How to Use Thunderbird 3: Creating Local Mail Folders and Moving Messages

With GUMail, you can save your messages to your computer. You do this by creating "local mail folders" in Thunderbird. (By default, your GUMail messages are saved on IMAP, or server-based, mail folders.)

Saving your messages to your computer enables you to free up space on your GUMail account so that you ensure that your account always has storage space to receive messages.

However, keep in mind that when you save messages to local folders, your messages will be saved only on the computer you're currently using. This is in contrast to having your messages on IMAP folders that are on the GUMail server and enable you to access those messages from any computer connected to the Internet.

 

Creating Local Mail Folders

Moving Your Messages to Local Folders

 

 

 

Creating Local Mail Folders

1. In Thunderbird, right-click on the Local Folders listing located on the left side of the window (you may need to scroll up or down to find the listing).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. In the New Folder window, perform the following:
   1. Type in a descriptive name for your folder. (In the example below, the name "Work Docs" has been entered.)
   2. Make sure Local Folders is selected from the Create as a subfolder of drop-down list.
   3. Click on the OK button.

   
   
   
   

You should see your new folder listed as a subfolder of Local Folders. In the example below, the folder "Work Docs" appears. Click on the arrow icon to the left of Local Folders to view your subfolders.

 

 

 

Moving Your Messages to Local Folders

1. Select the message(s) you want to move to a local folder.
   
   
2. Drag the message(s) to the new folder, as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Navigate to the local folder to verify that the message was moved successfully.