Help - Setting up Gmail within Thunderbird

[youthofanation]

Operating System: Win 7
Mozilla Thunderbird: 24.3.0
Platform: Pc

Hello forum and more experienced elders. I am having problems with syncing of Gmail in Thunderbird. I am missing some fundamental understanding and searching for my problems seems to give me different results which don't seem relevant. I'll try to summarize my questions below.


1) Can i have my Gmail Web-mail folders sync to Thunderbird using POP3 settings? I don't wish to use IMAP settings, is this possible?

In Thunderbird i have used the "Get Mail" option, I am using POP3 settings, i have emails dating from 2011 - 2013 however
am missing the remaining more up to date emails. Is this because the inbox is full?
Also my sent & inbox mail are all together mixed in the inbox of Thunderbird.

2) How can i import my Gmail folders as they are in webmail into Thunderbird?

3) Within "Gmail Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings", I have the option "Enable POP for all mail (even mail that's already been downloaded)",   "2. When messages are accessed with POP" selected to "deleted Gmail's copy". "Disable IMAP"
How can I return to Gmail web-mail so I may start from the beginning and delete my Thunderbird account without losing my data and do things properly. Assuming that i should export Thunderbird mail back to basic Google web-mail?

Your Samaritan interest is deeply appreciated.

Cos 

[Geek-9pm]

Did you already read this Mozilla article?
http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-and-gmail

[youthofanation]

I hadn't seen this article. I will have a read thank you. 

[camerongray]

For any sort of syncing between you and Gmail you need to use IMAP (Is there any reason you have to use POP?)

[soybean]

This might be the best reference: http://email.about.com/od/gmailtips/qt/How_to_Import_Mail_from_Mozilla_Thunderbird_in_Gmail.htm

[patio]

Gmail account setup in TBird is easy...
However i think you're confused as to how email works...
If you have another e-mail account there's no real reason to merge them...they are seperate accounts...
For example my TBird has 4 accounts on it...1 for my main server account...1 for my Yahoo account...1 for my GMail account and 1 for my disposable SPAM /signup account.
PS> BTW if you have that gMail account setting to delete from server your old emails may be gone...sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

[youthofanation]

Thank you to patio, soybean, camerongray and Geek-9pm for your threads and advice.
Your tips have been very helpful, i have solved the main problems.

I have switched to IMAP. Originally i wanted POP3 as i believed i could send and receive emails anonymously as my files would not be stored online. However i am not pursuing this route any longer as it seems more trouble than it's worth.

I am awaiting more information to "http://darkmail.info/", this service promises to be very secure.
My goal is to be able to send and receive anonymous emails.
I am not involved in any illegal activity; i want to use secure and trusted sources.
I hate that our personal information is always at risk,  the finger seems to point in the direction of the NSA time and time again.

Thank you and sorry for the extremely late response.
 

[Geek-9pm]

A footnote.
Just now, a few days ago, Google said they were doing some work on encryption to improve email security.