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Problems changing POP to IMAP

  • 5 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by sfhowes

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Hello, I followed the instructions to "Switch from POP to IMAP account" but I have a some concerns about the result. After activation of the new account, only "Inbox" and "Trash" folders were created on the client. Then I followed the instructions to Subscribe all the missing folders and first time I subscribed all of them. Then I noticed that there were two "Trash" folders, but only one of them was synchronized with the server. So I unsubscribed the Trash folder that was not synchronized. Is it correct? What is this second Trash Folder? Looking at the folder structure that has just been created for the new IMAP account on the client , I noticed that all the special folders (Sent, Draft, Spam, Trash) are contained in the Inbox folder, whilst for the old POP3 account (and two additional POP3 accounts) they were at the same level of Inbox. Is this the normal expected behavior for an IMAP account? I attached a picture with the folder structures. Thank you in advance.

Hello, I followed the instructions to "Switch from POP to IMAP account" but I have a some concerns about the result. After activation of the new account, only "Inbox" and "Trash" folders were created on the client. Then I followed the instructions to Subscribe all the missing folders and first time I subscribed all of them. Then I noticed that there were two "Trash" folders, but only one of them was synchronized with the server. So I unsubscribed the Trash folder that was not synchronized. Is it correct? What is this second Trash Folder? Looking at the folder structure that has just been created for the new IMAP account on the client , I noticed that all the special folders (Sent, Draft, Spam, Trash) are contained in the Inbox folder, whilst for the old POP3 account (and two additional POP3 accounts) they were at the same level of Inbox. Is this the normal expected behavior for an IMAP account? I attached a picture with the folder structures. Thank you in advance.

Chosen solution

Some folders of the same name will appear under the accounts and also Local Folders, and this is normal, as Local Folders has Trash and Sent folders for other types of accounts, such as feeds and newsgroups. There can sometimes be folders with didderent names but the same purpose, depending on the naming convention of the mail provider, e.g. TB may create a Trash folder while the provider calls it Deleted, or Sent vs. Sent Items. Check the folder assignments under Copies & Folders in Account Settings, and unsubscribe folders that are redundant.

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All Replies (5)

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Pictures aren't allowed on first posts, so please submit it here on a reply.

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Sorry, image attached here.

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This kind of display issue is often found with gmail IMAP accounts, but it can appear with other providers:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=2089157&p=10432943#p10432943

If you read that forum, you may find some clues as to how to label the IMAP server directory, or to achieve the desired display with the Flat Folder Tree add-on. I managed to install it in TB 60 with a simple change to the installer, but haven't tested it on an account with this kind of view. Reply here if you want instructions.

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Hi Sfhowes, thank you very much for your reply. I will have some days off, so I will try ito check it next week. Any idea about the duplicated folders? On a different user account, in addition to "Trash", also "Sent" and "Draf" folders were duplicated and their twins had Italian names ("Bozze", "Inviati", "Cestino"). Yes I am in Italy, but the language set in Thunderbird is English and all the special folders on the server are named in English too. So, all in all, it seems quite strange to me.

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Chosen Solution

Some folders of the same name will appear under the accounts and also Local Folders, and this is normal, as Local Folders has Trash and Sent folders for other types of accounts, such as feeds and newsgroups. There can sometimes be folders with didderent names but the same purpose, depending on the naming convention of the mail provider, e.g. TB may create a Trash folder while the provider calls it Deleted, or Sent vs. Sent Items. Check the folder assignments under Copies & Folders in Account Settings, and unsubscribe folders that are redundant.