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How to Compress Thunderbird Email Folders Instantly?

author  Admin ~ Modified: May 12th, 2023 ~ 6 Minutes Reading

This article explains several techniques to compress Thunderbird email folders, read it continue if your Thunderbird is showing a popup message to compact folders. Millions of users use Thunderbird to fill their email requirements fully because it is an open-source email client that is available free of cost. Users prefer to use Thunderbird because of its best business-oriented valuable features.

As we all know that Thunderbird is a desktop-based email client which allows you to configure your multiple cloud-based email accounts using POP3 and IMAP details. Every email client provides some manual options for routine maintenance and check-up, here we will discuss Thunderbird’s inbuilt compact options.

If you are using a Mozilla Thunderbird email client for the past few years and you follow the routine process to delete unwanted Thunderbird emails, then Thunderbird shows you a popup message to compact Thunderbird mailbox folders as you can see in the below screenshot.

compact now

“Thunderbird needs to do regular file maintenance to improve the performance of your mail folders. This will recover specific MB of disk space without changing your messages. To let Thunderbird, do this automatically in the future without asking, check the box below before choosing ‘Compact Now’.”

Table of Content Hide
  1. Why Is Compact Thunderbird Mailbox Necessary?
  2. Method1: Compress Thunderbird Folders One by One
  3. Method2: Compact All Thunderbird Mailbox Folders
  4. Method3: Enable Automated Thunderbird Compress Mailbox
  5. Method4: Best Software to Compress Thunderbird Email Files
  6. Thunderbird Compress Software Vs Manual Ways
  7. Important Questions and Answers
  8. Conclusion
Read Similar: 2 Best Methods to Compress Google Takeout Mailboxes

Why Is Compact Thunderbird Mailbox Necessary?

When users delete unnecessary emails, Thunderbird marks them as deleted in headers as a result you cannot see the deleted email. But it does not reduce Thunderbird mailbox size because emails are invisible for preview but exist.

Therefore, Thunderbird keeps asking to compact folders to reduce the Thunderbird mailbox content size by deleting the email messages permanently. As a result, Thunderbird’s performance will be boosted.

The process to compress Thunderbird email files is helpful to reclaim disk space to store more email messages. Even after compacting Thunderbird folders, your email client’s performance will be increased.

Method1: Compress Thunderbird Folders One by One

  1. Launch Thunderbird email client on your machine.
  2. Choose a Thunderbird mailbox folder and right-click on it.
  3. Select Compact from the drop-down menu to start compacting.
    compact thunderbird folder
  4. The Thunderbird folder is compacted successfully.
    done compacting
  5. Now choose another Thunderbird folder and do the same.

Method2: Compact All Thunderbird Mailbox Folders

  1. Start the Thunderbird email application on your pc.
  2. Choose File from the menu and then select Compact Folders.
    compress thunderbird email folders
  3. Compact Thunderbird mail folders process is running.
  4. All Thunderbird mailbox folders are compressed.

Method3: Enable Automated Thunderbird Compress Mailbox

  1. Run the Thunderbird desktop client on your computer.
  2. Choose Tools >> Account settings as shown in the screenshot.
    account settings
  3. Select the Disk Space option and setup auto compression.
    disk space
  4. Use your preferred choice to compress Thunderbird emails.
  5. Set delete messages more than specific days old and other filters.

Method4: Best Software to Compress Thunderbird Email Files

Download Birdie MBOX Compress Software which is suitable to compress Thunderbird email folders. This application is a specially developed and effective solution to compact Thunderbird mail folders at once. Even Thunderbird installation is not mandatory to use this software as it requires only Thunderbird MBOX files to perform.

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Thunderbird Compress Tool permits to compress Thunderbird folders using 3 different inbuilt choices. Let’s look at them.

  • Remove Attachments: Our respective client can enable this feature to decrease Thunderbird mailbox size.
  • Remove Email Headers: Select this feature to compact header on Thunderbird by erasing unnecessary hidden header information.
  • Detach Attachments: Our developers also have added an option to detach Thunderbird mailbox attachments and store them in a separate folder.

How to Compact Thunderbird Mailbox Folders?

  1. Launch Thunderbird Compress Tool and add Thunderbird folders in the software GUI.
    thunderbird compress tool
  2. Choose specific Thunderbird folders for compression and hit the Next button.
    select thunderbird folders
  3. Select a mode to compress Thunderbird email folders according to your need.
    compress thunderbird files
  4. Browse the destination path and press Next to start Thunderbird email compression.
    thunderbird email compression
  5. The compress Thunderbird folder process has been completed successfully, see pop-up message.
    compact thunderbird mail

Thunderbird Compress Software Vs Manual Ways

  • Thunderbird Compression Tool can reduce adequate mailbox space while manual approaches are suitable to decrease a few KB or MB storage space.
  • The software allows compressing Thunderbird profile folders without Thunderbird. Manual ways require Thunderbird installation mandatory.
  • The tool gives permission to remove and extract Thunderbird attachments accordingly. But the manual method only allows the extraction of attachments without erasing them.
  • This application is compatible with all Thunderbird versions, but different Thunderbird editions may have different steps to compress mailbox folders.
  • Thunderbird Compression Tool provides 3 different ways to compact Thunderbird mail folders while the manual compact option only deletes previously deleted emails permanently.

Important Questions and Answers

Que 1: How can I get Thunderbird mailbox folders in MBOX format for compression?

Ans: You can download and install free ImportExportTools add-ons on your Thunderbird which allows to import and export MBOX files to Thunderbird.

You can also go to the following location directly to get Thunderbird profile data.

Thunderbird IMAP Configured Account

C:\Users\admin(Username)\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Account Name\ImapMail

Thunderbird POP Configured Account

C:\Users\admin(Username)\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\Account Name\Mail

Que 2: My Mozilla Thunderbird got crashed and unable to start again, can I use your software to compress Thunderbird profile folder?

Ans: Yes, the tool requires only Thunderbird profile data for compression, Thunderbird configuration is not needed.

Que 3: Does your software allow to compact large Thunderbird mailbox folders?

Ans: Yes, Thunderbird compress tool is authorized to compact Thunderbird mail folders without size limitations.

Conclusion

We have explained complete details to compress Thunderbird email folders using top 4 best techniques. First try to compact Thunderbird mailbox folders manually, if seems this is not helpful then go with above recommended Thunderbird Compression Tool.

This software is an expert recommended effective solution to compress Thunderbird email files because it is capable to decrease much store space. This is a must have application for all Thunderbird users to manage Thunderbird profile data.