Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
--
Tim Lamb

On 05/11/2023 in message <MMMU0JBtTASlFwfi@marfordfarm.demon.co.uk> Tim
Lamb wrote:

>Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?

Email or news groups?

If you use IMAP for email you don't need to archive them, they will be on
the server. News groups are also on the server so a clean install then
collect them again.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
The fact that there's a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says
a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.

On 11/5/2023 4:11 PM, Tim Lamb wrote:
> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?

That depends a lot on whether the selection criteria
is "obvious".

Say my bank is spamming me, my local government official
has been spamming me, and so on. Each of those messages may have
an obvious sender. You would then think in terms of automation
for the job.

If the emails come from "random people in my community",
and the topics are gardening and carpentry, and a message
comes in which is 60% gardening and 40% carpentry, it would
be pretty hard to craft a regular filter on a thing like that.
No individual field (subject, from) is specific enough for
that job. And even if an AI did it, it might be just as
arbitrary about the sorting as you would be if clicking on
it and being tired when doing the job.

This tool, for example, is limited on TBird version.

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/awesome-auto-archive/

Paul

On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?

If you just want to select a large block, click the first, and shift
click the last...

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

In message <ui93bp$5cs1$1@dont-email.me>, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
writes
>On 11/5/2023 4:11 PM, Tim Lamb wrote:
>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>
>That depends a lot on whether the selection criteria
>is "obvious".
>
>Say my bank is spamming me, my local government official
>has been spamming me, and so on. Each of those messages may have
>an obvious sender. You would then think in terms of automation
>for the job.
>
>If the emails come from "random people in my community",
>and the topics are gardening and carpentry, and a message
>comes in which is 60% gardening and 40% carpentry, it would
>be pretty hard to craft a regular filter on a thing like that.
>No individual field (subject, from) is specific enough for
>that job. And even if an AI did it, it might be just as
>arbitrary about the sorting as you would be if clicking on
>it and being tired when doing the job.
>
>This tool, for example, is limited on TBird version.
>
>https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/awesome-auto-archive/

Hmm. You know my technical limitations:-)

I delete reminder messages from banks and other routine stuff. Family
news etc.
E-bay/ Amazon stuff goes once the parcel has been opened.

What is left accumulates. Some of this may be important: solicitors
letters/attachments etc.

I tend to do it once a year but the new box has made this more
important.

--
Tim Lamb

In message <xn0o8zi7pev0dg000z@news.individual.net>, Jeff Gaines
<jgnewsid@outlook.com> writes
>On 05/11/2023 in message <MMMU0JBtTASlFwfi@marfordfarm.demon.co.uk> Tim
>Lamb wrote:
>
>>Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>
>Email or news groups?
>
>If you use IMAP for email you don't need to archive them, they will be
>on the server. News groups are also on the server so a clean install
>then collect them again.

Mail. I'm a Demon refugee and ended up with Namesco. I can leave
messages on their server but have relied on local backups.

*ctrl a* has been suggested elsewhere but not tried yet.
>

--
Tim Lamb

In message <ui9gca$6scp$1@dont-email.me>, John Rumm
<see.my.signature@nowhere.null> writes
>On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>
>If you just want to select a large block, click the first, and shift
>click the last...

Ah! I knew there must be a way. Thanks John.
>

--
Tim Lamb

On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:

> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?

Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy them
after closing the program?
(Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)

--
Max Demian

On 06/11/2023 09:43, Tim Lamb wrote:
> Ah! I knew there must be a way.

Yes, it works the same way EVERY Windows program does
select/cut/copy/paste etc.

Max Demian wrote:

> Tim Lamb wrote:
>
>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>
> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy them
> after closing the program?

Archiving isn't about copying the thunderbird data files, it's about
moving individual messages from the normal inbox/sent folders into year
and/or month specific archive folders.

On 11/6/2023 6:42 AM, Max Demian wrote:
> On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>
>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>
> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy them after closing the program? (Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)
>

There is Import and Export, as data movement features.
These are commands inside a program. Look in your menus.

There is "Profile copying" as a sport (TBird to TBird).

However, the OP is trying to move emails from one box
to another, as part of cleanup before transfer. It's a
different problem, which is a step before actual movement.

Less-mature tools, don't have an Import functions. And
even the programs that do support Import from third-party
programs, may not have scripts for all possible programs.

Some tools have date-based archiving, where at the end of
2023, all the 2023 messages go into a "2023" box. And
then when you want to read them, you work by year. This
keeps your actual Inbox, at a smaller size. That policy is
simple enough, it is easy to code for a programmer.

Some Microsoft programs, have used a COM interface at
transfer time. The tools "talk to one another" and
messages are exchanged one at a time. It does not
transfer an entire box as a blob. It works at the .eml level.
And it uses COM. Maybe Thunderbird could pull from Outlook Express
on Windows XP that way. You would have both programs running,
before configuring a transfer (transfer is done "hot").

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_Object_Model

*******

I'm sure there are more methods than this, and this is
just off the top of my head.

1) Profile ------------ sneakernet ---------- Profile
| |
Thunderbird Thunderbird

2) Profile ------------ sneakernet ---------- Profile
| \
Thunderbird suck items from profile
Limited number of formats/progs
\
SomeEmailProgram (Opera)

3) Industry standard format
/ \
Export ---/ --- Import
| |
Thunderbird SomeEmailProgram

4) OutlookExpress ----------- COM ----------- SomeEMailProgram (WinXP era maybe)
.eml transfer

Now Turnpike, that would be a mystery only an expert could solve.

Paul

On 06/11/2023 13:15, Andy Burns wrote:
> Max Demian wrote:
>
>> Tim Lamb wrote:
>>
>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>
>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy them
>> after closing the program?
>
> Archiving isn't about copying the thunderbird data files, it's about
> moving individual messages from the normal inbox/sent folders into year
> and/or month specific archive folders.

I don't disagree, but I have often wondered what the difference would be
between an /archive/ folder and a /local/ folder with a specific name
(which might be "Archive 2022", etc).

I never use the Archive folder myself, preferring local folders with
names which mean something. YMMV.

--

Jeff

On 06/11/2023 15:44, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 06/11/2023 13:15, Andy Burns wrote:
>> Max Demian wrote:
>>
>>> Tim Lamb wrote:
>>>
>>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>>
>>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy them
>>> after closing the program?
>>
>> Archiving isn't about copying the thunderbird data files, it's about
>> moving individual messages from the normal inbox/sent folders into year
>> and/or month specific archive folders.
>
> I don't disagree, but I have often wondered what the difference would be
> between an /archive/ folder and a /local/ folder with a specific name
> (which might be "Archive 2022", etc).
>
> I never use the Archive folder myself, preferring local folders with
> names which mean something. YMMV.

"The" archive folder is just a default one thunderbird creates for auto
archiving. When you tell it archive something (for example by hitting
"a", it will move it that folder.

There is nothing stopping you from having it somewhere else like on
local folders (where is makes good sense for IMAP accounts).

It is worth going into Message Settings... and clicking on the "Copies
and Folders" entry on your email account. Change it to save where you
prefer, and I normally go into the advanced options and turn on "yearly"
and keep existing folder structure, to make finding stuff in future
easier, and also stop any one folder growing to large (and hence slow!)

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

In message <uiajeo$eros$1@dont-email.me>, Max Demian
<max_demian@bigfoot.com> writes
>On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>
>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>
>Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy
>them after closing the program?
>(Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)

er. I was just archiving using the TBird archive provision. Moving the
stuff to the new box is a problem for another day:-)
>

--
Tim Lamb

On 06/11/2023 16:11, John Rumm wrote:
> On 06/11/2023 15:44, Jeff Layman wrote:
>> On 06/11/2023 13:15, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> Max Demian wrote:
>>>
>>>> Tim Lamb wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>>>
>>>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy them
>>>> after closing the program?
>>>
>>> Archiving isn't about copying the thunderbird data files, it's about
>>> moving individual messages from the normal inbox/sent folders into year
>>> and/or month specific archive folders.
>>
>> I don't disagree, but I have often wondered what the difference would be
>> between an /archive/ folder and a /local/ folder with a specific name
>> (which might be "Archive 2022", etc).
>>
>> I never use the Archive folder myself, preferring local folders with
>> names which mean something. YMMV.
>
> "The" archive folder is just a default one thunderbird creates for auto
> archiving. When you tell it archive something (for example by hitting
> "a", it will move it that folder.
>
> There is nothing stopping you from having it somewhere else like on
> local folders (where is makes good sense for IMAP accounts).

That's in fact what I do.

> It is worth going into Message Settings... and clicking on the "Copies
> and Folders" entry on your email account. Change it to save where you
> prefer, and I normally go into the advanced options and turn on "yearly"
> and keep existing folder structure, to make finding stuff in future
> easier, and also stop any one folder growing to large (and hence slow!)

Whatever the default setting was for an archive for a particular account
I left it at that. However, as I never use those archives, I might go
into them to uncheck the archive setting so that the folder never appears.

What I do is save all messages to NGs in a local "Posted" folder. When
it got too big (in my view) I created a "Posted 2010 - 16" subfolder,
and then a 2017 - 2020 subfolder, etc, and moved all messages from those
years to that subfolder. For emails I have several accounts, but /all/
emails are saved on sending to one local "Sent" folder (not the server
"Sent" folder). Every few days they are moved to other local folders
named with people, companies, organisations etc. Being local, they are
saved on the HD, and backed up frequently.

--

Jeff

On 06/11/2023 12:18, Tim Lamb wrote:
> In message <uiajeo$eros$1@dont-email.me>, Max Demian
> <max_demian@bigfoot.com> writes
>> On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>
>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>
>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy
>> them after closing the program?
>> (Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)
>
> er. I was just archiving using the TBird archive provision. Moving the
> stuff to the new box is a problem for another day:-)

That bit is easy.... copy the contents of:

%appdata%\Roaming\Thunderbird

to the same place on the new machine.

Install the same (ish) version of TB and run it. It will all pop up
where you left off with accounts and passwords etc remembered.

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

In message <uibr84$llrv$1@dont-email.me>, John Rumm
<see.my.signature@nowhere.null> writes
>On 06/11/2023 12:18, Tim Lamb wrote:
>> In message <uiajeo$eros$1@dont-email.me>, Max Demian
>><max_demian@bigfoot.com> writes
>>> On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>>
>>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>>
>>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy
>>>them after closing the program?
>>>(Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)
>> er. I was just archiving using the TBird archive provision. Moving
>>the stuff to the new box is a problem for another day:-)
>
>That bit is easy.... copy the contents of:
>
>%appdata%\Roaming\Thunderbird

File comes up with 83 items.

Best to wait for hands on help.
>
>to the same place on the new machine.

Umm. Maybe when I was younger:-)
>
>Install the same (ish) version of TB and run it. It will all pop up
>where you left off with accounts and passwords etc remembered.
>
>

--
Tim Lamb

On 11/7/2023 4:48 AM, Tim Lamb wrote:
> In message <uibr84$llrv$1@dont-email.me>, John Rumm <see.my.signature@nowhere.null> writes
>> On 06/11/2023 12:18, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>> In message <uiajeo$eros$1@dont-email.me>, Max Demian <max_demian@bigfoot.com> writes
>>>> On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>>>
>>>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy them after closing the program? (Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)
>>>  er. I was just archiving using the TBird archive provision. Moving the  stuff to the new box is a problem for another day:-)
>>
>> That bit is easy.... copy the contents of:
>>
>> %appdata%\Roaming\Thunderbird
>
> File comes up with 83 items.
>
> Best to wait for hands on help.
>>
>> to the same place on the new machine.
>
> Umm. Maybe when I was younger:-)

echo %appdata% # you can check the environment variable contents.
# Legacy commands work best in cmd.exe , as you might
# not know whatever passes for a Powershell equivalent.

C:\users\username\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
Crash Reports\
Profiles\
fknwxki0.default <--- your emails are usually in the "biggest" folder inside Profiles\

potential-home-of-transplanted-profile.default

profiles.ini <=== this text file, has pointers to the profiles, so
you know what relative or absolute paths need to be
included, to make it work like it did before.
For example, this profile.ini will have "fknwxki0.default" in it.

*******

cmd.exe
thunderbird -p # This starts the Profile Manager on Thunderbird
# You can add a profile to the list. You can select the profile.
# Using this GUI feature, takes the place of hand-editing
# profiles.ini with Notepad. After a profile is added and selected,
# Thunderbird will open as usual. It will start by checking
# "compatibility.ini" inside the named profile folder, and seeing what (older)
# version of Thunderbird made it. If the version is the same on
# both machines, there is no conversion work to do.

If you cannot find %appdata%, you can try this. %appdata% is for saving some typing (sometimes).

cmd.exe # Enter this in the Terminal window, to switch to Command Prompt parser
echo %appdata% # Verify the path contents, and whether it has the word Roaming or not.
cd /d %appdata%\Thunderbird # Now, bolt the path components together and see if the path exists.
explorer . # This opens the File Explorer or opens a File Explorer tab.
# Now you can see the place for the files and so on. Copy a folder.

Paul

In message <uide2s$10ufi$1@dont-email.me>, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
writes
>On 11/7/2023 4:48 AM, Tim Lamb wrote:
>> In message <uibr84$llrv$1@dont-email.me>, John Rumm
>><see.my.signature@nowhere.null> writes
>>> On 06/11/2023 12:18, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>>> In message <uiajeo$eros$1@dont-email.me>, Max Demian
>>>><max_demian@bigfoot.com> writes
>>>>> On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>>>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>>>>
>>>>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and
>>>>>copy them after closing the program?
>>>>>(Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)
>>>>  er. I was just archiving using the TBird archive provision. Moving
>>>>the  stuff to the new box is a problem for another day:-)
>>>
>>> That bit is easy.... copy the contents of:
>>>
>>> %appdata%\Roaming\Thunderbird
>>
>> File comes up with 83 items.
>>
>> Best to wait for hands on help.
>>>
>>> to the same place on the new machine.
>>
>> Umm. Maybe when I was younger:-)
>
>echo %appdata% # you can check the environment variable
>contents.
> # Legacy commands work best in cmd.exe ,
>as you might
> # not know whatever passes for a
>Powershell equivalent.
>
>C:\users\username\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
> Crash Reports\
> Profiles\
> fknwxki0.default <--- your emails are usually in the "biggest"
>folder inside Profiles\
>
> potential-home-of-transplanted-profile.default
>
> profiles.ini <=== this text file, has pointers to the profiles, so
> you know what relative or absolute paths
>need to be
> included, to make it work like it did before.
> For example, this profile.ini will have
>"fknwxki0.default" in it.
>
>*******
>
> cmd.exe
> thunderbird -p # This starts the Profile Manager on Thunderbird
> # You can add a profile to the list. You
>can select the profile.
> # Using this GUI feature, takes the
>place of hand-editing
> # profiles.ini with Notepad. After a
>profile is added and selected,
> # Thunderbird will open as usual. It
>will start by checking
> # "compatibility.ini" inside the named
>profile folder, and seeing what (older)
> # version of Thunderbird made it. If the
>version is the same on
> # both machines, there is no conversion
>work to do.
>
>If you cannot find %appdata%, you can try this. %appdata% is for saving
>some typing (sometimes).
>
> cmd.exe # Enter this in the Terminal
>window, to switch to Command Prompt parser
> echo %appdata% # Verify the path contents,
>and whether it has the word Roaming or not.
> cd /d %appdata%\Thunderbird # Now, bolt the path
>components together and see if the path exists.
> explorer . # This opens the File Explorer
>or opens a File Explorer tab.
> # Now you can see the place
>for the files and so on. Copy a folder.

Ok Paul. Printed off for a younger brain.

--
Tim Lamb

On 07/11/2023 09:48, Tim Lamb wrote:
> In message <uibr84$llrv$1@dont-email.me>, John Rumm
> <see.my.signature@nowhere.null> writes
>> On 06/11/2023 12:18, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>> In message <uiajeo$eros$1@dont-email.me>, Max Demian
>>> <max_demian@bigfoot.com> writes
>>>> On 05/11/2023 21:11, Tim Lamb wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Trying to archive messages prior to the new box move.
>>>>> ctrl click is very tedious. Is there a better way?
>>>>
>>>> Surely you just find where Thunderbird keeps all its files and copy
>>>> them after closing the program?
>>>> (Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\ on mine.)
>>>  er. I was just archiving using the TBird archive provision. Moving
>>> the  stuff to the new box is a problem for another day:-)
>>
>> That bit is easy.... copy the contents of:
>>
>> %appdata%\Roaming\Thunderbird

Oops my bad that should be:

%appdata%\Thunderbird

%appdata% is a environment variable that will expand out to the current
users app data folder. So if you user name was "Tim", then it would
normally be at:

C:\Users\Tim\AppData\Roaming\

(note that the AppData folder is normally a hidden folder[1])

to get to it, open a windows file explorer windows (hold the Windows Key
and push "e")

Click in the address bar and type:

%appdata%

That will show many folders for different applications you have
installed - it is where they can store their configuration data. There
should be a Thunderbird folder there.

If migrating to a new machine I would just copy the whole thunderbird
folder.

(If you look in the profiles folder you should see your profile - it
will be called <random>.default (the random bit is different for each
profile). Inside that is where you find all the config files and the
actual mail folders...)

[1] One of those irritating defaults in windows - hiding folders and not
showing file extensions. Changing the View Options to reverse both of
those makes it much easier to find what you are looking for!

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

On 11/7/2023 10:52 AM, John Rumm wrote:

>
> [1] One of those irritating defaults in windows - hiding folders and not showing file extensions.
> Changing the View Options to reverse both of those makes it much easier to find what you are looking for!

And part of the fun, is finding the panel that has the settings you refer to.

[Picture]

https://i.postimg.cc/nV1J3v8y/file-explorer-make-visible.gif

Paul

On 07/11/2023 16:31, Paul wrote:
> On 11/7/2023 10:52 AM, John Rumm wrote:
>
>>
>> [1] One of those irritating defaults in windows - hiding folders and not showing file extensions.
>> Changing the View Options to reverse both of those makes it much easier to find what you are looking for!
>
> And part of the fun, is finding the panel that has the settings you refer to.
>
> [Picture]
>
> https://i.postimg.cc/nV1J3v8y/file-explorer-make-visible.gif

a recent update has made those more accessible for the current window:

https://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/File:Win11ViewOptions.png

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/