gmailimappop3thunderbird
I currently use POP to access my gmail through thunderbird, but I would like to switch to IMAP so that my folders are mirrored on the server, and my sent emails are also available through the web interface.
The problem is that I have 1000s of emails in many different folders in Thunderbird, and in gmail, all my emails are in the same folder.
How can I perform the migration, and get all my folders from my POP access into Gmail?
If you have Google Labs enabled, you can try out the advanced IMAP controls feature. Among other things, it allows you to define which labels/folders you want to sync.
This might help you with Question One.
Note also, that part of the reason that this is confusing is that Google designed Gmail from the ground up and it's built around labels -- each message can zero, one or many. IMAP is built on hierarchical folder -- each message is in one.
When Google added IMAP support to Gmail, they had to find a way to graft labels onto IMAP's folder protocol. This article in Gmail help has a nice table showing how IMAP actions map to actions you would perform in the Gmail web interface.
Ensure the PC client is set to download all IMAP mail including the whole message. Most PC mail clients only download IMAP headers until you actually view the messages.
In Thunderbird the IMAP sync options look something like this:
Best Answer
Setup a new IMAP account in Thunderbird then simply drag&drop your folders from the POP3 account into the IMAP account.