Download all emails from IMAP server to Thunderbird

maas

I use Mozilla Thunderbird to download my ISP (virgin) emails in POP mode, which I prefer.

The IMAP ISP account online has thousands of emails stored going back to start of the year.

I deleted all the emails off my computer (accident) and if I load Thunderbird it just downloads "new" emails since I last loaded it. I want to download all the emails from the IMAP server so I have the archive on my PC (whilst keeping the emails online as normal).

How do I go about doing this?

Thanks

maas

I have managed to figure it out.

I had to set my ISP email to "allow POP downloads of all mail including already downloaded mail" and then set them all to unread.

Now Thunderbird is downloading older messages, except its only downloading 200-300 at a time from 3500 in the online archive. But at least I can get them

agrinnall

What did you have against just setting Thunderbird to IMAP? Works fine for me, and I can get all emails on my laptop, phone and tablet.

maas

I tried it last week (removed my POP account from Thunderbird and added IMAP account - hence me losing the archive) and I just didnt like it. The delay when clicking on folders whilst it connects to the server to resync every single time.

Im just used to the POP method of downloading the emails in their entirety and then 'effectively' offline email browsing.

I use IMAP to connect on my phone which works well, but for my PC I like POP method with emails left on server.

I think if you're very "mobile" the IMAP works well but I'm mostly "home PC" with the occasional mobile phone usage.

tronator

maas wrote: »

I tried it last week (removed my POP account from Thunderbird and added IMAP account - hence me losing the archive) and I just didnt like it. The delay when clicking on folders whilst it connects to the server to resync every single time.

Im just used to the POP method of downloading the emails in their entirety and then 'effectively' offline email browsing.

I use IMAP to connect on my phone which works well, but for my PC I like POP method with emails left on server.

I think if you're very "mobile" the IMAP works well but I'm mostly "home PC" with the occasional mobile phone usage.

You can set TB to store messages on your PC too. I thought that is the default. You'll find that option in the account settings under "Synchronization & Storage". At the top you will find a check box [ ] Keep messages for this account on this computer. If you click the "Advanced" button to the right you can enable/disable it for different folders.

I don't notice any delay in displaying emails on my PC's. IMAP has the advantage that the read and other flags are synchronized between all devices. Saves me from reading the same email again and again.

maas

tronator wrote: »

You can set TB to store messages on your PC too. I thought that is the default. You'll find that option in the account settings under "Synchronization & Storage". At the top you will find a check box [ ] Keep messages for this account on this computer. If you click the "Advanced" button to the right you can enable/disable it for different folders.

I don't notice any delay in displaying emails on my PC's. IMAP has the advantage that the read and other flags are synchronized between all devices. Saves me from reading the same email again and again.

I did tell TB to download all the messages in their entirety after realising I only had the headers. I may go back to it if I can get it to work the same as POP, i.e. regardless of what emails I read on my mobile phone I still receive them on my PC as unread.

---

So is there a way with IMAP to do the following;
2 Devices (PC and mobile phone)

PC receives email and synchronises the read flags so that mobile device doesnt indicate new email (the reading same emails on multiple devices scenario). This is standard.

AND

Mobile Phone receives email (PC switched off). I can read the email etc but still want the PC to consider it as new unread email when I get home.

---

The only way I can think of is if I read emails on my phone, I then set them indivdually back to unread after reading them?

maas

In other words, I want to read email on PC and not again on phone. But reading emails on phone I want to read again on PC as new email.

tronator

maas wrote: »

I did tell TB to download all the messages in their entirety after realising I only had the headers. I may go back to it if I can get it to work the same as POP, i.e. regardless of what emails I read on my mobile phone I still receive them on my PC as unread.

---

So is there a way with IMAP to do the following;
2 Devices (PC and mobile phone)

PC receives email and synchronises the read flags so that mobile device doesnt indicate new email (the reading same emails on multiple devices scenario). This is standard.

AND

Mobile Phone receives email (PC switched off). I can read the email etc but still want the PC to consider it as new unread email when I get home.

---

The only way I can think of is if I read emails on my phone, I then set them indivdually back to unread after reading them?

The way I achieve this is to "star" the message. I don't know what phone and email app you're using, but mine has the "star" column at the right in the header list. If I tap it the star turns yellow and will be synchronized with TB.

In TB you can click the star in the quick filter bar just above the header pane to see only starred messages. Or you can create a custom view to display only "unread and starred" messages. Or just leave it as is and use the star as indicator that you still need to act on that email.

maas

tronator wrote: »

The way I achieve this is to "star" the message. I don't know what phone and email app you're using, but mine has the "star" column at the right in the header list. If I tap it the star turns yellow and will be synchronized with TB.

In TB you can click the star in the quick filter bar just above the header pane to see only starred messages. Or you can create a custom view to display only "unread and starred" messages. Or just leave it as is and use the star as indicator that you still need to act on that email.

Thanks for that.

I think I've just figured it out.

On my ISP (virgin) email settings online there's an option for;

POP Download, when messages are accessed with POP
a) Keep server copy in inbox
b) Mark server as read
c) Archive server copy
d) delete server copy

It was set to A. I've just changed it to B.

So now when I access emails from my computer via POP, my phone (IMAP) will not flash 10 minutes later to say I've got new email.

But if I access email first on the phone (IMAP) and mark it as read (by reading it), the PC will still download it as new email via POP when I get home.