size of mail files and folders? (Mac)

[danll]

If I want to find the size (in MB) of a mail file,I just click on that file, and select "Properties". But if I want the size of a folder that contains numerous files, and I click on it and select "Properties" for that folder, I just get 0 MB. How do you get the size of a mail folder?

[Gone Postal]

If I want to find the size (in MB) of a mail file,I just click on that file, and select "Properties". But if I want the size of a folder that contains numerous files, and I click on it and select "Properties" for that folder, I just get 0 MB. How do you get the size of a mail folder?

What operating system? If you are using windows, navigate to your profile folder then right click on the relevant folder and select Properties.

[DanRaisch]

Are you clear that in a default installation, each Thunderbird folder exists on the hard drive as a single file?

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

[danll]

Yes, I just figured that "Properties" was an easy way of getting the size of the folder without boring down into the operating system. Just seems a bit odd that TB will easily give you the size of a file, but not the size of the folder that file is siting in. Calling up "Properties" of a folder and getting zero for the size just doesn't make much sense.

I'm using a Mac.

[morat]

On Windows, I can see a "Number of messages" value and a "Size on disk" value for the selected folder in the Folder Properties dialog.

i.e. right click Inbox, click Properties, click General Info tab

Folder Properties for Hotmail IMAP Inbox folder
http://img.techwallacdn.com/630x/ppds/a ... 6b78bd.png

I noticed that the size on disk value for the Inbox folder doesn't include deleted messages that aren't compacted yet. The INBOX file size in the Command Prompt window includes deleted messages so the INBOX file size could be much bigger than the size on disk value.

Here is how to show the exact size on disk value (i.e. not formatted) using the error console.

Code: Select all

(function () {
  var value = GetFirstSelectedMsgFolder().sizeOnDisk;
  console.log(value, messenger.formatFileSize(value, true));
})();

[Gone Postal]

On Windows, I can see a "Number of messages" value and a "Size on disk" value for the selected folder in the Folder Properties dialog.

i.e. right click Inbox, click Properties, click General Info tab

Folder Properties for Hotmail IMAP Inbox folder
http://img.techwallacdn.com/630x/ppds/a ... 6b78bd.png

I noticed that the size on disk value for the Inbox folder doesn't include deleted messages that aren't compacted yet. The INBOX file size in the Command Prompt window includes deleted messages so the INBOX file size could be much bigger than the size on disk value.

Here is how to show the exact size on disk value (i.e. not formatted) using the error console.

Code: Select all

(function () {
  var value = GetFirstSelectedMsgFolder().sizeOnDisk;
  console.log(value, messenger.formatFileSize(value, true));
})();

I have a number of POP accounts all downloading mail to an Inbox on Local Folders. This Inbox has a number of sub-folders and message rules to put incoming messages to the required sub-folder. Right-clicking on any of the sub-folders returns the number of messages and size of file. All incoming messages are immediately moved to a sub-folder so there is no message retained in the parent Inbox. If I right-click on the parent Inbox folder "Number of messages" returns 0 and "Size on Disk" returns 0kb. If I've got it right, the information the OP is trying to establish is the total number of messages and total size of files for the various sub-folders. Presumably the rationale is that there is nothing in the parent folder therefore a nil bill is returned. Is there any work-round to aggregate the number of messages and size of file for each sub-folder into a total in the parent folder properties?

[danll]

These work to determine the size of Inbox. No problem getting the size of that. I want to determine the size of a FOLDER. If you click on a folder, and select "Properties" and "General Information" it will always say 0 Kb, no matter how much is in it.

[Gone Postal]

These work to determine the size of Inbox. No problem getting the size of that. I want to determine the size of a FOLDER. If you click on a folder, and select "Properties" and "General Information" it will always say 0 Kb, no matter how much is in it.

Taking a step back then, I have 20-odd years of archived material stored by month within Thunderbird in the folder structure Archives > 2000-2009 > 2000 > 2000-01 etc so that there are 4 levels of folders. Windows Explorer shows them as folders and sub-folders within my profile. When I check on any of the folders which contain sub-folders within Thunderbird using right-click and properties it reports zero messages and 0kb. It is only in the individual monthly folders which display number of messages and size.

I hoped I was confirming what you were seeing; maybe this extra clarification will indicate that we are on the same page.

[danll]

Yes, I think we're mostly on the same page. I just find it odd that Thunderbird offers the sizes of files, but not the sizes of folders that contain those files. But you seem to be getting sizes for SOME folders. I don't have nested folders, but I'm just looking at folders that are directly in the account (as in, underneath Inbox, Sent, Trash, and Junk).

[Gone Postal]

Yes, I think we're mostly on the same page. I just find it odd that Thunderbird offers the sizes of files, but not the sizes of folders that contain those files. But you seem to be getting sizes for SOME folders. I don't have nested folders, but I'm just looking at folders that are directly in the account (as in, underneath Inbox, Sent, Trash, and Junk).

The folders at the lowest level are all reporting correctly number of messages and size. Any folder above that level on my system contains no messages, only sub-folders and is returning 0 messages and 0kb.

[danll]

Ah, right. I DO actually have some nested folders. The uppermost one, which is in the Account listing, reports 0 Kb. But if you get into that folder and look at the individual folders nested within it, "Properties" DOES in fact, display their sizes.
OK, so what I see is indeed completely consistent with what you report. I still don't understand why Thunderbird chooses not to report the size of upper-level folders. What I was calling a "file" was actually a lower level folder. Sorry about the confusion!

[Gone Postal]

Glad we got there in the end. How to solve the problem is a different matter!