After syncing TB with my Pop server, then deleting emails at Pop, how can TB be configured to re-sync and remove the deletions from local copy?
I use TB as a local program to run local (full) copies of 3 mailboxes hosted on a webhost Pop3 server. Many years of email and history, I didn't want to move to IMAP and have all the mail on the web servers all the time. Pop3 routes the mail and just a working balance is maintained on the web server.
I also have a gmail app on a couple of phones pointing to the same pop3 host and sometimes I view/manage mail via the gmail app - very effective.
If I sync from my TB client to Pop3, all server mail is correctly downloaded. If I delete locally then resync, deletions are correctly made on the Pop3. However, if I make a deletion at the Pop3 (via either webmail or gmail app) and resync my TB client, the deleted email is not removed from my local copy - so it's more of a pull down rather than sync. Is this correct, and just a feature of using TB as client of Pop3, or is there a config setting I a missing to get this configured (the gmail app seems to achieve this, if I resync after something has been deleted on the Pop).
thanks Brian
All Replies (5)
Using the word sync in the context of POP email protocol is your error. POP does not sync. Only IMAP syncs multiple devices with the server.
Thanks for quick response. So it is correct behaviour that emails are pulled down, and then deleted emails from TB are sent back as deletions to Pop. But no concept of syncing after a previous download. Many thanks. Is this pure Pop functionality, and therefore there will be no windows mail client that can achieve this?
POP and IMAP are email standards. All email clients that conform to standards work the same. There is an option in Thunderbird when using POP to leave on server until I delete them. When you delete a message in Thunderbird it will delete it off the server. Nothing is sent back.
Thanks. Time to backup and then migrate to IMAP I think.
Modified by briangberry8
Some info if you have not used imap before.
Please note that imap behaves in a different way to pop. Imap shows a virtual copy of what is on server. Emails are stored on server. Any deletions in Thunderbird imap account will delete off server. If you access server by any other method eg: webmail or other imap connection eg: computer or phone and delete email off server. This will delete from Thunderbird as well when the imap subscribed folders synchronise with server.
The only copy is on the server, I advise for folders that contain important emails, you synchronise those folders so full copies of emails and not just headers are downloaded. Ideally, get copies into 'Local Folders' mail account. Then make period backups of profile. Useful reading: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/imap-synchronization