Perhaps you would like to offer you feedback and ideas in the forum dedicated to that. There is a link for that on the help menu. But to save you looking for something you can click here. https://connect.mozilla.org/

I clicked the link, entered in the Search field "Thunderbird. How to re-open closed In Box," but found nothing useful.

Maybe there is no way to do it. That would be lame, but believable. Or maybe the switch is buried a layer or six under some cryptic icon, in which case --- what --- I just need to be more persistent? (Also lame.)

Thanks.

re :After closing the In Box,

The 'Inbox' is a folder in a mail account. It is shown the left Folder Pane.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'closing the Inbox' You just select the folder name to see it's contents.

re :The Tool Bar is not found in the Menu Bar either

Are you talking about the 'Menu Bar' toolbar or the Menu app icon ? The menu app icon has 3 lines If you want to enable the 'Menu Bar' toolbar - Click on 'Menu app icon' and select 'View' > 'Toolbars' and then select 'Menu Bar'

Toad-Hall: Thanks for the answer. What I was asking about is the case when the Folder Pane is also closed. The only indication that I'm in Thunderbird is the Menu Bar at the tip top: Thunderbird/File/Edit/View/Go/Message/ Events & Tasks/Tools/Window/Help.

I think in this case there should be a switch, if not at the top along with items just mentioned, then unfurled beneath, perhaps under View or Window.

In lieu of that, the best solution seems to be to click on the Thunderbird icon in the Dock.

Thanks again.

I clicked the link, entered in the Search field "Thunderbird. How to re-open closed In Box," but found nothing useful.

I have no idea why you would be searching for results in a forum where you were directed to share your ideas about how the applications should work and what you think should be on the menu. That it is not there is self evident.

Maybe there is no way to do it. That would be lame, but believable. Or maybe the switch is buried a layer or six under some cryptic icon, in which case --- what --- I just need to be more persistent? (Also lame.) Thanks.

I thought you might understand when you are told to share your ideas that what you ask is not possible. At least not on Windows which is used by some 95% of Thunderbird users. For the apple contingent we have to guess.

I think in this case there should be a switch, if not at the top along with items just mentioned, then unfurled beneath, perhaps under View or Window.

Then perhaps use the link you were provided with to share your ideas. This in not a site where suggestions or "I think it should" comments are monitored by the development team for future developments.

It is at least 14 years that the dock icon has been used to reopen the three pane window as described here.

https://bugzilla-dev.allizom.org/show_bug.cgi?id=568309#c0

re :What I was asking about is the case when the Folder Pane is also closed. The only indication that I'm in Thunderbird is the Menu Bar at the tip top: Thunderbird/File/Edit/View/Go/Message/ Events & Tasks/Tools/Window/Help.

Ok - I'm with you now. To get to Inbox without using Folder Pane:

Using the 'Menu Bar' toolbar GO > Folder > account name > Inbox (if Inbox has subfolders then you will see additional - select 'Inbox' for second time)

OR if you have recently accessed the Inbox Go > Folder > Recent > Inbox ......but if you have several accounts, that recent Inbox would be the last one selected so you would not know exactly which account until you select it.

If you wanted to open Folder Pane itself via the Menu Bar: View > Layout > Folder Pane

Thank you Toad-Hall.

In the state of play described above, under the Go menu, on my system all items are grayed out except "Recently Closed Tabs." When I scroll to select this item there is nothing in it.

Under the View Menu, Layout is grayed out unless the In Box is already open. It does not serve to open the In Box when it is closed.

I appreciate having more than one way to execute the same command. That is a signature feature of Apple Operating Systems and software for decades. I think my grumble is still valid, because even if the routes you mentioned worked (but they don't) they are too obscure. Under the Go Menu? Under the (sub) Layout menu? Why not under the View or Window Menu --- not as a sub-folder, but as an upper level item: IN BOX (for crying out loud!).

I have resigned myself to getting the In Box back open by clicking the Thunderbird icon in the Dock. It's not intuitive. It is not something to be expected from well-designed software, but it works. Finally, since Eudora (the absolutely best email program ever invented) is no longer an option, Thunderbird remains, a very extremely distant second best.