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Thunderbird is downloading emails its already downloaded from the verizon.net server (about 9,000 emails). How can I make it only download unread items?

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  • Last reply by Matt

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The problem is that numerous emails exist on the verizon.net server, going back several years. I use Thunderbird exclusively to view my emails on one computer. I've gone through emails, filed them into subfolders and deleted many as well...all in Thunderbird. As far as I know there isn't a way to "map" my actions in Thunderbird to mimic the same results on the server (i.e. deleting an email on my local computer doesn't delete the email from the server). Recently Thunderbird started downloading every single email on the server to the local computer. I closed Thunderbird to stop the download because it will make a huge mess of my local computer's inbox, replicating emails that I've already filed, deleted, or saved. For the past few years, it has only ever downloaded new emails from the server. Can anyone help me with why this is happening all of the sudden? I do not believe I changed any settings that would have caused this.

The problem is that numerous emails exist on the verizon.net server, going back several years. I use Thunderbird exclusively to view my emails on one computer. I've gone through emails, filed them into subfolders and deleted many as well...all in Thunderbird. As far as I know there isn't a way to "map" my actions in Thunderbird to mimic the same results on the server (i.e. deleting an email on my local computer doesn't delete the email from the server). Recently Thunderbird started downloading every single email on the server to the local computer. I closed Thunderbird to stop the download because it will make a huge mess of my local computer's inbox, replicating emails that I've already filed, deleted, or saved. For the past few years, it has only ever downloaded new emails from the server. Can anyone help me with why this is happening all of the sudden? I do not believe I changed any settings that would have caused this.

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Assuming Verizon POP service Point 1. Tools menu > Account settings > server Setting Setting the retention there actually deletes stuff on the server. I like delete immediately.

Point 2 Thunderbird keeps track of where it is up to with the server using a file popstate.dat that is stored in your profile folder. If the file is damaged or not updated (usually the anti virus cut the connection to quickly) then the situation you see occurs as the "where we are upto" information is gone.

Point 3 Tools menu (alt+T) > Diskspace > provides further options for managing mail on the server (and in Thunderbird) including automatic aging.

Point 4 This add-on can help remove the duplicates https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/remove-duplicate-messages/?src=ss