In most cases (IMAP accounts), tags are stored in the index files defined for every folder (.msf files). If these files become corrupted, that could explain why your tags aren't permanent. A Repair Folder operation (right-click a folder, Properties) rebuilds the index files, and this might fix the tags issue. But in case the repair has negative consequences, I suggest you copy the messages to a subfolder of Local Folders as a backup. You can also test the permanency of tags on a new folder with a few messages and see if the problem is confined to just the original folder.

This was a very good suggestion although it didn't fix my particular issue. I need to clarify some. I did create a new folder elsewhere. I placed tags on 4 emails I put in there. I closed TB and reopened and all those tags held. The folder I was having trouble with was the inbox folder that receives the original emails. I ran a "repair" operation on that folder and then tagged 4 emails in there. I closed then opened TB and those tags did not hold. So it seems that at least the Inbox folders are the particular problem folders.

I used to be able to tag in the inbox and they would hold forever. I could then decided what to do with the marked messages days down the road. Often moving the marked emails to specific other folders. It seems that the folders I would move them to would hold the tag but the tags are more useful in the inbox.

I want to thank SFHOWES for giving an excellent response and showing me a few features I had not known before. Mark

It might seem excessive, but in a case where the repair doesn't help, I'd suggest rebuilding the Inbox according to these instructions:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Compacting_folders#Real_fix

Essentially, you first copy the messages to another folder, then open the profile folder (Help/Troubleshooting Information, click Open Folder), close TB, delete the Inbox mbox file and Inbox.msf from the account subfolders of the ImapMail or Mail folders, then restart TB. A new, empty Inbox folder will be created automatically, but may take a while to sync with the IMAP server if there are many messages. See if the tags now remain between TB restarts. I've found this kind of rebuild fixes a number of problems, and is worth doing regularly.

Sfhowes, I have not performed the last suggestion yet but explored more about the tags/folder issue.

The "tags won't hold" issue is only with inboxes. I have 5 accounts, all set up by Mozilla after I provided name, email address, and password. Four are earthlink.net. One is ifiber.tv. All inboxes perform the same.

I found out that the tag color disappears after I close and open TB and as the cursor passes across each email. *** But what I discovered though, is that if I turn off the "star" and then turn on the star the color shows back up. So the color tag is there but needs reactivation to show. My last TB did not need reactivation but always retained the tag color.

Again, creating a new folder, that folder always holds the tag color all the time.

Do you recommend I take one of my accounts and follow the rebuilding of the .msf files? Having all 5 accounts needing the same fix, when they were created only three days ago by Mozilla, seems suspicious.

I will do one account if you still think it would help or eliminates that possibility for the problem.

When my computer blew up on Sunday night has been a real headache recreating what I already had. My last backup was a year ago but that is my fault.

Mark

The star label should be independent of the tag in normal cases, so I don't know why they're connected in your case. See if that's the case with the new folder that retains tags.

It is odd that the tags issue appears this soon after account setup - unless there is some other (AV?) program that has corrupted the Inbox from the beginning. Inbox is most prone to corruption because it's the most dynamic. But I would try the rebuild on one account and see if it makes any difference. Note that the procedure doesn't just rebuild the msf files - that's what Repair Folder does - it rebuilds the mbox file, the file that contains the messages.

SFHowes,

Did some more testing and have decided another route to get TB to work like I think it should.

First, The tag failure to stick occurred in every account and in the folders, new or old, not just the in box. The only folder to work properly was one I had placed under the "Local Folders" folder. There the tags worked properly.

So, TB had set up my accounts where I had done in by hand in the past. I manually created another email account and made it a pop account instead of imap. In the past I had always manually created pop accounts. I then disabled the imap account of the same ID.

After running tests, the pop email account had tags that ran correctly. I transferred the emails out of the disabled imap account into the new pop account of the same email address.

Everything is now running properly so I deleted the old imap account.

To finish this off, how do I get the accounts arranged so the most important one is now at the top of the column list? The new account was placed at the bottom of the list and I would like the most important one at the top.

Or, is there a way to change a current account at the top of the list from imap to pop without having to create a new account? That way the account at the top will stay at the top.

Thanks for all your help. Once I get this issue knocked out I can go back to rebuilding the rest of my computer.

Mark

The Default account is placed at the top of the Folder Pane, and it can be set as Default in Tools/Account Settings, Account Actions at the bottom of the left pane. The Manually Sort Folders add-on provides the ability to sort accounts and folders in any order.

It seems unfortunate to switch to POP to preserver the tags. None of my IMAP accounts have this problem, and I've not heard of cases where the failure to preserve tags happened only with some IMAP servers. It is true that some IMAP servers won't store tags, but that doesn't stop TB from storing them locally.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Tags

SFHowes,

Thanks for taking all the time. The ways to organize the accounts should be the last issue for me on this.

I can live with pop over imap. I am really basic in my email work. The reason for needing tags is that I get over 100 per day at times. I tag ones with specific issues I need to read and others that I need to get to eventually. Working my acreage (20 acres meadow and 100 in timber leaves me almost no time for anything else. Sometimes it may be a week or more before I can take time to read some news emails that I feel are important but not immediate. Working 7 days a week this spring through start of winter is unforgiving when it comes to spare time.

A busted up body and weather has finally driven me inside. I was going to build 4 dog house and a large work bench in the garage and then my computer had it's melt down. So your help in squaring away TB at least made me feel that perhaps I can soon move on to my inside products rather than fighting with individual programs.

Thanks, Mark PreserveThe2nd@Earthlink.net