Help with Thunderbird email

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I have two win10 home grouped computers. Comcast is my internet provider. Thunderbird mail on one working satisfactorily. Would like to use same on the other computer. is this possible

Featured Answer

dadoes

8 years ago

Steve J

I don't understand why Comcast, or any ISP, would prefer IMAP. It requires much more server-side storage space since all content is always kept there. I run into that problem with the small web hosting service I run. The leased server doesn't provide unlimited storage. A particular client's office employees want to access mail from multiple devices -- their office computers, their phones, a couple also use iPads. Those using IMAP via all devices are constantly maxing-out their storage allowance and have to be diligent with housekeeping (moving message out of server storage to local folders in their Outlook).

I personally do not care for the idea of keeping mail content on a server vs. my own computer. IMO a server is much more likely to get compromised than is my computer. I want my e-mail permanently stored on my computer under my control, not on the ISP's server which is subject to their whims.

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Comments (10)

Steve J
8 years ago
Assuming your email is comcast as well, or any other current web mail (gmail, yahoo, etc), absolutely. Thunderbird is just a client like Outlook or the gmail app and you can have multiple email accounts configured in the app and on mutiple devices. Just make sure that thunderbird configures them as an imap account rather than a pop mail account. Using imap, when you delete or read an email from one pc, or the website, or your phone, it updates the other devices.
gringo50 thanked Steve J
azinoh
8 years ago
I submit that POP vs IMAP is a matter of personal choice/need and it should NOT be a recommendation of what someone else should or should not do. Since TB is already installed on one machine, it should be installed with the SAME protocols on the second machine because having POP on one and IMAP on the other will cause immediate confusion. I use TB + POP on two desktops with no problems and I like knowing that my mail is actually downloaded to each machine where it will stay until I delete it, which is not how it is with IMAP.
gringo50 thanked azinoh
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It IS a very strange situation, indeed. And here's some more weirdness. None of the e-mails stay on the server...I double checked and everything was downloaded, per the settings. When I first started looking for a prog to replace WLM, I started using Outlook....but the e-mails were disappearing from the Inbox. I thought it was a problem with Outlook and even posted a query here on the forum. Never solved that issue, but disliking WLM more as time went on, I gave up on Outlook and thought I'd try Thunderbird. Then the same thing started happening! I had made TB the default and set WLM to NOT check automatically for mail....BUT...when I would open WLM to look at something in a folder there, it would check for mail on Startup and all my e-mails would show up. That's when all the messages in TB would disappear. When I realized this was happening, I opened Outlook, sent some test messages there and watched as they disappeared before my eyes when I opened WLM. Do you think maybe I'm incorrect about the mail staying on the server? Wouldn't I see it there when I go online to check?
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dadoes
8 years ago
New mail cannot be downloaded to two separate computers via POP3 unless they are both set to leave copies of mail on the server after downloading ... or ONE of them is set that way and mail is always checked from it FIRST, before checking mail from the other (which will then clear it from the server).

POP3 by design deletes downloaded mail from the server unless the "retain copies" option is enabled.

Mail can be retained permanently on the client computers when using IMAP if messages are moved or copied to LOCAL folders (vs. the server-side folders) after downloading them.
gringo50 thanked dadoes
gringo50
Original Author
8 years ago
Steve J., azinoh and dadoes, I thank you for good info that solved my prob. This thread can now be considered closed.
Steve J
8 years ago
Azinoh, while i generally agree with your statement of not telling others what to do. However, in this case, Comcast is trying to move away from pop3 and directing users to configer only with imap. I know this because I just fixed an issue with the wife’s Comcast account on Outlook 2016 and had toget to their tier 3 support who also consulted with an engineer who finally resolved my issue. They all directed me to use imap even though I specifically told them all its configured with pop3, and I dint care to have to fix her pop data back into the imap data at the time. Since they do still officially support it, i wouldnt accept their insistence for me to use imap. A normal end user would not be that informed or willing to stick to their guns. So I repeat, if you are using Comcast email, I 99% recommend using imap unless you like dealing with useless comcast support.
gringo50 thanked Steve J
Steve J
8 years ago
gringo50, glad you’re all set. Happy Holidays!
gringo50 thanked Steve J
gringo50
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks dadoes, your message to Steve J. was most interesting. I'll stick with POP3 as long as it works for me. Then I'll rtn. asking for more help switching to IMAP.
Steve J
8 years ago
Dadoes, they recommend it for easier management esecially for those that check their email on multiple devices. With pop, its more difficult to manage. With imap, they’re all configured the same and have the same emails regardless of what they move or delete, etc. That is why they recommend imap vs pop3. Also, if you setup pop3 to always leave a copy of your mail on the server, then your logic is wrong because even though you might delete it locally, its still stored on their servers using more storage. Using imap ensures when you delete a message regardless of where it is, its also deleted from the server.
dadoes
8 years ago
Steve J,

I'm well-aware of that one advantage of IMAP. I worked for a local ISP from 1998 to 2007, then with a friend's little web hosting business from 2007 until I took it over in 2015 ... so I've explained (or tried to explain) the differences between POP3 and IMAP to *many* customers. The problem with IMAP comes in when users never delete any of their old mail (either Sent or Received or the Trash/Deleted accumulation) and max-out the server storage allowance for their account, then all incoming new mail bounces. It's surprising (NOT) how many people don't understand the difference between server-side folders and LOCAL folders in their mail client program (clear-up some server space by dragging that old stuff out of the server-side folders to local folders on your computer) ... or they insist on using only web-based mail access (Outlook? Thunderbird? What's that??).