Sending deleted server email straight to local folder?

[retaildrone]

Hi everyone, I am working in an organisation with a workstation shared by a lot of sales staff and I am trying to automate an email operation in Thunderbird. We have an IMAP server and we are running 60.8.0 (32-bit). Apologies, my role and expertise is not IT.

When our staff presses "delete" key on a highlighted message on the server inbox, the message is moved to the server trash folder. I want to set Thunderbird to move the deleted item to a local folder.

I have tried to use the Server Settings option "When I delete a message" to set it to "Move it to this folder", but only server folders are available in the list. Is there any way to add a local folder to that list?

Sorry but I don't completely understand what "expunge" means. I am wondering, if I select "Just mark it as deleted", and also select "Clean up ('Expunge') Inbox on Exit" and choose the local folder, will a copy of deleted emails get saved here when the Inbox is expunged? Is that what this feature does?

Is there any other workaround for this? Is there any add-on to make this automatic?

Astonishingly, over a period of years, and despite directions and Windows task-scheduler reminders, staff are truly struggling to complete this incredibly simple task of manually moving messages. I think that it is some kind of emotional struggle they are going through, to accept that filing emails is necessary and must be done manually by them rather than by our IT officer. I need to exhaust options for automating this before addressing it further with the staff. If it's not possible, I understand, I just need to learn if this is possible. Thanks very much for any help or suggestions.

[tanstaafl]

Expunge is a IMAP specific alternative to compact folder that physically removes "deleted" messages. Its main advantage is its not dependent upon how much space was wasted. Expunging doesn't save a copy of the deleted messages. See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Deleting_mess ... P_accounts

I think you used to be able to select any account (including Local Folders) for "move it to this folder" but that doesn't seem to be supported anymore. You could try locating the server setting for what folder to move it to using the config editor and modifying it. Its possible the restriction is just in the user interface, not what Thunderbird can do.

Have you considered creating a button on the toolbar to move a selected message to a folder and having somebody use it, rather than deleting the message?

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/th ... ns/?src=ss
https://codefisher.org/toolbar_button/l ... ton-maker/

[retaildrone]

Thank you very much tanstaafl! I will check out your suggestions. Regards

[DanRaisch]

Unfortunately, for your purposes, expunge means to "erase or remove completely", which is not what you wish to happen.

Have you considered using a message filter ( http://kb.mozillazine.org/Filters_%28Thunderbird%29 ) to copy messages from the server Trash folder to a sub-folder of Local Folders? Normal TB functionality would require that filter to be triggered manually, although there may an extension available to schedule/automate its operation. This is an example of such an extension. https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-us/th ... src=search I don't use it so I can't speak to its usefulness but it might be worth evaluating.