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How to use Thunderbird's Troubleshoot Mode to find and fix problems, especially if they are caused by add-ons.

'''Troubleshoot Mode''' runs Thunderbird with some features and customizations disabled ([[#w_what-does-troubleshoot-mode-disable|see below]] for details). If you are having a problem in Thunderbird that does not occur in Troubleshoot Mode, then the cause of the problem is one of the disabled items. {note}'''Note:''' Thunderbird Troubleshoot Mode was previously called ''Thunderbird Safe Mode''{for mac,linux}.{/for}{for win}, which has no relation to ''Windows'' Safe Mode.{/for} Prior to Thunderbird 91, the menu entry was labeled ''Restart with Add-ons Disabled''.{/note} __TOC__ =Starting Thunderbird in Troubleshoot Mode= # Switch to Troubleshoot Mode: #* '''If Thunderbird is not running:''' {for win}Hold down the {key Shift} key while starting Thunderbird.{/for}{for mac}Hold down the {key option} key while starting Thunderbird.{/for}{for linux}From '''Terminal''', run this command: <code>thunderbird -safe-mode</code><br>You may need to specify the Thunderbird installation path (e.g. {filepath /usr/lib/thunderbird} or {filepath ~/Downloads/thunderbird/thunderbird}).{/for} #* '''If Thunderbird is already running:''' Click {button ≡} > {menu Help} > {menu Troubleshoot Mode} and in the ''Restart in Troubleshoot Mode'' prompt, choose {button Restart}. # In the '''Thunderbird Troubleshoot Mode''' dialog, click {button Continue in Troubleshoot Mode} button. #;[[Image:TB91-thunderbird-troubleshoot-mode-dialog-marked]] #;{note}If you want Troubleshoot Mode changes to be temporary, do not check the checkboxes - temporary is the default. But you can choose to make the changes permanent.{/note} # Click {button ≡} > {menu Help} and check if you see {menu Turn Troubleshoot Mode Off} in the menu, to confirm that Thunderbird is currently running in Troubleshoot Mode. =Turning Troubleshoot Mode off= Click {button ≡} > {menu Help} > {menu Turn Troubleshoot Mode Off} to immediately close Thunderbird and restart it in normal mode. Or you can just exit Thunderbird and start as you normally would. =Diagnosing problems in Troubleshoot Mode= After you start Thunderbird in ''Troubleshoot Mode'', test its behavior to see if the problem goes away. ==The problem still happens in Troubleshoot Mode== If the problem still happens in Troubleshoot Mode, it is not being caused by an extension or theme installed in Thunderbird. Possible causes and solutions include: {for win} * Something wrong with your Thunderbird installation: Reinstall Thunderbird from https://www.thunderbird.net/. {/for} {for linux} * Something is wrong with your Thunderbird installation: If you had installed Thunderbird using the Linux package manager, try reinstalling it. Also investigate possible library conflicts, and consider using the Thunderbird supplied package from https://www.thunderbird.net/. {/for} {for win} * Something wrong with your operating system: Start [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12376/windows-10-start-your-pc-in-safe-mode Windows in safe mode]. {/for} * Changes made to Thunderbird preference settings not disabled in Troubleshoot Mode. <!-- See the following articles for solutions: *[[Troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems]] --> <!-- *[[Reset Firefox preferences to troubleshoot and fix problems]] --> ==The problem no longer happens in Troubleshoot Mode== If the problem no longer happens in Troubleshoot Mode, the most likely cause is an extension, theme or hardware acceleration. Possible solutions include switching back to normal mode, then doing the following. (You may need to restart Thunderbird after each step to see if it solves the problem.) * Progressively disable extensions in the add-ons manager: Click {button ≡} > {button Add-ons and Themes} > {button Extensions}, then check if the problem remains after disabling each extension. When the problem goes away, the last disabled extension is probably the trouble causer. You can try to update it, reinstall it, leave it disabled, or remove it. * Set the default theme in the add-ons manager: Click {button ≡} > {button Add-ons and Themes} > {button Themes}, then enable the default theme. * Try turning off hardware acceleration in Thunderbird's settings: Click {button ≡} > {menu Settings} > {menu General}, then uncheck {menu Use hardware acceleration when available}. <!-- See this article for solutions: *[[Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems]] --> =What does Troubleshoot Mode disable?= *[[Thunderbird add-ons - frequently asked questions|Add-ons (extensions and themes)]] *[[Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and WebGL|Hardware acceleration]] *[[Changes to toolbars and window sizes are not saved|Window and sidebar size and position settings]] (described in terms of Firefox) *userChrome and userContent customizations *[https://hacks.mozilla.org/2017/02/a-crash-course-in-just-in-time-jit-compilers/ JavaScript Just-in-time (JIT) compiler]