How do I mark an recently copied email to the local folders as read?
I have a message filter for a local imap account setup to copy messages to the Local Folders. I do this because the imap account is actually an exchange account with a ton of email and I can't keep all of my email in the main exchange account so I use an exchange online archive which is hidden to thunderbird due to compatibility. Copying to local folders allows archiving and full searching all while keeping keeps thunderbird very fast. Alternatively if I have more than lets say 50,000 emails synced over imap from exchange compatibility things become horrendously slow.
Currently I have a message filter that copies messages from my imap to Local Folders. If I try to mark it read after the move, as in while in Local Folders it does it afterwards and I then miss the message. My goal is to only mark it read in Local Folders.
The problem is if I try to mark the copied message as read it must do it prior to the copy, which ruins my ability to keep track of what I have and have not read yet.
I tried to put another filter under Local Folders that just marks all messages that come into local folders marked as read but it doesn't take unless I run it manually on the folder. My understanding is that this occurs because the copy doesn't happen at the same time messages are synced.
How can I have it so the messages in the local folder are marked as read?
All Replies (5)
When you do the auto filter it is doing it on the IMAP Inbox folder. It is only looking at IMAP Inbox. So if the action was to copy to local folders and mark as read. Both actions are done on the email in the Inbox. One being to copy and the other to mark as read.
It is not making a copy of the Inbox email, then changing the folder filter from inbox to Local folders, relocating to that copied email and then marking it as read.
Auto filters only work on new messages in Inbox unless run manually, in which case you can choose the folder.
Hope this explains what is going on.
Toad-Hall said
When you do the auto filter it is doing it on the IMAP Inbox folder. It is only looking at IMAP Inbox. So if the action was to copy to local folders and mark as read. Both actions are done on the email in the Inbox. One being to copy and the other to mark as read. It is not making a copy of the Inbox email, then changing the folder filter from inbox to Local folders, relocating to that copied email and then marking it as read. Auto filters only work on new messages in Inbox unless run manually, in which case you can choose the folder. Hope this explains what is going on.
OK but how do I make the one marked in Local Folders marked as read? The goal is to just have it archive in the background so I don't notice it. As of now it always looks like I have new mail.
Thanks for your answer.
OK but how do I make the one marked in Local Folders marked as read?
'Local Folders' is not the IMAP Inbox, you say you understand that no auto filters run on Local folders as it is not a Global Inbox. You are using it as additional backup/archive of emails, so whether it is instantly marked as read or unread is not as important as keeping the IMAP Inbox marked as unread.
So, remove the 'mark as read' from the copy to Local Folder filter running on IMAP Inbox. Create a filter to manually run on Local Folder where if TO is your email address then mark as read.
when you have several emails in Local folder Inbox, Select the local Folder Inbox Tools > Run filters on folder.
If you already have filters which you manually run on the Local Folders Inbox to organise copied emails to other 'Local Folder' folders: you could add the 'mark as read' to those filters, so it marks as read and moves to desired folders in Local Folders at the same time. Saving you from manually running a special 'mark as read' filter.
Toad-Hall said
OK but how do I make the one marked in Local Folders marked as read?'Local Folders' is not the IMAP Inbox, you say you understand that no auto filters run on Local folders as it is not a Global Inbox. You are using it as additional backup/archive of emails, so whether it is instantly marked as read or unread is not as important as keeping the IMAP Inbox marked as unread.
So, remove the 'mark as read' from the copy to Local Folder filter running on IMAP Inbox. Create a filter to manually run on Local Folder where if TO is your email address then mark as read.
when you have several emails in Local folder Inbox, Select the local Folder Inbox Tools > Run filters on folder.
If you already have filters which you manually run on the Local Folders Inbox to organise copied emails to other 'Local Folder' folders: you could add the 'mark as read' to those filters, so it marks as read and moves to desired folders in Local Folders at the same time. Saving you from manually running a special 'mark as read' filter.
Yes but I don't want to run it manually it defeats the purpose of this exercise completely. I want it to be automated or hidden all together.
Done some searching and located an addon which is not auto run, but is quicker than writing filters etc. It creates a button/icon to use to mark all emails in selected folder as read.
How to install addon: Download to desktop. In thunderbird Tools > Addons Click on gear wheel icon and select; Install addon from file' locate the file you downloaded and click on Open You may need to restart Thunderbird at prompt.
Second option: If you do not want another icon to add to toolbar - it does get messy if you keep adding icons :) then there is another method of adding it to the right click drop down context list of folders.
Make hidden files and folders visible;
In thunderbird
- Help >Troubleshooting Information
- click on 'Show folder' button
- Close Thunderbird now - this is important.
It will open showing Profile folder name contents. You will see a 'Mail' and an 'ImapMail' folder plus other stuff.
- Create a new folder called chrome Note the spelling. It should be in same location as 'Mail' folder.
- Open Notepad
- Copy paste all the section between the two lines below
- save the file as userChrome.css in the chrome folder - note all spellings.
then restart thunderbird.
Right click on eg: Local Folder Inbox you should see an option 'Mark folder read'
/*
* Do not remove the @namespace line -- it's required for correct functioning
*/
@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");
#folderPaneContext-markMailFolderAllRead {
list-style-image: none !important;
}