Thunderbird very slow with Gmail

I'm using the latest version of Thunderbird with 3 Gmail accounts.

Every time I launch it it seems it's downloading all my messages again.

I've compacted folders (is the action working for the 3 accounts or do I need to do it for each of them?) and deleted the .msc files but nothing change.

It leads to a software using a lot of bandwidth and being very slow when using it. It's a pain to write a message or even to view one. All the software is so slow I've never seen that it's almost unusable.

I'm using thses addons :

  • Dictionary
  • Google Calendar
  • Lightning

My Gmail accounts are configured to imap.


  1. unsubscribe the "All Mail" folder for each gmail account. if subscribed you are doubling the download size
  2. try startup in safe mode - http://support.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/kb/safe-mode - is startup speed more "normal"?
  3. you say it "seems" like it's downloading everything again. does tools | activity manager indicate that? Or are you assuming that because it takes so long?

In Account Settings, go to "Synchronization and Storage", select "Advanced", and uncheck the "Download" column for the "[Gmail]/All Mail" folder.