Thunderbird - Unable to save your message as a draft.

Joseph_sys

With Thunderbird-78.6.0 I'm getting an error message when composing a messages:

figueroa · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 3:23 am Post subject:

Usually means it can't find your IMAP mail server. Save your message locally before closing the compose dialog.
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marinheiro · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 140

I have exactly the same problem with the same version (78.6.0). My thunderbird connects to two different IMAP servers; previous versions of thunderbird - using the same settings - have never had a problem saving drafts to either server. Now they refuse to, popping up an error message every minute or so as I write. I often pick up on completing drafts from a different machine than the one I started the mail on, so I would prefer not to have to be forced to save locally.

There are plenty of threads on bugzilla and elsewhere about this being a problem for Windows users, mostly starting from around 2010, so it is a very old issue. But I have never had this problem on gentoo until this version, which leaves me puzzled as to whether the issue is upstream or not, and how it was resolved for previous versions.

Graham

Fitzcarraldo · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2021 2:36 pm Post subject:

I'm using Version 78.6.0 as well, but don't experience the problem you're having. Have you seen this recent mozillaZine thread?:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3066843

Have you tried reft's approach of deleting the IMAP account in Thunderbird and recreating it? Might be worth a shot.
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marinheiro · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 140

Thank you - I found the answer following the mozallazine thread to https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1222992#c5 . It was a side effect of the migration away from enigmail, which didn't copy over my private key (which I rarely use, so hadn't noticed). Looks like some of the older drafts were encrypted with it - I re-imported the key and all is now OK. So I could probably have fixed it by deleting all the old drafts instead.

Won't close this as I have no idea if the OP's problem has the same cause.

Graham

Tony0945 · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2021 4:07 pm Post subject:

We learn something new every day. I always thought that drafts were always saved locally. I thought that was the meaning of draft. When you save a drafty letter you (physically) put it in a folder in your desk drawer. You don't save it in a Post office Box.
I'll start saving drafts by cut and paste to Abiword.

Hu · Moderator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 21607

With the right configuration, you can save locally. However, some users have use cases that work poorly with local saving, which is why they prefer to have the draft saved to the server.

Buffoon · Veteran Joined: 17 Jun 2015 Posts: 1369 Location: EU or US

Tony0945 · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:12 pm Post subject:

OK, I see the reasoning.