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Email folders too large and can't delete content

FIXED
MadScientist
Grafter
Posts: 30
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎04-11-2013

Email folders too large and can't delete content

One of my email boxes (for my daughter) has got too large (700Mb) and I can't clean it up via webmail as the server just times out.    'Empty folder' commands don't work for the same reason.    I even deleted the mailbox and recreated it and the content was still there.    I don't want to change the address  - any suggestions?  Thanks.

5 REPLIES 5
spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Email folders too large and can't delete content

Fix
Do you have an email client installed on a PC? Accessing the mailbox using IMAP with that would likely enable it to be cleaned up.
David
MadScientist
Grafter
Posts: 30
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎04-11-2013

Re: Email folders too large and can't delete content

Thanks, I'll try that

spraxyt
Resting Legend
Posts: 10,063
Thanks: 674
Fixes: 75
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Email folders too large and can't delete content

Hope this works for you. Smiley

It might be worth mentioning that even using a client, doing deletions in small batches (say 50) can help, and give it time to finish the housekeeping before submitting another batch. If "deleted" files are copied to the Deleted/Trash folder, emptying that is desirable when it contains around 250 messages. Also compact the Inbox to remove the wasted space where "deleted" messages will still reside (with their "deleted" flag set).

David
MauriceC
Resting Legend
Posts: 4,085
Thanks: 929
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Email folders too large and can't delete content

Another tip that may help is to sort on file size and delete those with large attachments early in the process - remembering to clear the 'deleted items' folder and doing a compact as @spraxyt suggests

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Gandalf
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 26,563
Thanks: 10,265
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Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: Email folders too large and can't delete content

Sorry to hear you're having problems deleting mail via webmail.

I'd agree with @spraxyt, setting up the mailbox on a client using IMAP as the server may be easier to delete the mail.

Let us know how it goes.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet