Unsent mail folder

Why, even though I create an "Unsent folder" in my Mailbox, do messages that I want to send later continue to go to the Unsent Folder under Local Folders?

Why is the Local Folders even there and if I delete the Profile that is connected to it will my mailbox self destruct?

 

Hi Pat,

You have to make the setting in Tools > Account Settings (see screenshot).

Personally, I never use the Unsent Messages folder, preferring to use the Drafts folder, mostly because the File > Save As menu only allows three choices: File, Draft, and Template. Once you select the Drafts folder as the place to save your unsent messages, Ctrl + S automatically saves them there.

 

Thanks.

I thought that at one time there was an "Unsent Folder" in my Account. I just recently installed Thunderbird because of a hard drive failure. I could have sworn there was one there before all this happened.

So why is there even a Local Folder?

 

You are correct. There was an Unsent folder, but long ago. I don't recall when I posted the question, nor where, but, basically, the Unsent folder should remind you to send the mail, while Drafts folder does not, but, except for the reminder, there is no difference.
Maybe the Local folders should be "reburbished ". They have a function, but not so important for me. I have aim.com (formerly netscape.net) accounts, as well as aol.com. These are IMAP accounts, and mail is, preferentially saved in Local Folders|Sent. Mail from certain newsgroups, those set up in mail, save their Sent mail, there, and, perhaps they use the Unsent folder. But, I prefer the Drafts way, as I don't want to be bothered with reminders.

 

Thanks. I guess that's all I need to know.

 

Pat,

You don't want to remove Local Folders from your Mail Accounts. Here are two explanations of the purpose of the Local Folders:

Chris Ilias:

Since you can post to newsgroups without setting up a mail account, Thunderbird needs to store your sent messages somewhere. Local Folders serves that purpose. Additionally, it can be used to store messages from an IMAP account. Getting rid of local folders is not recommended, but you can remove it.


uFAQ - Jay Garcia:

You don't want to remove Local Folders, this folder actually serves a purpose (Thunderbird uses the Local Folders to save postings to newsgroups for example.) and should best be left alone. There is a way to remove them, but please note that the Local Folders will be recreated whenever you add a new account.

 

Thanks.

I guess what I'm wanting to do is have an Unsent Folder in my own Mail Account. I've created various personal folders for ways I want to save things.

Once in a while I want to hang on to messages until a later time but the Local Folders is waaaaaaaaay down the line. I suppose there is no way to activated that Unsent Folder in my Mail Account?

If not, another thing I'll learn to live with.

 

Pat ...

You can create an Unsent folder in your personal account, but if you choose Send Later when composing a message, it still will go to the Unsent folder in the Local account. That's why I suggested using the Drafts folder, instead. Another good reason for saving an unsent message there is because I've found that I almost always want to edit it before sending it.

As you can see, I have an Unsent Messages folder in my personal account, but I have no idea where it came from ... it's not a folder that I created.

 

Jim,

Thanks. It just seems that even when I download the same version of Thunderbird things seem to have changed compared to what I had before.

I realize now what Ramona was saying. But I don't deal with those Newgroups. I tried a couple of years ago and they aren't very regulated.

 

Jim,

Just curious, what does config editor (about:config) show for:
mail.default_sendlater_uri = ?
mine shows (TB 2.0.0.12 - default theme)
mailbox://nobody@Local%20Folders/Unsent%20Messages

yet in Local Folders it shows Unsent NOT Unsent Messages

I can also create an Unsent folder in any account - using:
Unsent%20Messages in value filed. and it still shows as Unsent.
not Unsent%20Messages

It does send when I send UNSENT messages, but if I try and edit as new, it will edit - but if I select "send later ", makes a duplicate of original so I have two unsent messages....

I also have No idea how you got Unsent Messages as a folder.


very strang indeed.......

Regards: captjlddavis

 

Captjlddavis, et.al.,

The Unsent folder which appears in the Accounts folder is a default folder, in the default Theme according to this MozillaZine KB Article:

Folders

Mail folders
Inbox
Unsent messages
Drafts
Templates
Sent mail
Junk
Trash
Saved search
User's folder
News
RSS feed
Newsgroup

I don't use the Default Theme, however, I have the Unsent messages folder in my default Mail Account.

 

I don't think that the Kb answers to the Capt. question.
I have the same settings as the Capt. in my Local Folders, where there are Unsent and Drafts folders.
I don't understand the Kb article. What is this about the Mail Account and Mail Folders? As I read it, it refers to icons, and not to folders.
I don't use the default Theme, but I did, initially. So, does this mean that using a non-default Theme wipes out the Unsent messages? Not according to Ramona.
I never saw an Unsent Messages in any of my 10 Thunderbirds. The list of the folders is a bit different in POP vs IMAP accounts.
I still use the Profile for TB1.5, for TB3.0a1 nightlies, and the Theme is the default one.
I never had occasion to use the Local Folders|Unsent. But, if it is a folder, one does not get the option of using it for Unsent mail of other accounts. Only Drafts, Sent and Trash,

 

Capt ...

I also show mailbox://nobody@Local%20Folders/Unsent%20Messages as the value for mail.default_sendlater_uri and, as you can see from the screenshot in my post #8, I show an Unsent Messages folder in my personal account, and an Unsent folder in the Local account.

I'm not going to worry about the names of those folders, or whether they work as reasonable people would expect them to, because I never use them and could well do without them. I use the Drafts folder for that purpose, instead.


Ramona ...

I think the way you've presented the list of TB's folders is a bit misleading. Westside's right about the KB article discussing the icons for various folders, rather than the folders themselves, but it does seem to list them in the proper order (again, see my post #8 screenshot, using TB's default theme). IMHO, the list might more properly be displayed:

Account Name (In my case, JSS)

Inbox
Unsent Messages
Drafts
Templates
Sent
Junk
Trash
Saved search
User's folder (My ARCHIVES folder)
​

Local

Unsent
Drafts
Unsent
Trash
​

I show all of the above except the Saved Search folder. I don't use RSS feeds, and don't subscribe to any newsgroups, so I don't know where those folders might appear.

 

Jim,
Thanks for your reply.
Mine shows the same as yours:
mailbox://nobody@Local%20Folders/Unsent%20Messages

This indicates that "unsent" messages will be placed in the Local Folders.
As to the Unsent Messages in your main account. It is not being used for anything related to unsent messages - and perhaps is left over from previous time. Perhaps at some time you did create an Unsent Messages folder in the main account.?
From what I can determine - I can only go back to TB 2.0.0.9 - Unsent messages have been placed in a folder named Unsent. In SM they are placed in a folder named Unsent Messages

You can get rid of the unused "Unsent Messages" by closing TB - and deleting it at the root level with a file manager.

Sorry if this just adds to the confusion.

regards:captjlddavis

 

. And, only in Local Folders, although I don't think that such mail would be from a POP account.
You can, certainly, delete the Unsent(Messages), and compact the folder.
I use only the Drafts folder, and, with one exception, I never used it to send mail later, alerted or not to do it. But, I, often, see Kbs in the Draft folder, but no message. This originates if I select Reply, and change my mind about even writing anything. Presumably, if I decide to right something, I should be able to unearth the Reply. Totally pointless.

 

That the folders were listed in the order we were discussing was my point, not to mislead...

 

Ramona,
the order is irrelevant, but the names are not universal. I think that, almost, everyone has a different content. All my POP accounts have an Inbox, Drafts, Templates (never used them), Sent, Trash, and Junk if set up. IMAP accounts vary, they may have a Spam folder (AOL does), and Save IMs, although I never use IMs. My Yahoo is set up using FreePOPs as a pseudo POP account, and it has only Inbox, Sent and Trash. I never saw a Saves Searches, or RSS, but I have a newsgroup folder (I subscribe to only one of them).
And, I have zillions of additional folders, mostly Archives derive from the Inbox, and subfolders of the Inbox and Sent folder.
I am quoting from an excellent 2004 post of Cptjldavis, which explains what's going on, below:

about Unsent, send later or whatever.

 

Westside,

Yes, I'm aware of the reason and sorry that I caused such a ruckus over posting the KB Article. I do understand what's going on, and aware that folders not in use aren't shown.

Thanks for the lengthy explanation of captjlddavis anyway, and I'm certain it will be helpful to others...