Thunderbird help

[nymph4]

I use Thunderbird for my e mail client and one a fue times I did something I did not meen to.

When I go to exit the program it asked me
Do You Want To Compact Folders And Files To Save Disk Space?

I clicked YES and I have been doing this for a fue times now.

I just thought about it I do not wan't it to compact anything so how can I Delette what it has been doing?

[Raptor]

Compacting just means it's cleaning up the email database. Don't try to interfere with that or you'll corrupt it and won't be able to access your email.

[nymph4]

Well it is not keeping copies of my e mails?

[Raptor]

Well it is not keeping copies of my e mails?

Copies where?

[patio]

Are you sure you are looking at your Inbox...and not the compacted folder ? ?

[nymph4]

That is what I want to know were is the Compacted Folder??

[Raptor]

It doesn't as far as I know. I've used it for years and never saw a compacted folder.

When you delete messages in an email client such as Thunderbird they aren't physically deleted. Even emptying the Trash does not get rid of them. Instead they are marked for deletion and hidden from view. They are not physically removed until you "compact" the folder. This is a tradeoff done to improve performance in large folders.

That's what compacting does. It cleans up the email database.

Why exactly do you need to mess with that, Nymph?

[nymph4]

I just thought when it told me it was compacting it was compressing the files and folders. And it was still keeping them in here.

So as far as right now goes I Delette my e mail and it goes into Trash.

And then I Delette my Trash and you say it still is in Thunderbird?

And when it asks me to compact Folders this is when it is Deletting my e mails.

It has not asked me if I want to compact in a fue days now so am I right it still has my e mails even though I jhave been Deletting them?

[Raptor]

yeah, your emails aren't removed from the database unless you compact your folders I guess.