I get this error message frequently when logging into my email account and trying to get new messages.

Question

Error message says: Unable to write the email to the mailbox. Make sure your file system allows you to write privileges and you have enough desk space to copy the mailbox.
This message comes and goes and often will not be fixed ( although sometimes it will ) by restarting the computer or turning off the computer and then turning back on. Sometimes I just have to come back later and try again and it works.
I've made no changes in the writing privileges and desk space copy ever ( I don't know what this means) so I don't understand
why this message comes and goes. The remainder of my email account seems to work fine, this is just a problem when trying
to download new messages.

Answer 1

It is more likely that the files are locked by an anti virus program getting in the way. Create an exception from real time scanning in your anti virus program for the Thunderbird profile folder and its children.
To try the theory before creating the exception which can be tedious, restart the operating system in '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_mode safe mode with Networking]'''. This loads only the very basics needed to start your computer while enabling an Internet connection. Click on your operating system for instructions on how to start in safe mode: [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/windows-startup-settings-including-safe-mode Windows 8], [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/start-computer-safe-mode#start-computer-safe-mode=windows-7 Windows 7], [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/start-computer-safe-mode#start-computer-safe-mode=windows-vista Windows Vista], [http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/boot_failsafe.mspx?mfr=true" Windows XP], [http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1564 OSX]