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E-mail, chat, & VoIP forum: Mozilla Thunderbird File Compacting

by: nilocp July 8, 2012 3:34 AM PDT

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Mozilla Thunderbird File Compacting

by nilocp - 7/8/12 3:34 AM

I am using Mozilla Thunderbird for my emails ver 13.0.1 and Windows XP SP3.

Thunderbird keeps asking me to compact files, maybe 3 - 5 times a day. I do compact most times, but I have just compacted, and downloaded 20 emails and it has asked me to compact again.

Surely that cannot be right?

Is there a way I can find out which directory is causing the problem, or a way of allocating more space?
Thanks

Colin


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It happens to me too

by MarkFlax Moderator - 7/8/12 4:02 AM

In Reply to: Mozilla Thunderbird File Compacting by nilocp

but not so frequently as you, but in any case I decided to look into it and I found Mozilla's own web article about Compacting in Thunderbird here;

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_Tips_:_Compacting_Folders

You will see from the very first paragraph that compacting is all about deleted emails. When we delete emails they don't really get removed. Instead they are hidden. This is where compacting comes in as this actually deletes all those hidden deleted emails.

So if we are deleting a lot of emails in each session, compacting is necessary to keep the folders free from those. The article shows how to change various settings for compacting.

Don't worry about the references to TB version 5. This applies to all newer versions as well.

I hope that helps.

Mark


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Thanks

by nilocp - 7/9/12 1:10 AM

In Reply to: It happens to me too by MarkFlax Moderator

I read the link with interest, spent ages last night going through my inbox and deleted loads of emails. Then did a Compact.
This morning downloaded 4 emails, deleted 1, and it has asked me to Compact again!!

What is going on here?

Colin


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It's technical. Link and comment.

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 7/9/12 9:00 AM

In Reply to: Thanks by nilocp

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Compacting_folders

As I read this I see we can change this setting and the threshold it uses to ask this question.

YOUR CHOICE to both settings so why not change this to your liking?
Bob


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Follow on

by nilocp - 7/9/12 11:35 AM

In Reply to: Thanks by nilocp

Follow on from this mornings message, I have just downloaded another 15 emails, deleted 1 and been asked to compact again!!!


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In that case

by MarkFlax Moderator - 7/10/12 3:23 AM

In Reply to: Follow on by nilocp

try changing the settings to increase the Disk Space, (either article under "Automatically")

Mark


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Mark

by nilocp - 7/10/12 1:35 PM

In Reply to: In that case by MarkFlax Moderator

My disk space is set at 'Use up to 1024 Mb of space for the cache' and 'Compact folders when it will save over 21Mb.
Is there anything to be gained by increasing either of those?

I have just deleted 1 email from the inbox, and it has asked me compact. I am sure that wasnt 21 Mb!!!

Colin


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See above.

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 7/10/12 1:39 PM

In Reply to: Mark by nilocp

Why not change the settings to not ask? I know a few are scared to make any changes but the reason they are there are so folk can cure things like this.

I read this discussion and can't see where you tackled it head on? That is, you are right to ask why it does this out of the box but I can't guess if someone installed McAfee and Spybot and created a known toxic combo. And I can't list all the toxic combos I've encountered in the last year.
Bob


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Thanks Bob

by nilocp - 7/11/12 2:47 PM

In Reply to: See above. by R. Proffitt Moderator

If I set it to not ask, then it will not compact and only get worse.

When I logged on tonight, I downloaded 15 emails, deleted 1, it asked me to compact so I did. Received 3 more deleted 1 and it asked me again.

Bob you say I havnt tackled it head on.
You are correct. Cos I dont know what to do!!

Colin


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Why would it get worse?

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 7/11/12 2:49 PM

In Reply to: Thanks Bob by nilocp

You can set the threshold and ever turn it off and do this manually.

I fear that an email software that you can control is not for you. Maybe it's time to try other email software?
Bob


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