Compact Thunderbird Folders: Configure, Disable & Fix Issues
Quick Steps to Compact a Thunderbird Folder
- Open Thunderbird.
- Right-Click on the folder.
- Choose the Compact Folder option.
What Compacting Folders in Thunderbird Does?
Users with large Thunderbird mailboxes often compact the folders to better manage disk space and boost Thunderbird performance.
Thunderbird stores emails locally on your desktop in the profile folder in MBOX format. Simply deleting the emails and emptying the Thunderbird Trash folder does not delete them from local folders. You need to compact the Thunderbird folder to delete it permanently.
- Permanently deletes already deleted messages from the profile folder.
- When compacting folders, Thunderbird creates a temporary NSTMP file.
- NSTMP stores all non-deleted/current emails.
- Thunderbird compacting ends by replacing the MBOX file with a temporary NSTMP file.
- Clean up disk space on the Thunderbird profile folder.
What Thunderbird Compact Folders Don’t Do?
- It does not empty the Thunderbird Trash folder.
- It does not automatically delete large, unnecessary active Thunderbird emails.
- Does not automatically create a backup.
Advantages of Compressing Email Folders in Thunderbird
- Increases the speed and performance of Thunderbird.
- Free up the storage space on your PC.
- Reduced the chances of mailbox corruption due to excessive mailbox size.
- Decreases the error chance of “Could not parse mailbox data”.
How to Compact Thunderbird Folders? Selectively
The built-in compact option in Thunderbird lets you combine multiple folders in a configured account or in a local folder at once.
- Go to Thunderbird on your Mac or Windows.
- Select multiple folders you need to compact using Ctrl or Shift.
- Right-Click and choose Compact Folders.
Steps to Thunderbird Compacts All Folders at Once
Mozilla Thunderbird, as an email client, offers a quick and direct way to compact all Thunderbird folders at once
- Click on File from the Toolbar.
- Choose Compact All Folders.
- Track the compacting status at the bottom of the screen.
In newer versions, to access the File option, you need to enable the Menu bar. Go to Menu >> View >> Toolbar >> Menu Bar
Thunderbird Compact Folders Automatically – Configure Compact Settings
Configuring compact settings in Thunderbird helps you avoid the hassle to compact manually at frequent intervals.
You set a threshold size limit for Thunderbird after which it auto-compacts the folder.
Here is how to auto-compact in Thunderbird:
- Right-click on the Thunderbird Menu.
- Go to Settings.
- Select General from the left panel.
- Scroll down to Network & Disk Space >>Disk Space.
- Look for “Compact all folders when it will save over ___ MB in total”.
- Enable the checkbox.
- Set the limit in MB. (Recommended 100-150MB)
- Enable the “Ask every time before compacting” checkbox.
You have set up auto-compact in Thunderbird successfully.
Thunderbird Compact Folders Message or Pop-Up
When Thunderbird auto-compact is enabled, as soon as the set mailbox limit is reached. Thunderbird pop-up a compact folder message.
- Press “Compact Now” for immediate compression.
- If you are currently working in Thunderbird, then choose “Compact folder automatically in Future”
- Or you can ask Thunderbird to Remind Later for compacting.
You can disable the Thunderbird compact folders for messages with reminders later or in future options.
How to Turn Off Thunderbird Compact Folders?
It is very easy to turn off the auto-compacting folder in Thunderbird.
- Go to Thunderbird Settings.
- Go to General >> Network & Disk Space >>Disk Space.
- Uncheck the “Compact all folders when it will save over ___ MB in total” checkbox.
This will disable Thunderbird compact folders message permanently.
To manually control auto-compacting, you can also enable the “Ask every time before compacting” checkbox.
What to Do if Thunderbird Compact Folders Don’t Work?
With the compacting folder option in Thunderbird, users often report problems like:
- Thunderbird is stuck when compacting.
- Repeated compacting without asking.
- NSTMP file left behind.
Quick Fix to Resolve the Thunderbird Compacting Folders Problem
- Restart the Mozilla Thunderbird application.
- Temporarily disable antivirus.
- Disable the auto-compact option.
- Repair Thunderbird Folders manually.
Expert Suggestion on Bulk Compact Large Thunderbird Folders
Professionals and businesses with large Thunderbird profiles cannot just rely on compacting folders to save up storage space and manage their data.
Use the simple yet powerful 4n6 Thunderbird Converter to export Thunderbird emails into multiple formats like PDF, DOC, EML, MBOX, TXT, etc.
You can further delete the emails from the mailbox and compact the folder to decrease the email load on Thunderbird with ease. Free trial version also available.
How to Verify Thunderbird Compact Folders? Step-by-Step
Want to know how much storage space you saved up after compacting?
After you compact Thunderbird folders, it displays how much space is saved in KBs or MBs at the bottom bar.
- Comparing the profile folder size.
- Speed and efficiency of Thunderbird.
FAQs: Thunderbird Compact Folders
Q1: Is it safe to compact folders in Thunderbird?
Yes, you do not lose important messages upon comparing. Your active emails remain 100% unaltered when compacting.
Q2: Are there add-ons to compact Thunderbird folders?
Yes, there are “Thunderbird Compact Header Add-Ons” available. However, in updated-version the built-in compact is self-sufficient.
Q3: How do I stop Thunderbird from asking for compressing folders?
You can disable the Thunderbird auto-compact from the settings and then the Disk Space Manager.
All individual users, professionals, and businesses need to compact Thunderbird folders for better mailbox memory management. Understanding how compacting works, configuring it correctly, and knowing when to use safer alternatives can help prevent serious data loss and performance issues.
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