re :Deleted the popstate.dat Re-loaded TB.

The 'popstate.dat' file keeps a record of what has been downloaded from server. When you deleted the 'popstate.dat' file that record was removed. So when you started up thunderbird, any email that was in the server 'Inbox' would get downloaded.

If you need to delete the 'popstate.dat' file and do not want to download everything in server Inbox, you need to logon to your webmail account and move all previously downloaded emails into another suitable folder or delete them. Pop accounts can only download from server Inbox, so it will not see the emails if they are in another server folder. You would need to do this before restarting Thunderbird.

When you delete an email in a pop account folder, it is 'marked as deleted' and hidden from view, this means it is easy to recover the email if deleted in error. Compacting the folder means all those 'marked as deleted' emails gets fully removed.

A corrupted pop 'Inbox' can display deleted emails, so are those emails being resurrected or actually downloaded again ? The 'Menu app icon' > 'Activity Manager' would tell you if they were being downloaded. Were the emails actually downloaded ?

After a subsequent deletion of all emails in Inbox, did you compact the Inbox folder to fully remove all the emails? If no then delete the emails and compact the Inbox.

• Right click on empty Inbox folder and select 'Compact'.

If the 'popstate.dat' file was corrupted, then it may create another, but with a number eg: popstate-1.dat Looking in the profile folders for that account would tell you if you have more than one popstate.dat file. But deleting all popstate.dat files would usually fix that situation.

If you have installed a cleanup type of product like eg: CCLeaner, such products are known for deleting necessary files, so if you use any product of that type, I strongly suggest you make Thunderbird files and folders exempt from being scanned by that product.

Thinking on other ideas to explain what is going on..... Do you manually put emails into 'Local Folders' or have the 'Archive' option in Account Settings set up to put emails in 'Local Folders' ?

OR Have you setup the pop mail account as a Global Inbox so downloaded emails automatically get sent to 'Local Folders' Inbox ? In this situation, you should not be seeing the pop mail account folders; only 'Local Folders' mail account, but if set up incorrectly both could be displayed. What setting do you have in this location:

• Right click on pop mail account name in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'.
• Select 'Server Settings'
• click on 'Advanced..' button
• A new small window opens, what is selected ?
• 'Inbox for this account'

OR

• 'Inbox for different account...'

First, I want to thank you for your assistance.

I moved all the folders that were in the Local - Archives folder to another location. TB is still downloading some 3000+ messages all shown as Unread. I deleted all of those that were dated before Jan 1, 2020. I then emptied the Trash folder. I shut down TB and then opened it again. NOTE: I want all 2020 emails to remain in the Inbox, but show as Read.

Again all the deleted messages again were reloaded into the Inbox and again they were shown as Unread.

If I understand you correctly, (I apologize for not being a computer whiz -- I'm over 70 yrs old.) I should again delete, i.e. move to trash, all the emails I want to NOT be in my Inbox and then compact the folder. I will try this and get back to you.

I just deleted all the pre-2020 emails that were in my Inbox, compacted the Inbox, then shut down TB.

I reopened TB. Only the 2020 emails were in the Inbox. I then clicked on Get Messages, entered my Password and then hoped. After 3 minutes TB finally downloaded only the new messages.

Concluding, unless something bad happens tomorrow you appear to have solved my problem. I will check in with you tomorrow -- have a good night, and, again, thank you.

BAD NEWS

I was ready to shut down TB and thought my problem was solved. Sadly, TB is now again downloading all the 3000+ emails I deleted a few minutes ago and, again, as Unread.

I will shut it down now, but will check in with you tomorrow.

What setting do you have in this location:

• Right click on pop mail account name in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'.
• Select 'Server Settings'
• click on 'Advanced..' button

A new small window opens, what is selected ?

• 'Inbox for this account'

OR

• 'Inbox for different account...'

Again, thanks,

Setting is: Inbox for this account

Do you have any other suggestions of why TB keeps loading deleted messages?

re :I reopened TB. Only the 2020 emails were in the Inbox. I then clicked on Get Messages, entered my Password and then hoped. After 3 minutes TB finally downloaded only the new messages.

At this point, everything is working correctly as server was accessed and only new messages were downloaded. This means the 'popstate.dat' had knowledge about previously downloaded mesasges.

re :I was ready to shut down TB and thought my problem was solved. Sadly, TB is now again downloading all the 3000+ emails I deleted a few minutes ago and, again, as Unread.

Server was accessed and popstate.dat suddenly has no knowedge of previously downloaded files.

Please access the profile and look in the account name folder, do you see more than one 'popstate.dat' file, perhaps one has an additional number eg: 'popstate-1.dat' ?

Do you have any cleanup type of product/program like eg: CCLeaner, WiseCleaner etc on your computer?

What Anti-Virus program do you use?

Do you use Kaspersky?

What settings do you have for the pop mail account?

• Right click on pop mail account name in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'
• Select 'Server Settings'

Tell me exactly which of these checkboxes you have selected.

• 'Check for new messages at startup'
• 'Check for new messages every xx minutes'
• 'Automatically download new messages'
• 'Fetch headers only'
• 'Leave messages on server'
• 'For at most x days'
• 'Until I delete them'

Or post an image showing the Account settings window.

I will try to answer all your queries in this reply.

1. I went into C:\Users\my name\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\|1es713f.default\Mail\incoming.yahoo.verizon.net

I found only ONE popstate.dat file. I had popstate-1.dat file several days ago, but I moved it to a folder on my D drive in early February.

2. I do not have CCLeaner or WiseCleaner on my computer? If there is another similar program on the computer, I don't know about it. I do not have Kaspersky. I had it, but removed it over a year ago. The only anti-virus I have in Windows Defender. I have had the free version of ESET Online Scanner for over a year. It runs once a week.

3. The server settings are attached.

What Anti-Virus program do you use?

Do you use Kaspersky?

I notice you are using yahoo verizon.

There is a feature in yahoo called 'conversations' that groups emails. It has been known that this might stop emails being deleted off the server. Perhaps that is now available for verizon users who are now using the yahoo server.

Logon to the webmail account using a browser and see if you can find any mention of 'conversations' and turn it off.

Turn Conversations off

• Click the Settings icon - looks like a gear wheel icon usually top right side.
• Click More settings.
• Click Viewing email.
• Toggle Group by conversations on Toggle on or off Toggle off.

Then in Thunderbird: delete emails, empty the Trash and compact the Inbox folder. then click on 'Get Messages'.

As instructed, I got into my email via the web, found the settings, etc., and toggled the group conversations to OFF. I went back to TB, deleted the messages I wanted deleted, emptied the Trash folder, and compacted the Inbox folder. I then closed TB and the web version of my email. I restarted TB. I clicked on Get Messages and, sadly, again, all the 2000+ messages I had just deleted, got downloaded again.

So frustrating.

Please close down computer and then start computer in 'Safe Mode with Networking'.

Start Thunderbird. Delete the unwanted messages, empty the Trash folder, compact the Inbox folder and click on 'Get Messages'.

Wait a few minutes. Logon to webmail account to see if messages have been deleted.

Please report back on whether emails were deleted from the webmail account.

I booted in Safe Mode and followed your instructions. While the deleted emails did not reload in TB when I clicked "Get Messages," when I got into the webmail account, ALL the deleted messages were still in the INBOX.

I opened my computer and TB this morning. All the deleted emails were already loaded in the Inbox. When delete doesn't mean delete, it can be frustrating.

I've been trawling the internet on Verizon Yahoo issue regarding pop accounts not deleting off server and it is really common and not just Thunderbird. It also occurs in Outlook etc.

I've even tried to see if yahoo has a setting to mark as read anything that has been popped, but to no avail.

So basically Thunderbird says delete but server is ignoring request. Because popstate.dat gets updated in that predownloaded emails are also removed from the file, it then downloads again because the server has not marked as read or deleted anything.

Let's try another setting to see if server gets that response. This is a test to remove everything but the last 30 days off the server.

In Thunderbird In Account Settings > Server Settings Select the checkbox 'for at most' and set 30 days. click on OK

Exit Thunderbird.

Start Thunderbird and this should invoke the setting for 30days.

Logon to webmail account and report back on whether only 30 days worth is now on server.

I did as instructed (I think.). I went to the Account Settings in TB and clicked on the box Leave message on server and clicked on the sub box For at most and typed in 50 days. I also unclicked Until I delete them.

I then closed TB, then reopened TB. TB still has over 1000 messages dating back several years, all showing as Unread.

I then opened my mail in Verizon-Yahoo web page. Sadly all the 1000+ emails, some dating back several years are still in the web Inbox, however, unlike the TB Inbox, on the web Inbox they show as Read.

Do you need to keep emails on the server?

If no: In Account Settings: uncheck all of these:

• 'Leave messages on server'
• 'For at most x days'
• 'Until I delete them'

click on OK

Delete the unwanted emails from Inbox. Empty Junk Empty the TRash Compact the Inbox. Compact Junk

Click on 'Get Messages'

This time you will still get a total download, but when you logon to webmail, it should be Empty. If that webmail account was already open make sure you refresh the page.