Managing archives on line and locally.

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Budgie3
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Joined: March 24th, 2018, 11:43 am

Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Budgie3 »

It has been a while since I looked into this subject. When I first worked on this there was not automatic creation of archive folders and I created an "Archives" folder within the main account tree.

Later the automatic creation of archived folders "Archive" was possible and I have used the Settings > Copies & Folders > Message Archives to do this. I note that there is no choice as to where in the account tree the Archive folder is created and at present it is placed within the Inbox.

This has resulted in two folders for archives, one in the main tree and one within the Inbox with an overlap of several years.

Before I start moving messages around to consolidate my archived messages into one directory tree are there any issues of which I should be aware and is there any difference in status between the folders on the email IMAP server? I don't want to lose any messages. For example can the configuration of the automatic archiving be changed to place the messages in my Archives directory in my main tree or must they go to Archive within the Inbox? [Edit] I have now found out how I can do this by using Other and selecting the folder I created [End Edit]

If the automatic Archive function continues as now with the folders inside the Inbox, can I move the older archive folders I had created in the main tree into the Inbox and delete the folder I had created myself?

Finally, I first started working on archiving messages with existing separate subject archives. My autoconfiguration is Yearly keeping existing folder structure and has been for several years.

I have a problem however. Only the two years which I placed in the Archives folder I created in 2017 and 2018 have all the subject subfolders intact. None of the more recent years have this and it appears many messages have vanished.

Before I go into panic mode please could you respond to the above question.
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DanRaisch
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Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by DanRaisch »

If the automatic Archive function continues as now with the folders inside the Inbox, can I move the older archive folders I had created in the main tree into the Inbox and delete the folder I had created myself?
Yes, you can. Thunderbird does not treat archived messages any differently than any other message and, once archived by the program, the user can move or copy messages to other folders at will.
...is there any difference in status between the folders on the email IMAP server?
I don't understand that question. Are you working with a mix of POP and IMAP accounts?
Gone Postal
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Joined: December 2nd, 2008, 1:00 pm

Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Gone Postal »

Budgie3 wrote:Later the automatic creation of archived folders "Archive" was possible and I have used the Settings > Copies & Folders > Message Archives to do this. I note that there is no choice as to where in the account tree the Archive folder is created and at present it is placed within the Inbox.
You can create a new folder labelled Archive under Local Folders (right click on Local Folders > New Folder) then use Settings to point the Message Archives towards the new folder. I have an archive of messages going back to 1999 archived by month and year using that manually created folder. You can also drag and drop messages from other folders into the new folder to bring any previous archives under one roof.
Budgie3
Posts: 97
Joined: March 24th, 2018, 11:43 am

Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Budgie3 »

Hi Dan and many thanks. My question has been prompted by the absence of a bunch of messages and I still have not found them. One issue which occurred to me was that I have several different machines in different locations all with T'bird on my account and I may have inadvertently configured them differently. I mentioned IMAP server because, using webmail I can access the primary data. If the messages are not there I have lost them.
Still working on this but what happens if I now change the auto archive function. Will the system move any messages already archived or do I just move them manually with only new entries going to the new auto address?
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DanRaisch
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Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by DanRaisch »

what happens if I now change the auto archive function. Will the system move any messages already archived or do I just move them manually with only new entries going to the new auto address?
No, Thunderbird won't do anything with already archived messages if you change the target folder. You can move or copy the existing messages and TB will only deal with messages to be archived from that point forward.
Budgie3
Posts: 97
Joined: March 24th, 2018, 11:43 am

Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Budgie3 »

Many thanks. Understood.
Now to find the missing messages!!!
Budgie3
Posts: 97
Joined: March 24th, 2018, 11:43 am

Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Budgie3 »

A brief followup please. If I move all the messages from an archive folder within the inbox to a new Archives folder which has yearly folders beneath and some years have been sorted into subject subfolders and others not, can I now just run my filters on the years that are not yet sorted?

If the filters have changed and I use the present filters, is there are danger of losing messages?

I have created a new folder within another account not as a sub-directory of the inbox but as a subdirectory in the account. For reasons I don't understand this appears well below and after the spam and Deleted subdirectories. In my other accounts the Archive subdirectory appears directly below the Sent subdirectory and above junk, spam and Deleted. Why are they in different locations and why can I not deleted the subdirectory I have just created?
Last edited by Budgie3 on January 27th, 2023, 8:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DanRaisch
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Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by DanRaisch »

can I now just run my filters on the years that are not yet sorted?
That sounds like it would work.
If the filters have changed and I use the present filters, is there are danger of losing messages?
Unlikely but I don't know what the filters are doing or what changes were made between old and new. Why not create a temporary folder under Local Folders, copy the contents of the archive folder withing the Inbox to that new temporary folder and THEN run the shift the messages " from an archive folder within the inbox to a new Archives folder which has yearly folders beneath ". That way if anything goes wrong with the filtering you can restore the messages and try again later.
Budgie3
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Joined: March 24th, 2018, 11:43 am

Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Budgie3 »

Good plan. Should have done it at the start as you suggested.
I have been writing and thinking at same time so edits may have been missed.
The other point I wanted to raise is the archiving of Sent messages which appear to have been neglected.
Not sure I can explain the problem fully because over time archived folders have been built in different ways so will return to this once I have found out if there is a problem!!!
Budgie3
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Joined: March 24th, 2018, 11:43 am

Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Budgie3 »

On trying to do as you suggest I find that it is not so easy to copy the contents. Seems I cannot do it for whole directory unless there is a tool I have missed. Please advice. Also please could you check my question on deleting a directory. No option with right click.
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DanRaisch
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Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by DanRaisch »

Where/how are you dealing with directories? Do you mean folders?
Budgie3
Posts: 97
Joined: March 24th, 2018, 11:43 am

Re: Managing archives on line and locally.

Post by Budgie3 »

Hi Dan, sorry about that. For the purpose of this exercise I am dealing with folders. (Forgive me, I have been working on cli in linux all day on other stuff).
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