In the Account Settings you need to select only to download headers.

When you select to open an email, then it will download rest of email in order for you to read it.

In pop accounts:

• right click on mail account in Folder pane and select 'Settings'
• select 'Server Settings'
• select 'fetch headers only'
• click on OK

In imap mail accounts: Imap mail accounts usually only download headers unless the mail account has settings selected to keep messages for this account on this computer.

• right click on mail account in Folder pane and select 'Settings'
• select 'Synchronisation & storage'
• uncheck: 'keep messages for this account on this computer'
• click on OK

Headers are downloaded and when you select to read an email, it is downloaded to a temp file to facilitate viewing; it is not downloaded and stored in Thunderbird. It is stored on the server.

However, once you have selected to open and read email, you could then use the right click on email and select to 'Copy to' eg: a folder in 'Local Folders' mail account. If you can read email in 'Local Folders' mail account then it is stored in your Thunderbird profile.

''Toad-Hall said

In the Account Settings you need to select only to download headers. When you select to open an email, then it will download rest of email in order for you to read it. In pop accounts:

• right click on mail account in Folder pane and select 'Settings'
• select 'Server Settings'
• select 'fetch headers only'
• click on OK

This is what I did. Headers are downloaded and when you select to read an email, it is downloaded to a temp file to facilitate viewing; it is not downloaded and stored in Thunderbird. It is stored on the server. I suppose the last paragraph concerns IMAP - I use POP However, once you have selected to open and read email, you could then use the right click on email and select to 'Copy to' eg: a folder in 'Local Folders' mail account. If you can read email in 'Local Folders' mail account then it is stored in your Thunderbird profile.

Using version 45.8.0, all for POP:

Selective download works for e-mails you want to download instantaneously: at the received headers (of the e-mails you want to get) you can say "download the rest". Than the concerning e-mails are downloaded. Annoying is that you have to indicate all the headers separately - you cannot select several headers together. However the biggest problem is what to do with the headers of the other e-mails you do not want to download at this moment. For instance if you want to download the corresponding e-mails later. If you delete the headers than the e-mails disappear also at the server, N.B. while you have set to leave them there. There is also a problem with (completely) downloaded e-mails. Often if you delete them in TB they also disappear at the server. Again with setting "remaining at server".

How to solve these problems?: 1. easily selecting several e-mailheaders to download the whole e-mail; 2. never deleting e-mails at the server when not explicitly commanded.

Lets see.

1. You can not. 2. You could try changing the setting in the account to retain on server until you delete them, but you have deleted them from Thunderbird so they will not just appear again. That is by design and will not be changing.

Matt said

Lets see. 1. You can not. 2. You could try changing the setting in the account to retain on server until you delete them, but you have deleted them from Thunderbird so they will not just appear again. That is by design and will not be changing.

1. Should be improved.

2. The account-setting was and is "retain on server until you delete them". I deleted only the downloaded header in Thunderbird. If that results in deleting the (whole) e-mail at the server how do you get rid of the non-used header in Tb? Furthermore, than the name of this action should not simply be "deleting", but deleting the e-mail on the server.

1. Your use case might justify it, but I see no real demand for it. Thunderbird defaults to IMAP as account type if it can, so the majority of folk are not using POP at all this is also in part because the synchronization between devices works particularly well in a world with smart phones and tablets also getting mail for accounts.

Most people just download all mail, again the default and lots of folk never change a default setting. Very few download headers only. The numbers appearing in support affected by the last major bug in the download was a clue that is is not widely used feature. Those that do use the feature are mostly happy having the body fetched in the cumbersome way it is done. Otherwise they would use IMAP and not store messages locally. Same basic principal no local copies and message bodies fetched on demand, except that all folder are synchronized not just the inbox.

2. You press the delete key. I am not sure what you think that does, but delete is delete. You deleted it from Thunderbird and therefore the criteria to remove it from the server is met. if you did not yet download the body, or you have not yet read it, don't delete it.

You also have to remember that there is a server involved here and regardless of what you tell Thunderbird to do, that server will act based on what the server administrator sets up. So if the server administrator decides mail will be help for say 24 hours after download, then the server is more than capable of deleting that mail with out Thunderbird sending a delete command. If your mail is going missing between when the header is downloaded and when the body is fetched you are more than likely encountering some setting on the actual mail server.

Matt zei

You press the delete key. I am not sure what you think that does, but delete is delete. You deleted it from Thunderbird and therefore the criteria to remove it from the server is met.

Well, I think: deleting a (part of a) document in Thunderbird is not more than deleting something in Thunderbird, so, not deleting something outside Thunderbird. But, as already said, if the deletion of the header in Tb should mean deletion of the whole e-mail on the server, what to do with the header if you just take note of the e-mail and leave the e-mail on the server? Save forever?

Matt zei

You also have to remember that there is a server involved here and regardless of what you tell Thunderbird to do, that server will act based on what the server administrator sets up. So if the server administrator decides mail will be help for say 24 hours after download, then the server is more than capable of deleting that mail with out Thunderbird sending a delete command.

As regards possible server-actions, I assume - and that is also my experience (until Tb) - that the server only at receiving of a deleting-command deletes an e-mail, and not just at receiving of an information-request about that e-mail.

Finelly, what should be easier and clearer than providing the downloaded headers with the choices: - download (without deleting at the server), - (evt.) download with deleting at the server, - deleting at the server and - nothing.

Use IMAP and you problem goes away. Thunderbird will not be changing, regardless of what you think it should do. So learn to use the software as it is designed to be used or find another software product. It is that simple.