Thunderbird Community Forum

Very little to do with accounts, but none of the selectable topics cover 'user Interface'.

Used to be able to open different accounts in different windows. Can't remember how, but it was obvious. Once new window is created, each time Thunderbird is started it re-creates them. I accidentally closed one and can find no way to re-open it. I use three email accounts each needing a different mindset, so keeping them in different windows helps. Also one has a screendepth full of folders and so is easier to handle in its own window. (The others are still there but only take up one line each when collapsed.

140.7.1esr (64-bit) Mozilla Thunderbird Snap for Ubuntu ubuntu-snap-build - 1.0

I dont understand this new method of sign in message you have sent, im an oldie, not an IT geek, I dont understand & very worried im going to loose access to my e-mail which has inf ormation on that i NEED

I need step by step instructions that an old guy will understand

Apparently MS has changed something in their OAuth2 and Thunderbird has yet to catch up. I've seen several other questions regarding this, but no workable solutions, just silly replies. Is TB actively working on a solution or am I now forced to install Outlook?

Thunderbird email send stopped working something like three weeks ago. I am using Fedora 43. What happened to cause this send problem? I had been using Thunderbird for a very long time with no problems. I am using Mozilla Thunderbird 147.0

When I let thunderbird compress the inbox and other folders, the not read flags on all new emails get reset as if I have read all of the new emails. Compressing the inbox and other folders should have no effect on the flags showing a message has not yet been read. That only makes sense. The not read flags getting reset started happening several versions before 145.

When I try to add my Spectrum email back in Thunderbird, it failing to connect when I enter my password. When I go to spectrum.net, I have no trouble logging in with my password. Whaat do I need to do to add my Spectrum email.

Thunderbird Version 140.7.1esr, Build ID 20260123195141 User Agent Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:140.0) Gecko/20100101 OS Linux 6.1.0-33-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.133-1 (2025-04-10) OS Theme Xfce / Adwaita Application Binary /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird-bin

Having a problem with an ATT POP account. TB stopped getting mail. After a minute and a half or so (wish it would time-out faster), I get a pop-up box in the top right of the screen that states: "Connection to server inbound.att.net timed out" and then quickly goes away.

Deleted passwords and cannot see where to create them again, as it never prompts me for new ones.

Thanks.

bob.fannon

Feb 14, 2026, 13:01 CST

I have used Thunderbird for a number of years with Plusnet (using POP settings) in the UK. However, Plusnet has transferred their support to a company called Greenby who have made a hash of it and offer very poor support. So, I want to use Outlook as the mail server but I am unable to send any messages via Thunderbird to the Outlook server. I can however download messages with no problems. The error message I get is :- Sending of the message failed. Unable to authenticate to Outgoing server (SMTP) smtp.office365.com. Please check the password and verify the 'Authentication method' in 'Account Settings | Outgoing server (SMTP)'

My default Outgoing Sever settings are :- Server Name : smtp.office365.com Port: 587 User Name: bob.fannon@outlook.com Authentication method: OAuth2 Connection Security: STARTTLS

I have tried deleting the Thunderbird account and re-creating it but still got the same result. I also tried to use my old Icloud account ( having first setup my App Specific password) but got the same result.

I quite often get this message, though it tends not to be a problem later "Unable to write the email to the mailbox. Make sure the file system allows you write privileges, and you have enough disk space to copy the mailbox"

One of the solutions seems to be Compact a File. How do I do this?

I have a backup file from another thunderbird installation. The profile in this backup contains a file named abook.mab. I suppose this is the address book. I would like to copy the addresses from this installation to my current thunderbird 147.0.1 (64-bit). Tools > import > address book does not work. Can you please advise me?

Dear Thunderbird Developers,

I am writing to express my frustration regarding the recent UI changes. After the latest update, the standard toolbar icons (Get Messages, Write, Address Book, reply, etc.) completely disappeared for me, leaving behind nothing but a search bar. Even using the "Restore Default Set" option fails to bring the essential navigation buttons back. While I can eventually fix these issues as a power user, these constant, breaking UI changes are a major problem for average users. For instance, my 65-year-old mother relies on a stable interface. Every time a rollout breaks the visual layout or hides basic functions, she is unable to use her email until I step in to fix what the update messed up.

Forcing users to manually rebuild their primary navigation toolbar after an update is not a "feature"—it’s a regression that alienates long-time especially elderly users who need reliability over constant redesigns. Please prioritize UI stability and ensure that "Reset to Default" actually restores a functional set of icons.

If you need further information I'll be glad to hear and hope you can give me an easy fix for this problem.

Please answer andere the following address: [edited email from community support forum] Or send a notification with a link to this thread

Best regards,

Dilan Adler

Why did retrieving messages suddenly stop. It was working yesterday and I made no changes to anything. I can send successfully. I am using Shaw/Rogers Pop server.

Why does "test connection to server" fail?