solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locations

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short-y
Posts: 10
Joined: April 6th, 2009, 12:53 am
Location: Germany

solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locations

Post by short-y »

I'd like to move the default storage location of the mail directory to another one outside the profile.

Without editing the settings it should look like this (for every new mail-account):

user_pref("mail.server.server#.directory", "E:\\Mail");

I have tried this setting, but it didn't work:

user_pref("mail.root.none", "E:\\Mail");

Thank you.
Last edited by short-y on January 21st, 2010, 11:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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tanstaafl
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Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by tanstaafl »

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_m ... hunderbird
There are easier ways to do that then editing prefs.js directly.
short-y
Posts: 10
Joined: April 6th, 2009, 12:53 am
Location: Germany

Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by short-y »

tanstaafl wrote:See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_m ... hunderbird
There are easier ways to do that then editing prefs.js directly.


I need the prefs.js-way (or any other file) to deploy Thunderbird to a huge group of people, who create their own mail-accounts.
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tanstaafl
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Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by tanstaafl »

Follow the instructions to change one account directory using the GUI, exit Thunderbird and look at mail.server.server#.directory and mail.server.server#.directory-rel for that account in prefs.js. Then you should know enough to make similar changes directly in prefs.js without using the GUI.

The mail.root settings specify top level directories within the profile such as ImapMail and Mail, not account directories. You're trying to move an account directory outside the profile, so by definition it shouldn't be dependent anymore upon the associated mail.root setting.

You may want to read http://kb.mozillazine.org/Configuration ... nistrators . It describes several tools for deploying Thunderbird.
short-y
Posts: 10
Joined: April 6th, 2009, 12:53 am
Location: Germany

Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by short-y »

tanstaafl wrote:Follow the instructions to change one account directory using the GUI, exit Thunderbird and look at mail.server.server#.directory and mail.server.server#.directory-rel for that account in prefs.js. Then you should know enough to make similar changes directly in prefs.js without using the GUI.


For the first deployment is that a good way, but the people can create new mail-acccounts. How can I change this defaults, which are created through Thunderbird?

tanstaafl wrote:The mail.root settings specify top level directories within the profile such as ImapMail and Mail, not account directories. You're trying to move an account directory outside the profile, so by definition it shouldn't be dependent anymore upon the associated mail.root setting.


I thought it would be the default setting when a new mail-account is created.
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Rod Whiteley
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Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by Rod Whiteley »

Yes, those mail.root settings are the defaults for when new accounts are created. If you want to affect all the mail, then you will have to set the preferences for all the server types, not only for the "none" server (Local Folders). Also, the -rel (relative to the profile) preferences are used if they exist. For example, mail.root.none-rel takes precedence over mail.root.none, so simply setting mail.root.none will have no effect.
Rod
short-y
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Location: Germany

Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by short-y »

Rod Whiteley wrote:Yes, those mail.root settings are the defaults for when new accounts are created. If you want to affect all the mail, then you will have to set the preferences for all the server types, not only for the "none" server (Local Folders). Also, the -rel (relative to the profile) preferences are used if they exist. For example, mail.root.none-rel takes precedence over mail.root.none, so simply setting mail.root.none will have no effect.


Thank you for your reply with this information. So I should set none, none-rel, pop3, pop3-rel, imap and imap-rel to make sure it will work properly, or?
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tanstaafl
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Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by tanstaafl »

My profiles.ini is

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=tanstaafl
IsRelative=0
Path=C:\Users\eric\Profiles\Thunderbird\tanstaafl
Default=1

[Profile1]
Name=test
IsRelative=0
Path=C:\Users\eric\Profiles\Thunderbird\test


My root settings are

user_pref("mail.root.imap", "C:\\Users\\eric\\AppData\\Roaming\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\g9aplklp.default\\ImapMail");
user_pref("mail.root.imap-rel", "[ProfD]ImapMail");
user_pref("mail.root.nntp", "C:\\Users\\eric\\Profiles\\Thunderbird\\tanstaafl\\News");
user_pref("mail.root.nntp-rel", "[ProfD]News");
user_pref("mail.root.none", "C:\\Users\\eric\\AppData\\Roaming\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\g9aplklp.default\\Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.none-rel", "[ProfD]Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.pop3", "C:\\Users\\eric\\AppData\\Roaming\\Thunderbird\\Profiles\\g9aplklp.default\\Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.pop3-rel", "[ProfD]Mail");


The g9aplklp.default directory doesn't exist. The absolute root settings are useless since they point to a incomplete profile in the default location that isn't listed in profiles.ini, and which doesn't exist anymore. The relative root settings just record the fact that I still have ImapMail, Mail etc. subdirectories in the profile.

I copied the contents of a gmail POP account directory to Z:\piscatagua and then used the browse button to set tools -> account settings -> server settings -> local directory to it. I then exited Thunderbird (to force it to write any modified settings to prefs.js) and looked at prefs.js. My root settings were unchanged.

user_pref("mail.server.server3.directory", "C:\\Users\\eric\\Profiles\\Thunderbird\\tanstaafl\\Mail\\pop.gmail.com");
user_pref("mail.server.server3.directory-rel", "[ProfD]Mail/pop.gmail.com");

had changed to

user_pref("mail.server.server3.directory", "Z:\\piscatagua");
user_pref("mail.server.server3.directory-rel", "[ProfD]../../../../../../Z:/piscatagua");

The weird syntax in the directory-rel is due to it having to pop up several directory levels from C:\Users\eric\Profiles\Thunderbird\tanstaafl to the root of the drive and then switch to a different drive and directory.

You can probably simplify this (for POP accounts) if you changed mail.root.pop3 and mail.root.pop3-rel to use the root of the other drive. In my case it would be counter productive since I only wanted to move one account directory outside of the profile.

However, the best solution is to use a profile on the file share and avoid all of this malarky. You don't even have to tell the profile manager where the profile is if you don't want to. You could modify the shortcut to launch Thunderbird with a command line argument to specify the profiles location. See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Running_from_ ... e_argument
short-y
Posts: 10
Joined: April 6th, 2009, 12:53 am
Location: Germany

Re: how to change the default storage location of mail..directoy

Post by short-y »

tanstaafl wrote:You can probably simplify this (for POP accounts) if you changed mail.root.pop3 and mail.root.pop3-rel to use the root of the other drive. In my case it would be counter productive since I only wanted to move one account directory outside of the profile.


Thanks, this is what I need :D

Now my prefs.js-root-settings looks like this:

Code: Select all

user_pref("mail.root.imap", "E:\\ImapMail");
user_pref("mail.root.imap-rel", "[ProfD]../../../../../../E:/ImapMail");
user_pref("mail.root.none", "E:\\Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.none-rel", "[ProfD]../../../../../../E:/Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.pop3", "E:\\Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.pop3-rel", "[ProfD]../../../../../../E:/Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.nntp", "E:\\Mail");
user_pref("mail.root.nntp-rel", "[ProfD]../../../../../../E:/News");
Tunderbird user
Guest

Re: solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locations

Post by Tunderbird user »

Hi,

I have tried above suggested methods. (To relocate the Local Mail Storage location).

But when changing the settings and restart ThunderBird (new location at D: drive), all my email doesn't load (From Window Explorer, can see the files are all intact at new location).

So I changed it back to original C: drive, restart ThunderBird. Again, email doesn't load. Both C: and D: drive still has the file but both unable to load.

Please help
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LIMPET235
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Re: solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locations

Post by LIMPET235 »

Tunderbird user/ThunderBird User2...
Please stay with your own thread. > viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1942109
Consider the different time zones & that people have jobs & other undertakings to consider.
Thank you.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
liegemg
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Re: solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locat

Post by liegemg »

I would also like to change the email storage locationin TB3, but don`t know a thing about programming and so can`t follow this discussion. Could anyone help me?

I have already created a folder where I want to store the files, but when I go to my PROFILES folder in order to copy the email files to the new location, I dont find a folder for each email account, as suggested in
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_m ... derbird%29.

What i find is one single folder named 1ev1otn1.default and inside a few files and CACHE and CACHEOFFLINE folders.

How do I copy my email files so that I can still access old email? I really need to change the location now that I am syncing with other PCs.
liegemg
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Re: solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locat

Post by liegemg »

Sorry, I just restarted my pc and other folders now show on my profile. I had just reconfigured my account from imap to pop, i think thats why.
inout
Guest

Re: solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locat

Post by inout »

liegemg wrote:I would also like to change the email storage locationin TB3, but don`t know a thing about programming and so can`t follow this discussion. Could anyone help me?

I have already created a folder where I want to store the files, but when I go to my PROFILES folder in order to copy the email files to the new location, I dont find a folder for each email account, as suggested in
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_m ... derbird%29.

What i find is one single folder named 1ev1otn1.default and inside a few files and CACHE and CACHEOFFLINE folders.

How do I copy my email files so that I can still access old email? I really need to change the location now that I am syncing with other PCs.


Just duplicate the whole set of "Thunderbird" folder into another location and then execute Thunderbird from the new location. After executing from new location, you will see that the server settings still points to the old "original" spot. Just change the server settings to point to new location and you're done. Exit totally and re-start Thunderbird from new location and you shall be seeing your new set location. One word of caution, do not remove nor delete anything from previous Thunderbird folder / location. If it is deleted or moved, all your email account configurations will be lost and you need to re-create. Remember, all email account configurations references to original spot with the exception of your email contents now at new location. However, I have personally tweaked and tested my Thunderbird settings and now my "complete Thunderbird" is in thumb drive and goes whenever I go. My freedom of mobile email has all my emails into just a thumb drive. It is to lenghty to describe here. Should you wish to know, I can be reached at notynot@yahoo.co.uk
inout
Guest

Re: solved: how to change the default mail,...-storage locat

Post by inout »

I've used Outlook, Outlook Express, Pegasus, Eudora, etc,etc,, yet Thunderbird beats them all for being truly mobile in just a Thumb drive. Changing default mail location no issue...the best gift is its ability to be truly mobile. I would like to share on how its done. I can be reached at notynot@yahoo.co.uk
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