Save as text all messages in a folder?

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evilalta
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Save as text all messages in a folder?

Post by evilalta »

I'm using Thunderbird 0.3 for win32.

I wanted to save in a single file (as text, but any format will do) all messages contained in a folder.
I tried "File > Save As > File" but the option is disabled whenever I select more than one message to save. Works for one, but not for a multiple selection of messages.

Is there any way to save more than one message at a time?

Thanks!
LoriD
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Post by LoriD »

The email overfloweth and I can't keep up.

I, too, am very anxious to have that function back - no mail client has it since Netscape 4.8. I would willingly return to Nets 4.8, but the browser is not always compatible at this point in time, so it means a few extra strokes to cut/paste URLs to another browser.

We used to be able to sort into subdirectories of the inbox - by name (send/receive) and then within by subject matter and/or date. A single text file could be created at will by date or subject matter after highlighting selected messages.
It contained all the Yahoo junk, but I'd trade that off for having the feature back. The Yahoo junk can be globally deleted with a text editor, to save space.
I'm a senior without technical knowledge.
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Rod Whiteley
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Post by Rod Whiteley »

A Thunderbird folder is already a text file, so there is nothing more to do. To find the file, select the Thunderbird folder, get a context menu for it (for example, by right-clicking it) and choose Copy Folder Location. Paste the location somewhere you can read it.

To save a selection of messages, create a temporary Thunderbird folder and copy the messages into it.
Rod
KarenLB
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Post by KarenLB »

Rod Whiteley wrote:A Thunderbird folder is already a text file, so there is nothing more to do. To find the file, select the Thunderbird folder, get a context menu for it (for example, by right-clicking it) and choose Copy Folder Location. Paste the location somewhere you can read it.

To save a selection of messages, create a temporary Thunderbird folder and copy the messages into it.
I tried Copying Folder Location into a Windows file folder, but the Paste option is not available. I added EML to the File Types in Folder Options, but still cannot paste the Thunderbird folder. Please tell me what I'm missing here! I'm running Thunderbird version 1.5.0.14 (20071210) for Windows XP. Thanks for any help with this.
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Rod Whiteley
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Post by Rod Whiteley »

It is not a folder. It is the location of a file in your file system. Write a new message in Thunderbird, and paste the location into the body of the message, where you can read it. Or paste it into Notepad.
Rod
Lori D
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Thunderbird Save Multiple Files as One

Post by Lori D »

I still don't get it.
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Rod Whiteley
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Post by Rod Whiteley »

What did you try? And what happened?
Rod
KarenLB
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Save as text all messages in a folder

Post by KarenLB »

Rod, I am trying to copy individual messages to a location outside of Thunderbird. I now understand that performing the steps you outlined earlier will result in the PATH to the folder being displayed when I have: 1) highlighted the desired folder in Thunderbird, 2) right-click and select "Copy to New Location", and 3) paste it into a new text file or e-mail msg. For example, the following was pasted into a new email message when I select the Recipes folder in my Thunderbird aplication:

C:/Documents and Settings/User/Application Data /Thunderbird/Profiles/0h88iiw2.default/Mail/pop.yahoo.com/Recipes

If I open the file Recipes (using the above path to get to it) in Notepad, I see all the text of each message in that folder all run together, but also displayed is all the HTML markup text. Is there someway to strip away the HTML stuff so that I'm left with just the header and body of all the the messages within that folder? If so, I could then copy and paste each message to a new text file of it's own.
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Rod Whiteley
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Post by Rod Whiteley »

Perhaps this extension will do what you want: http://nic-nac-project.de/~kaosmos/mboximport-en.html
Rod
KarenLB
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Post by KarenLB »

Rod, This extension worked perfectly for what I wanted to do. You saved the day! Thanks very much. :-)
alanreynolds
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Re: Save as text all messages in a folder?

Post by alanreynolds »

KarenLB wrote:Rod, This extension worked perfectly for what I wanted to do. You saved the day! Thanks very much. :-)
I have just tried this solution and got the message "ImportExportTools (Mboximport enhanced) 1.7.1.2 could not be installed because it is not compatible with Firefox 3.0.1". Is there a later version now which will do this please?
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Daifne
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Re: Save as text all messages in a folder?

Post by Daifne »

Well, since it's a Thunderbird extension, it won't install in Firefox. Nothing unusual about that.

Extension and Theme Install Instructions for Thunderbird Users:

(1) Right-Click the link for the extension or theme download and choose "Save Link As..." to download and save the file to your hard disk.
(2) In Thunderbird, open the extension or theme manager (Tools Menu/Extensions or Themes in 1.5.0.x and earlier, Tools>Addons in 2.0)
(3) Click the Install button, and locate and select the file you downloaded and click "OK"
(4) Close and reopen Thunderbird to finish the install
alanreynolds
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Re: Save as text all messages in a folder?

Post by alanreynolds »

Daifne wrote:Well, since it's a Thunderbird extension, it won't install in Firefox. Nothing unusual about that.

Extension and Theme Install Instructions for Thunderbird Users:

(1) Right-Click the link for the extension or theme download and choose "Save Link As..." to download and save the file to your hard disk.
(2) In Thunderbird, open the extension or theme manager (Tools Menu/Extensions or Themes in 1.5.0.x and earlier, Tools>Addons in 2.0)
(3) Click the Install button, and locate and select the file you downloaded and click "OK"
(4) Close and reopen Thunderbird to finish the install
Daifne
Brilliant. Thanks. I have followed that. Works perfectly.
Would be nice if Mozilla includes this in some future upgrade of thunderbird
Alan
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Daifne
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Re: Save as text all messages in a folder?

Post by Daifne »

Includes what? The extension? If so, I fully agree and have been saying so for quite a while. Great extension.

You're quite welcome.
szwriter
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Re: Save as text all messages in a folder?

Post by szwriter »

I am getting this message... Thunderbird could not install... because not a valid install package ...
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