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Some emails keep being reloaded, even from 2+years ago. Forum-suggested fixes didn't work.

  • 1 reply
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

kabalemama
kabalemama
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Tbird regularly loads emails 2, 3, even 4 or more times from my Hotmail account. (Some, not all - seems random.) Sometimes, I've read them but not deleted them, but most times, I've already deleted them from Tbird (though I still want them in Hotmail). I know it's not because I'm being sent the message more than once, because some are automatic, news updates, and others are suddenly showing up from weeks ago. Other forum suggestions have not worked - I've deleted hidden trash files, removed everything from inbox to local folders, deleted trash and junk, compacted all folders (had already been doing this periodically), etc., and NOTHING CHANGES. I started deleting a bunch of old emails from my inbox (had accumulated too many, I know), and now it wants to download 1900 messages every time I try to get mail - even emails from 2012! I can't use Tbird at all now. One forum suggested that I change from POP3 to IMAP, but I want to keep emails in folders on my PC, because I live in Uganda and can't always get online, but need info from the msgs. I don't want to lose emails in the online site either, so I don't want to delete them from there. I've never had this prob before, and I've used Tbird for YEARS. Ready to drop it and try another client. HELP!

Tbird regularly loads emails 2, 3, even 4 or more times from my Hotmail account. (Some, not all - seems random.) Sometimes, I've read them but not deleted them, but most times, I've already deleted them from Tbird (though I still want them in Hotmail). I know it's not because I'm being sent the message more than once, because some are automatic, news updates, and others are suddenly showing up from weeks ago. Other forum suggestions have not worked - I've deleted hidden trash files, removed everything from inbox to local folders, deleted trash and junk, compacted all folders (had already been doing this periodically), etc., and NOTHING CHANGES. I started deleting a bunch of old emails from my inbox (had accumulated too many, I know), and now it wants to download 1900 messages every time I try to get mail - even emails from 2012! I can't use Tbird at all now. One forum suggested that I change from POP3 to IMAP, but I want to keep emails in folders on my PC, because I live in Uganda and can't always get online, but need info from the msgs. I don't want to lose emails in the online site either, so I don't want to delete them from there. I've never had this prob before, and I've used Tbird for YEARS. Ready to drop it and try another client. HELP!

All Replies (1)

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 25 Contributor
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It sounds like your Popstate.dat file has got corrupted. It keeps a record of what has been downloaded so that it does not redownload emails. Clearly, something has wrong.

You would need to delete the 'popstate.dat file and then Thunderbird will create a new one. The downside is that it will download everything that is on your server Inbox again, but just once.

If you really need to store email on the webmail account, I would do the following in the order shown to avoid downloading all those emails.

1. Logon to webmail using a browser. Pop mail accounts can only get access to the server Inbox, so move all your older emails - eg: everything older than eg: a month into other folders in the webmail account. This will prevent a complete redownload of all those emails.

2. make hidden files and folders visible on your computer

The AppData folder is folder is a hidden folder; to show hidden folders, open a Windows Explorer window and choose "Organize → Folder and Search Options → Folder Options → View (tab) → Show hidden files and folders".

3. Locate popstate.dat file In Thunderbird:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information
  • Click on 'Show Folder'

A new window opens showing your Profile folder.

  • Close Thunderbird now - this is important
  • Click on 'Mail' folder
  • click on mail account name
  • locate and delete this file: popstate.dat

Restart Thunderbird. It will download anything left in the webmail server Inbox. You can easily remove the duplicate emails.

Modified by Toad-Hall