Why is my Drafts file 1.8 GB?

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Omegatron
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Why is my Drafts file 1.8 GB?

Post by Omegatron »

I looked into the folder where all my mail is stored, and in "Local Folders" there is a file called "Drafts" that is 1.8 GB large. The modification date is that last time I saved an email to Drafts, but the file itself contains mail going back a loooooong time. Why is it in there? Shouldn't this file be empty when the Drafts folder is empty?
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SK.
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Post by SK. »

Probably because you haven't compacted your folders.

Check this page for information on compacting folders.
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Omegatron
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Post by Omegatron »

....and folder compacting is turned off by default for what reason?
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Daifne
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Post by Daifne »

Because there can be issues if compacting takes place while something else is happening, like downloading messages. This has caused problems in Outlook and OE.
Omegatron
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Post by Omegatron »

Daifne wrote:Because there can be issues if compacting takes place while something else is happening, like downloading messages. This has caused problems in Outlook and OE.


How could Thunderbird compact messages at the same time as it is downloading messages?
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Daifne
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Post by Daifne »

If compacting has started and the timed check for messages and resulting download start. Again, this can also happen in Outlook and OE. Some here recommend taking Thunderbird offline to compact. I don't do that.
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SK.
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Post by SK. »

Neither do I. I then get an occasional message about a filter unable to process, but I consider that a small price to pay for automatic compacting.
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Omegatron
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Post by Omegatron »

Daifne wrote:If compacting has started and the timed check for messages and resulting download start.


If downloading while compacting causes corruption, then it shouldn't download, obviously. Something like this should be on default.
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Daifne
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Post by Daifne »

Probably, but that's the way databases work. The commands are independent of each other.
Omegatron
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Post by Omegatron »

Installed https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/1279 and reduced my mail folder size from 5 GB to 2 GB. This should be on automatic by default.
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DanRaisch
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Post by DanRaisch »

The extension is useful and convenient but not 100% necessary as there is a setting in Thunderbird to automate compacting. That internal setting does have the potential negative that Daifne identified, that is a timed download conflicting with an automated compacting procedure.
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Post by Omegatron »

DanRaisch wrote:The extension is useful and convenient but not 100% necessary as there is a setting in Thunderbird to automate compacting. That internal setting does have the potential negative that Daifne identified, that is a timed download conflicting with an automated compacting procedure.


Yes. The impression I get is that the compact feature is not on by default because there are still some very harmful bugs associated with it. (There's no other reason why automatic compacting should even be an option...)

So I got an extension that does all the folders at once, and did it while in Offline mode.
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