When was the last time you compacted your folders? Deleting messages just marks them for deletion and hides them. Compacting actually removes them. I am not sure why they would keep reappearing but doing a little maintenance on your email system would not hurt.

Helpful articles. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Keep_it_working_-_Thunderbird http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_Tips_:_Compacting_Folders

hrntchr said

I have deleted the spam messages byholding the shift key -- but 10 seconds later all the 329 spam messages are back -- some from two years ago-- and they just keep scrolling back-- stupid thunderbird program if you ask me-- remember you are working with a 74 year old-- not a five year old that knows more about computers than people in Washington.

I have a folder in my hand so if I compact it I have to take a lot of paper out of it-- or do I take the computer -- put in on a table and pound it with a hammer to make it compacted?? Have no more idea of what compact is to wonder how a horn student can get to a high C# without breathing!!

I provided the link to the instructions. I cannot work your mouse for you or make you read it. Good luck with your issue.

hrntchr said

I have deleted the spam messages byholding the shift key -- but 10 seconds later all the 329 spam messages are back -- some from two years ago-- and they just keep scrolling back-- stupid thunderbird program if you ask me-- remember you are working with a 74 year old-- not a five year old that knows more about computers than people in Washington.

I compacted the messages-- that did not do anything--- all messages go to spam every 10 seconds after doing a compact-- why not have an update button so that mozilla support fixes it ???

If I had smarts enough to go with a different carrier for my email messages, I would do that -- but I have absolutely no idea how to do that -- just seems pretty dumb that in this day of brilliant web site and computer geeks -- that not a simple button to completely remove spam would be a choice on thunderbird page-- update-- clear spam forever?? Come on guys-- get with it -- some of us older people are not 24/7 computer geeks.

First off Thunderbird is email client software that runs on YOUR computer. It is not your email provider. Maybe you should stick to using your email providers web mail interface if configuring software on YOUR computer is too much. Go to your email providers web mail site and delete your spam. Thunderbird does not use the word spam or create spam folders. Your provider does. Ask them how it works.

Mozilla support. Now that's funny. You want to use free software and then you want a staffed help desk to fix YOUR computer for you. Why not ask for one that makes house calls?

I bought this HP computer --- best buy put in a way for me to get emails-- and it looks like thunderbird so that is why I have been contacting whatever support is on the email screen page-- if I was 50 years younger I,m sure this would be apiece of cake to follow directions but since I am not - I went with what is on my email page 0--- I am so so sorry that such an uneducated person as I am that I bothered to try and get some free support from the only choice it looked like my computer offered-- obviously only computer inteligent educated computer people at Mozilla have a complete understanding of the problem -- therefore I will surely not ask for help from the only thing I see in this computer that says Mozilla support--for thunderbird email -- excuse me all to H!

Lets start again to clear a few things up.

Lingo can sometimes be confusng.

Thunderbird has a 'Junk' folder. If Junk Controls are enabled it puts junk emails into the Junk folder automatically. You can also put junk emails into the junk folder by select the email to see in lower Message Pane and click on 'Junk' button. or right click on email in list and select 'Mark' > 'as Junk'.

SPAM is not a word used by Thunderbird. It does not have a SPam folder. If you have emails with the word 'SPAM' in the Subject then this is done by another program.

If you are unsure about your Junk Controls, we can deal with that later.

So where are the emails? Are they in the Junk folder or elsewhere like the Inbox?

If the emails are in the eg: Inbox select the email and click on the 'Delete' button. Do not bother with holding Shift as we need to track the email.

This should put the email in the 'Deleted' folder. In the US it called 'Trash' folder. When you have several emails in the 'Deleted' folder, right click on 'Deleted' folder and select 'Empty 'Deleted'

If the emails are in the 'Junk' folder. right click on 'Junk' folder and select 'Empty Junk'

then do this: 'File' > 'Compact Folders'.

So we can understand your setup what type of mail account do you use?

Is it POP or IMAP? If you are unsure : Tools > Account Settings or right click on mail account name in left Folder Pane and select 'Settings' In the left pane: select 'Server Settings' for the mail account name on the right side it will say 'Server Type': Does it say 'Pop Mail Server' or 'IMAP mail server'?

I am a french horn teacher in my mid 70,s-- I had a 5th grade student take ccare of the whole thing for me-- so it is solved-- I have no idea what she did--- don,t know if she used a map or a control key-- just know the spam setting on my email is finally empty and stayed that way for over an hour.. she said I have thunderbird for my email page and that is all I know.