mozilla email housekeeping

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I notice that Moz email (and probably TB) retains/accumulates mail in
files named inbox, junk, and trash even though these "folders" are
emptied. This problem of large cumulative files of pure junk seems
aggravated by the selection/allowance of html email. The files can
grow to many tens of megabytes over a period of just a few weeks. I
see no point in backing them up, so I truncate them down to just a few
bytes using a hex editor.

Anyone else noticed this? Is there a better way of handling the
problem? I've not found a method of deleting these large files in Moz
itself.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
I notice that Moz email (and probably TB) retains/accumulates mail in
files named inbox, junk, and trash even though these "folders" are
emptied. This problem of large cumulative files of pure junk seems
aggravated by the selection/allowance of html email. The files can
grow to many tens of megabytes over a period of just a few weeks. I
see no point in backing them up, so I truncate them down to just a few
bytes using a hex editor.

Anyone else noticed this? Is there a better way of handling the
problem? I've not found a method of deleting these large files in Moz
itself.
Click to expand...

Edit - Mail & Newsgroup Account Settings - Server Settings - Empty Trash On Exit

Edit - Preferences - Mail & Newsgroups - Offline & Disk Space - Compact Folders When It Will
Save Over ... KB

Edit - Mail & Newsgroup Account Settings - Disk Space - To Save Space do Not Download Messages
Larger Than ... KB
 
I notice that Moz email (and probably TB) retains/accumulates mail in
files named inbox, junk, and trash even though these "folders" are
emptied. This problem of large cumulative files of pure junk seems
aggravated by the selection/allowance of html email. The files can
grow to many tens of megabytes over a period of just a few weeks. I
see no point in backing them up, so I truncate them down to just a few
bytes using a hex editor.

Anyone else noticed this? Is there a better way of handling the
problem? I've not found a method of deleting these large files in Moz
itself.
Click to expand...

Hi Art,

Compact the folders. That's the process that *actually* deletes the
emails ("delete" just removes the indexing). You can set a reminder:
edit/preferences/email and newsgroups/offline and disk space/ "compact
folders when it will save over ______ KB"

Susan
 
Hi Art,

Compact the folders. That's the process that *actually* deletes the
emails ("delete" just removes the indexing).
Click to expand...

That's what I thought. But it doesn't work.
You can set a reminder:
edit/preferences/email and newsgroups/offline and disk space/ "compact
folders when it will save over ______ KB"
Click to expand...

That been set at the default 100 KB. I get the message about
compacting folders each time Moz email starts. I click "Yes". But the
files just keep on increasing in size. Don't you see this happening?


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
That's what I thought. But it doesn't work.



That been set at the default 100 KB. I get the message about
compacting folders each time Moz email starts. I click "Yes". But the
files just keep on increasing in size. Don't you see this happening?
Click to expand...

Nope (I just compacted an individual folder to check - it lost 30 KB).

Susan
 
Nope (I just compacted an individual folder to check - it lost 30 KB).
Click to expand...

But what is it's actual size in bytes? I was able to get the trash
file to zero out by checking the option to Empty Trash on Exit. So
I've made some progress. But both my junk and inbox files are over a
meg already and growing. They were both zeroed out just yesterday
using hex editor truncation. It's not a matter of compacting to make
these files a little smaller. It's a matter, as I had said, of
preventing them from growing into monstrous files of useless junk,
compacted or not.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
But what is it's actual size in bytes? I was able to get the trash
file to zero out by checking the option to Empty Trash on Exit. So
I've made some progress. But both my junk and inbox files are over a
meg already and growing. They were both zeroed out just yesterday
using hex editor truncation. It's not a matter of compacting to make
these files a little smaller. It's a matter, as I had said, of
preventing them from growing into monstrous files of useless junk,
compacted or not.
Click to expand...

FWIW I don't use Local Folders. My "Inbox" is 1,742,462 bytes (1.66 MB)
(119 messages - no comments on that please) ;) I opened the file -
looks like it has only the messages it should have. . . My "Trash" file
was 10086 bytes with 6 messages - I emptied it and now it's at 0 bytes.

Susan
 
FWIW I don't use Local Folders. My "Inbox" is 1,742,462 bytes (1.66 MB)
(119 messages - no comments on that please) ;) I opened the file -
looks like it has only the messages it should have. . .
Click to expand...

Sorry, but if you empty your inbox within Moz, I say you have 1.66 MB
of unwanted junk in that file :) You can't access the messages from
within Moz. What's the point of backing up everything that you've ever
received?

Do you see my point now? That useless inbox file will just keep on
growing. And so will the junk file. For what purpose?

I think the developers have goofed. There should be some means within
Moz to truncate the inbox and junk files down to practically nothing.

I can't be the only one who has seen these files grow to almost 100 mb
each. That's an awful lot of wasted file space.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
Sorry, but if you empty your inbox within Moz, I say you have 1.66 MB
of unwanted junk in that file :) You can't access the messages from
within Moz. What's the point of backing up everything that you've ever
received?

Do you see my point now? That useless inbox file will just keep on
growing. And so will the junk file. For what purpose?
Click to expand...

I did *not* empty the inbox. 1.66 MB is the size it ought to be - there
are 119 messages - several emails have attached photos. . .
I think the developers have goofed. There should be some means within
Moz to truncate the inbox and junk files down to practically nothing.
Click to expand...

I think you have a problem with your installation. Mine seems to be
working fine. You might want to try a reinstall. . .

Susan
 
I did *not* empty the inbox. 1.66 MB is the size it ought to be - there
are 119 messages - several emails have attached photos. . .
Click to expand...

So apparently you haven't set up filters to various folders you can
create, then. You see, in most cases, people will empty their inboxes
both automatically through filters and manually to a "main" folder (or
whatever).
I think you have a problem with your installation. Mine seems to be
working fine. You might want to try a reinstall. . .
Click to expand...

It's always been like that through various versions and reinstalls.
You just don't understand the problem :)


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
So apparently you haven't set up filters to various folders you can
create, then. You see, in most cases, people will empty their inboxes
both automatically through filters and manually to a "main" folder (or
whatever).
Click to expand...

The filters are working fine. I'm a *tiny* bit behind in the manual
transfers. ;)

Susan
 
And said:
I think the developers have goofed. There should be some
means within Moz to truncate the inbox and junk files down
to practically nothing.
Click to expand...

There is:
FILE: Compact Folders

There is also an option to automatically compact folders if
it will save [xxx]kB.

--
:-) Christopher Jahn
:-(

http://home.comcast.net/~xjahn/Main.html

Whoever controls your eyes, controls your mind.
 
I keep a shortcut to EditPadLite in my sendto folder. You could use
another program, but notepad is to small and wordpad chokes on the
files. I just click on each of the files that needs cleaning and send
to EditPadLite, select all, delete, close, save. I use Thunderbird, and
the files are in my
Windows/ApplicationData/Thunderbird/Profiles/Mail folder.
I learned this trick while using Netscape 4.78, it was only slightly
different then.
The pairs of files are
Trash...Trash.msf
Sent....Sent.msf
Junk....Junk.msf
and so on. Leave the nonpaired files alone. Make sure there is nothing
you want to save first.
I made a new folder called Save, where I drag important stuff.

If this is not clear, proceed at your own risk. Good Luck
 
And said:
And said:
I think the developers have goofed. There should be some
means within Moz to truncate the inbox and junk files down
to practically nothing.
Click to expand...

There is:
FILE: Compact Folders

There is also an option to automatically compact folders if
it will save [xxx]kB.
Click to expand...

But those things don't solve the problem.
Click to expand...

Then head over to the Mozilla support groups, or try the
first two links in my sig.

ssss
 
I keep a shortcut to EditPadLite in my sendto folder. You could use
another program, but notepad is to small and wordpad chokes on the
files. I just click on each of the files that needs cleaning and send
to EditPadLite, select all, delete, close, save. I use Thunderbird, and
the files are in my
Windows/ApplicationData/Thunderbird/Profiles/Mail folder.
I learned this trick while using Netscape 4.78, it was only slightly
different then.
The pairs of files are
Trash...Trash.msf
Sent....Sent.msf
Junk....Junk.msf
and so on. Leave the nonpaired files alone. Make sure there is nothing
you want to save first.
I made a new folder called Save, where I drag important stuff.

If this is not clear, proceed at your own risk. Good Luck
Click to expand...

As I posted, the trash file is now no problem It's the inbox and junk
files that accumulate/retain everything even though the user might
think they're emptied out. Apparently, you've seen this with TB then
as well.

You mention the sent file. I see mine is 7.5 meg. Far less of a
cumulative problem there for me than inbox and junk. My wife is on
many genealogy lists, accounting for the largest volume of email we
receive. Spam mail is also quite large, accounting for the huge
cumulative junk file size we wind up with over a period of just weeks.

Thanks for the idea. I might do something like that.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote:
[SNIP problem with Moz not reducing mailbox file sizes...]

Not seen here with Moz 1.7.2 on W2K, all files shrink when compacted.

Cheers,
Gary B-)
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote:
[SNIP problem with Moz not reducing mailbox file sizes...]

Not seen here with Moz 1.7.2 on W2K, all files shrink when compacted.
Click to expand...


Compacting isn't the issue. Read my posts carefully.
Click to expand...

Fair enuff - I re-read the thread - as I don't use the Junk folder it
doesn't grow on me, and Inbox, Trash and Sent are only as large as the
messages stored in them, I assume that the auto-compaction that happens
every so often is causing space to be released and/or re-used.

Also, I noticed that you complain about the amount of SPAM, perhaps you
should look at using something like MailWasher to delete SPAM from your
mailbox?

I've used it for a number of years, and combined with my ACM address
being filtered by Postini and my ISPs filters, I get (relatively) little
SPAM.

Cheers,
Gary B-)
 
[email protected] said:
(e-mail address removed) wrote:
[SNIP problem with Moz not reducing mailbox file sizes...]

Not seen here with Moz 1.7.2 on W2K, all files shrink when compacted.
Click to expand...


Compacting isn't the issue. Read my posts carefully.
Click to expand...

Fair enuff - I re-read the thread - as I don't use the Junk folder it
doesn't grow on me, and Inbox, Trash and Sent are only as large as the
messages stored in them,
Click to expand...

Not on my PC they aren't. Clean out the inbox in moz and then check
the size of the inbox file on the h.d.
I assume that the auto-compaction that happens
every so often is causing space to be released and/or re-used.
Click to expand...

Some small percentage is all.
Also, I noticed that you complain about the amount of SPAM, perhaps you
should look at using something like MailWasher to delete SPAM from your
mailbox?
Click to expand...

I quit using my ISP's spam filter because I noticed legit mails in it.
I prefer viewing them before deleting them.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
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