topic Re: reduce mail box size in Email

reduce mail box size

stathe — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 11:58:40 GMT

No idea how to do this as instructions are not specific to my webmail or other contacts so please be specific or do it foir me

Re: reduce mail box size

dvorak — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 12:36:18 GMT

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Broadband to Email

Re: reduce mail box size

Townman — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 18:06:02 GMT

What advice are you looking for? You reduce your mailbox size by deleting email which is no longer relevant ... just like clearing out historic paper records having no current merit requiring they being retained.

Culling mailbox contents

If you need to clean out your mailbox, may be because it is over quota, then as well as tidying up the inbox, you need to also look at the SENT ITEMS folder and then afterwards clear out the TRASH folder. However some times webmail performance can make this process very tedious, particularly if the delete action (actually a move to the trash folder) fails.

If you primarily want to delete emails, you can mitigate delete performance issues by doing an "immediate" delete (rather than a move to trash for deletion later) by holding down the SHIFT key when pressing the DEL key. This works in both webmail and most PC based email clients. WARNING SHIFT+DEL is not recoverable so be certain absolutely, that you do not need the email before pressing the buttons!

Alternatively, in webmail (Round Cube) Settings -> Server Settings there are some options worth exploring controlling how deletes are performed...

Flag the message for deletion instead of delete
If moving messages to "Deleted Items" fails, permanently delete them
Compact Inbox on logout

Setting these options and using them together will avoid the over heads of moving items to the trash folder when you wish to delete them. They will simply be greyed out and remain in the inbox list. After logging out of webmail, they will then be removed from the mailbox.

Whilst this might be highly proficient, it needs to be used with care, for when they are gone, they are gone. Note also that Plusnet house-keeping clears out the trash folder weekly.

Re: reduce mail box size

stathe — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 10:12:37 GMT

I seem unable to do any of this on webmail as the responses are not there and it just disconnects and I have to wait ages to get there again

Re: reduce mail box size

paul_blitz — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:47:08 GMT

I'll be 100% honest: the Plusnet webmail setup is 100% UNUSABLE! I have no idea why (apart from the fact that it seems their software is pretty old), as other email providers using more recent versions of the same software work VERY well.

As I've said elsewhere, I am suspecting that Plusnet have no real interest in running the email setup... indicated by the fact that new customers don't get email. So expect it to get worse. Even using IMAP / Pop3 / SMTP is slow at times.

That is why I'm slowly migrating my email away from the "free" Plusnet service, over to Mythic Beasts: email is their business, and it performs well. And I get a LOT more space for my emails, if I need it.

Re: reduce mail box size

Anneyc — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 16:04:35 GMT

I get this too from time to time, but the webmail site is extremely slow and it would takes hours to delete each page- if they load in the first place. I have it to delete automatically after a set time period so the issue resolves itself after a while.

Re: reduce mail box size

stathe — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 15:55:26 GMT

So how do I do that ?? Thank you

Re: reduce mail box size

Anneyc — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 10:04:27 GMT

It's a setting in my email client- I use Eudora to download my emails to. In the settings there's an option to set the number of days after which to delete mail from the server. Not sure if there's a similar setting on the actual webmail page at Plusnet.

Re: reduce mail box size

Champnet — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 10:23:14 GMT

Would Mailwasher be a simple way to access the emails on the server ?

Re: reduce mail box size

Townman — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 10:30:10 GMT

@Anneyc

Context is everything. Delete from server only has a meaning when using the old POP3 client interface. Most people, especially where a mailbox is accessed on several devices, will be using IMAP, which does not have that setting.

Generally it is unwise to arbitrarily allow software to delete server contents. It needs user planned and controlled housekeeping.

Re: reduce mail box size

Anneyc — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 11:38:34 GMT

You're absolutely right. I should have clarified; my email client on my PC downloads my emails to storage on my PC, so they are permanently accessible there. But I have it set to delete from server after 90 days, so I can still access them for that long on my IMAP devices, which is my personal preference. Any longer than that and I get the email from Plusnet saying I need to reduce my mailbox size, which from experience is a long and arduous process that usually fails. This is a work around which may not be for everyone but it suits me. If there's a better way I would love to know!

Re: reduce mail box size

Townman — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 14:15:48 GMT

Note that strategy will not download / delete anything from the other IMAP folders, notably sent items. POP3 only downloads the inbox folder from the server.

Re: reduce mail box size

stathe — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 15:26:54 GMT

Unfortunately I have no idea what you are trying to tell me do you.

Moderator's note:
All caps title/text edited as per Forum rules.

Re: reduce mail box size

Townman — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 20:31:38 GMT

No one is telling you to do anything. There is just an evolving discussion on approaches to managing email.

Re: reduce mail box size

stathe — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:19:13 GMT

I have had a go but it takes so long to load up Why cant you do this for me ?

Re: reduce mail box size

jab1 — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:20:29 GMT

Because @Townman is not Plusnet staff.

Re: reduce mail box size

stathe — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:29:14 GMT

Maybe you can ?? Thank you Seems I may be with you forsome time as our broadfband people have gone back to???

Re: reduce mail box size

jab1 — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:30:56 GMT

I doubt it - I am just another forum member like you - and not even a PN customer any more.

Re: reduce mail box size

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:06:08 GMT

@stathe

reading some of your previous posts you appear to have a slow connection which will not help with your issue.

Do you have a relative or friend who has a faster connection speed and who might be able to help you?

Webmail can be used any any network not just plusnets.

Re: reduce mail box size

Tina11192 — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 14:47:40 GMT

Hi @stathe thank you for your time on call this afternoon.

I look forward to speaking to you again when I follow up next week.