EM-Client is a desaster...

I have many emails in many directories. Thunderbird is too slow for me. EM client should be an alternative. I have been trying EM-Client for 2 days now. All data has been migrated. But EM client is a disaster. The program is even slower. The backup takes hours and most of all you can not cancel them. Also you can not finish the program properly. If you close the program with Alt-F4, you will get the message at the next start, that you would not have closed it properly. Checking the database takes hours again. So this program is not usable. The whole pretty word just seems to be advertising. In addition, it is said that one can easily create rules. Only the editor for creating rules is extremely weak. Then it says, you can quickly search mails. I think the search is extremely bad and slow. I’m looking for an alternative to Thunderbird. EM client does not seem to be.

I can tell you that I had the same issue when closing the client.  It appears to be database related.  You have to wait at least 10 seconds after you close the client before you shut down the PC or suspend it. That same database also has problems showing me the body of my messages while is trying to sync with the remote servers.  So its not a true multi-tasking app.  And yes its SLOW.  When its doing a sync with my exchange server, it takes almost 4 minutes and during that time I cant do anything so I go for a cup of coffee and hope its done and I can once again read the bodies of my messages.  If Outlook 2016 would work for me, I would go to that (I also gave up Thunderbird) but our company has yet to switch to IMAP over HTTP so Outlook wont work (yet).  

Sorry you feel that way Andreas. Can I ask if you are using a mechanical hard disk in your computer? What version of Windows are you using?

You can try turning off conversations and see if that makes any improvement. (Menu > View > Conversations > Disable conversations)

If the backup is running and you wish to cancel it, just close eM Client. You will be asked if you want to cancel.

There is a know issue with closing eM Client incorrectly and it is being addressed. Instead of terminating the application with Alt+F4, try using the X in the top right corner.

Can you please explain how the rules wizard is limited for you? Maybe I can give you some help with your particular requirement.

The same with searches. If you let us know what you are trying to do, maybe someone can help you with how to accomplish that.

Ed, can I ask you the same question, are you using a mechanical hard disk in your computer?

The problem with closing eM Client is being addressed. One thing though, if you are suspending your computer, you do not need to close eM Client first.

You mentioned IMAP over HTTP. Do you mean you are using a proxy? If you are, that could explain a lot about the speed with syncing.

Hello Gary, this is a notebook with a mechanical hard drive and Windows 10 Home in the latest version. But an email client also has to work on a mechanical disk.

I have disabled the conversation view now. I will watch the result.

I broke the backup by closing the EM client. After that it came to this mistake. Even closing with “X” had this effect.

If I move all mails with the content “ABC” in the directory “XYZ” and then want to set all emails to read there, that is not. At least I have not found any orders for it.

Example: I have a directory with 15,000 mails. I’m looking for all mails where “World” in the subject line. I enter “* world *”. It will take some time for an ad to be displayed. However, this time has decreased after I disabled the conversation view.

Thank you

I always close the client with the “X” and I dont recall a time where I ever used the Alt-F4.  But I also wait about 10 seconds for the database to complete its tasks before I close the lid.  

Our OUTLOOK Exchange Server has not yet implemented IMAP over HTTP so I cant use Outlook 2016 at this time.  We are still EWS so thats why I am using emclient for now.  

I had a normal HDD and have been considering going SSD but…Thunderbird never had a sync issue…heck, even windows 10’s own email client is better at syncing!  I dont use it all that often since it lacks ALOT of features and is just too plain.  So WIN10 Mail is too simple, Emclient is too slow or has its own issues and Outlook 2016 wont work yet until my company upgrades their servers…so I do have a bit of a dilemma to work through. 

Hi Andreas,

There is no need to add asterisks in front and to the back of the search term. But I don’t know whether that will speed up the search. If you really only want to search in the ‘subject line’, you can select ‘subject’ in the drop down list which shows up when you click on the small triangle at the end of the search box. That should speed up the search.

A tough situation Ed. I seem to remember reading somewhere that EWS was not as good as IMAP when it comes to syncing performance. Services like Microsoft’s outlook.com which is an Exchange server, is better setup as IMAP. I wonder if you could connect to your exchange server like that.

I may be shot for recommending it, but you could try Thunderbird again. :slight_smile:

As Jay would say, an SSD would be the best investment you could make. And I totally agree. Even a cheaper one, which usually means a slower one, would make a world of difference.

Andreas I totally agree with you that the application should work on all hardware, within reason. The hard truth though is that it is definitely slower on mechanical hard disks, and especially so on the slower disks you usually find in laptops.

As Ed said, he usually waits 10 seconds after closing eM Client. What happens is that there are a bunch of temporary files created during use. Once the application is closed normally, these files need to be deleted. If they are not deleted, then the database will be checked the next time the application is opened. I suppose on slower hardware it is possible that these are not being deleted within a reasonable time. I sympathise with both you and Ed on this matter.

Your rule can be done easily.

Go to Menu > Tools > Rules. Create a new rule, Choose Apply custom rule on message I receive.

Searches are definitely improved with conversations disabled.

Ed,
I experience the same thing. But, mine seems to come in cycles. EmClient will be stable for a long time, then it starts acting up.
Some things I have found:
Do not us Alt-F4, or Task Manager
Use the Red X, or Menu/File/Exit  wait until the thread stops (10-20 seconds) and finish your business.
If you leave EmClient running on your laptop and it suspends - maybe due to a low battery - expect the database to rebuiid.
The data base us huge. set back ups for sometime in the night.
If  you open EmClient and see it has partially downloaded emails (when you know your should have many but only a few are unread) and the little circle is rotating next to your email account, gently close the program, let it sit and restart it.  Otherwise, it will crash and you have to wist for a rebuild.

I too, was using Thunderbird and still find EmClient does better, even with its warts.  At least I can access both an Exchange Server and Gmail servers without it locking up.  Outlook cannot do that.

Good luck.

Gary, we are still running 2010 at our office server so I believe all I can do right now is EAS or EWS.  Of course I can use OWA via Chrome or Firefox (it prefers OE of course) but thats not the same.  They say they will try to find the time to implement the new protocols some time in 2018 but will see.   I ‘may’ reinstall Tbird again just to compare speed and functions.  I want a client that has speed, functions, especially a unified inbox and a simple way to backup my emails so I can restore or import into another program in the future if one client decides to go away.  Thats not alot to ask for…

You and I are basically in the same boat John.  I shut down at night since I dont want the cat surfing the net and buying stuff!  I am also finding some instability with attachments.  There are times where I try to open an attachment and it hangs as if it has to go out and download it first.  So I have to try and force cancel and then when I go to open it again, there is a app icon and I can open the file.  Hopefully once my company switches to imap over HTTP maybe emclient will be more reliable for my needs but yes…its the best of whats out there today that can do all the protocols in one client. 

I did notice with POP3 that eM Client is much faster than Thunderbird. But Thunderbird is way better with support for more unusual server settings, and maybe because of that IMAP on Thunderbird does not have the difficulties that eM Client is currently experiencing.

Of course it is your choice, Ed, you need to have something that works. If you do move back to Thunderbird, please keep eM Client in mind for a later revisit, especially if you decide to upgrade your hardware.

I like to give the program a chance. But many details are annoying. For example: I would like to copy directories with subdirectories. The copying starts. After a while, however, comes the error message that a directory name is not allowed. Obviously, one point bothers. OK, that’s the way it is. Only now I can not copy the entire directory tree, but must copy each directory individually. If I want to copy the tree as a whole, the message “directory already exists” comes. Now you could just change the name of this directory. But that does not work either. Changing the directory name is simply not accepted. I wonder, what’s up? Has anyone ever tested one? If I only have 25 emails, it all works great. Only if I only have 25 mails, also every standard client is enough.

I can not mark several subdirectories at the same time for copying / moving. That simply does not allow the program. So I have to manually add the aborted copy process by directory per directory manually. And there are many, many directories.

I wonder if this doesn’t have something to do with IMAP syncing going on while you are copying because copying a whole tree from one local folder to another works just fine.

I tested this on the following tree:

With renaming, what happens if you close eM Client, and then reopen. Can you rename the folder?

It is not possible to select more than one folder at a time, except where you select the parent folder and it includes all the child folders.

I want to copy local directories to an IMAP account (to relieve the local machine). This works great with Thunderbird. This also works with eM-Client. Only if the eM client aborts the copy process (for example because a directory name does not comply with the Em guidelines, the process can not be continued later).

It may be that the cause is in the IMAP sync. However, in Thunderbird this is not a problem. It would not be too bad if I could change the name of the directory already created by the aborted copy process. Then I simply copy the directory again. But the name can not be changed.

Even in the local directory, the name can not be changed. I mark the directory, choose “rename”, it appears a input box, in which one can enter something, after the input stands again the old name there.

I would like that. Only this copy process was aborted. EM-Client has a problem with directories that contain a “dot”. This leaves the already copied parent folder and all previously copied subdirectories. If I want to copy now the parent folder, em-client says “folder already exists”, do not copy possible. Now I have to copy missing child folders manually. And that is only one by one … really great! ; - /

I did not find a problem with folders containing a dot (.helpme and help.me) on local folders, but IMAP generally does not support this. Check with your provider.

Sometimes in local folders, after creating or renaming a folder, the old folder still appears there. I have found that a restart of eM Client fixes this. Or on IMAP folders you can repair the parent by right-click > Properties > Repair.

Anyway, I hope you got all you folders copied manually, and everything is now working to your satisfaction.