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After deleating many messages, "compaced" memory usage increases. Why?

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  • Last reply by Matt

Cougercat
Cougercat
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Each time, Thunderbird is opened, I get a box asking to "compact messages will save 270mb of space. Compact now?"

Anyway - I have gone thru and deleated many messages out of the "in box" and have deleated messages in the "trashfolder," but the "will save xxxmb of space" keeps increasing. Where is this space being used and for what purpose within Thunderbird?

Thank you,

Cougercat

Each time, Thunderbird is opened, I get a box asking to "compact messages will save 270mb of space. Compact now?" Anyway - I have gone thru and deleated many messages out of the "in box" and have deleated messages in the "trashfolder," but the "will save xxxmb of space" keeps increasing. Where is this space being used and for what purpose within Thunderbird? Thank you, Cougercat

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Matt
Matt
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Deleting mail marks it as deleted, it does not release the space.

Compacting releases the space. So each mail you delete, or move as that is really a copy and delete will increase that figure.

If that figure does not reduce following compaction (which may take 10 or 20 minutes on a large store with a draconian anti virus that insists on scanning each and every change to the file) Create an exception in your anti virus for the Thunderbird profile folder so it can actually complete. Make sure Thunderbird remains open while the compaction completes or you will have nstmp folders appear in your folder pane, which occurs when the compact is interrupted by the program closing.