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Removing accounts

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Hello! I added two gmail accounts to thunderbird (let's call them gmail A and gmail B), with the aim of copying all emails from one account into the other. However, I discovered I really wanted to copy gmail A over to gmail C instead. I want to remove gmail B from thunderbird, but that is my primary account. I am worried that if I remove an account, it will delete all content in my actual gmail account, which I don't want at all. Does removing an gmail account from thunderbird delete the content in gmail, or just de-link the account, which is all I want?

Hello! I added two gmail accounts to thunderbird (let's call them gmail A and gmail B), with the aim of copying all emails from one account into the other. However, I discovered I really wanted to copy gmail A over to gmail C instead. I want to remove gmail B from thunderbird, but that is my primary account. I am worried that if I remove an account, it will delete all content in my actual gmail account, which I don't want at all. Does removing an gmail account from thunderbird delete the content in gmail, or just de-link the account, which is all I want?

All Replies (10)

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Removing an account from Thunderbird removes the account from Thunderbird. Nothing else.

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Thanks! I believe I managed to outsource the job of transferring emails to someone who knows more about tech than me, so I might remove both accounts from Thunderbird, if it doesn't affect the Gmail account or content therein. Thank you again!

Modified by fancike24

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there is no obvious way to actually remove any type of account, not just gmail.

come on thunderbird, why be so smart yet so ignorantly dumb?

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williamkeithmahler1967 said

there is no obvious way to actually remove any type of account, not just gmail. come on thunderbird, why be so smart yet so ignorantly dumb?

Try using the account actions button in account settings. That is account settings on the tools menu of the traditional menu, the account settings in the app menu on the tool bar, the account settings link on the account central pane that is shown when you click on the account name in the folder pane or the settings entry in the accounts right click menu on the folder pane is selected.

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Regrettably no menu appears when I right-click on any place suggested.

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I am trying to delete a Yahoo email account but neither Thunderbird or Yahoo seem to be giving me any such option. When I do open the settings for this Yahoo email there is no sign of any setting for closing account. Even Yahoo's own page ignores any attempt to direct me to a Closing option. Any ideas please?

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Regrettably, I have the same problem. In my case I didn't want to remove the mail provider's account, just Thunderbird's, because there was a configuration error. In the end I had to amend al the configuration entries in order to make way for a "new" account. Even that didn't completely work and some vestige (the incorrect User Name presumably cached) of the misconfigured account appeared in Thunderbird's log even though it did was no longer visible in any of the corrected account settings. Restarting Thunderbird and Windows didn't fix it!

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Select Tools > Account Settings.

Click on the top level of the account you want to remove. For example gmail.

Go to the bottom of the Account Settings page and click on Account Actions. Select Remove Account and confirm deletion.

Modified by ece69

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Right-click on the email you want to delete > left-click on settings (the email you need deleting will be highlighted blue) left-click on Account Actions at the bottom> left-click Remove Account then click Remove. Done.

Modified by crawfordali007

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Yes, that works. And its placement in Account Actions is logical, but other account actions (changing settings etc) are not buried so near the bottom of the pile, so they steer the user away from Delete.