change from pop to imap... will i looses local folders?
I do not want my emails kept on the server so I set up several Local Folders and set up my email account as as POP account. I think now, I might want that account to be a IMAP account. I read that you stop searching for emails on the POP account, then create the IMAP account and check it out and then delete the POP account..I get that..My question is: When I delete my POP account will I loose all those LOCAL folders and its contents of many emails also? I was understanding that a LOCAL folder was just that..downloaded only to my computer and stays there..I am very nervous about deleting this POP account..Can you reassure me I will NOT loose all theses Local emails. please?
All Replies (4)
Thunderbird has a special account called Local Folders. These folders are on your hard drive and not affected by anything you do with email servers or accounts. If you are using the term local folders to mean folders you created under your email account, then yes, when you remove the account from Thunderbird those folders disappear with the account. After all you told Thunderbird to remove the account. Make folders under the real Local Folders account and move the messages you want to keep there.
Caution: Some people have problems if they try to move entire folders. It is better to create new folders under Local Folders and just move or copy the messages there.
There are no guarantees on data loss when using computers. Making backups are always a wise move. This article tells you how to backup your profile. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data
I guess I did not explain my issue well..Yes, being a novice, after I set up my email accounts I saw that LOCAL FOLDERS on the bottom..so I created folders under that LOCAL folders section and as my emails came in (I sent them to myself from the old laptop) I dragged them to one of these created folders in this LOCAL folder section..My thoughts were they were just as stated..LOCAL and your reply confirms they are indeed not attached to any of the email Accounts I have created..so I am off to follow the directions to change from POP to IMAP I think. Thank you for your reply and help..hope we helped others that are not computer geeks..as I am not. Thank you again.
Always worth double checking you have actually got the entire message in 'Local Folders' account. You can test this by going into 'Offline' mode and selecting those emails in 'Local folders' mail account. If you can still read them then they are fully downloaded.
What a great suggestion to go off line ..I went to go offline and it is asking me if I want to download files to use off line first? Confused. What messages are they referring to-the ones in my "Accounts" or my "local Folders" I did nothing as yet