Thunderbird about a year ago and all Sent messages since then are in Thunderbird, but older ones prior to that date remain on the server. I would like to download these older Sent messages before I delete them. How can I get Thunderbird to download the older Sent messages that I can see on the server ? Thanks

Chosen solution

POP mail accounts can only access and download fromthe server Inbox to Thunderbird mail account Inbox.

So, log on to webmail account using a browser and move all those 'Sent' emails into the server Inbox. Then in Thunderbird use the 'GetMessages' to download them. Finally, move all of those messages into the mail account 'Sent' folder or create a new folder eg: OldSent and put them in there.

Note: If you clear your Thundebird mail account Inbox first- delete what you do not want and move other emails into suitable folders and then compact the Inbox - before downloading those sent emails, then it will make it easy to sort them into the 'OldSent' folder.

Read this answer in context 👍 2

All Replies (2)

more options

Chosen Solution

POP mail accounts can only access and download fromthe server Inbox to Thunderbird mail account Inbox.

So, log on to webmail account using a browser and move all those 'Sent' emails into the server Inbox. Then in Thunderbird use the 'GetMessages' to download them. Finally, move all of those messages into the mail account 'Sent' folder or create a new folder eg: OldSent and put them in there.

Note: If you clear your Thundebird mail account Inbox first- delete what you do not want and move other emails into suitable folders and then compact the Inbox - before downloading those sent emails, then it will make it easy to sort them into the 'OldSent' folder.

Modified by Toad-Hall

more options

Thanks for a prompt reply with those clear instructions. Problem solved.