Evolution Email Going Bad Fast

[Loren Bliss]

Approximately three months ago my Evolution (e-mail client) began automatically copying into my Trash folder everything I sent or forwarded, or to which I replied. The item would go out, but a copy of it would appear in the Trash file.

Now I have found these unwanted copies cannot be deleted from the Trash file. (Anything sent normally to Trash is deleted by the Empty Trash function; the material somehow automatically forwarded from my outbox cannot -- say again CANNOT -- be deleted by any means.)

As a consequence of this glitch, my Trash file is quickly filling to the point where eventually it will crash the entire Evolution system.

I cannot change email clients because I have well over 200 contacts in the Evolution address book and there is no way -- say again NO WAY -- to copy/paste this into another address book. It will have to be printed out, then typed into the new address book by hand, with all the associated (huge) potential for errors as I am a very poor typist.

Finally, after consulting with my niece, who is a computer engineer but is 3,000 miles distant, I am told my only option is to dump all of Gnome and reload it.

Alas, this will of course destroy every current file I have on this computer, not just in Evolution but in Open Office Word etc., a truly ruinous loss I see no way to avoid and thus obviously must accept in the interest of remaining online. (Yes I could copy the contents of my document file onto a flash drive but the process would literally take weeks of exactly the sort of clerical tedium I despise most and therefore do least well..)

Meanwhile, not only is reloading all of Gnome beyond my ability, the required process of formatting and burning disk(s) to receive the new Gnome download is also beyond my capability.

Please help!

Loren Bliss

[LinuxCharms]

Don't feel bad, this a typical problem.
Good news: You won't need to scrap your version of Gnome/Ubuntu.
Just go into Applications>Ubuntu Software Center and search (in the upper-right hand corner) for Evolution. Uninstall it then re-install it by searching for it the same way. But wait for it be taken off the system first.

Once that's done open it up the same way as always and check if it's working. If not, something is screwy with your build of Ubuntu itself. You still won't have to scrap the whole thing, but you will NEED to get Gmail. For one, it's simple to use, it adds contacts automatically if you email all of them just some simple message which can be copy and pasted. You will be a lot happier, I tried Evolution. Sucks, to be honest.

Good luck! <3

[Loren Bliss]

Thank you and sorry for my delay in responding. I had to go refill three prescriptions and -- carless as I am -- the bus trip took a lot longer than I anticipated to get to and from the pharmacy.

Apropos this, I followed your directions to Remove, but there's no Reload or Download option.

Meanwhile I assume you're telling me I need to get gmail, then transfer my address book (and all email that needs to be saved) before dumping Evolution.

Also there are now other problems. Obviously I will now have to change the email address on my business cards (though officially retired I still do a bit of work).

Alas, making this change is impossible. My card format is Avery, copied into Open Office Word from my old computer and its Microsoft Word document files, and it cannot be changed.

Worse, the Ubuntu version of Open Office requires the skill and knowledge of a professional computer graphics person to (correctly) format anything as there are no relevant templates -- believe me I've spent literally weeks looking. Why? Because the Microsoft document no longer spaces properly, which means I have to throw away about 25 percent of the cards so printed.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again,
Loren Bliss