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Clicking an email highlights it but doesn't fully select it with focus

Thunderbird Email and messaging
Lin replied
BC
BC

TB 68.9.0 (64-bit). I'm using this version because I'm used to it.

Scenario:

  • I am viewing the message list, eg the inbox
  • I click a message
  • The message is highlighted in grey with a thin blue outline. However it does not have focus: for example when I hit delete on the keyboard nothing happens
  • When I click the message again (after a delay, so it's not a double-click) the message is highlighted in blue and I can now delete it from the keyboard
  • When I delete it, grey highlighting (but again not proper focus) moves to the next email. If I want to delete that from the keyboard, I have to click it to make it blue.

Desired behaviour (this always used to happen):

  • I click a message once
  • It's highlighted in blue
  • When I hit delete on the keyboard, it is deleted and focus (blue highlighting) moves to the next message so I can delete that from the keyboard immediately.

I've tried rebuilding the folder, to no avail. The config mail.delete_matches_sort_order is set to false, which is what I want (emails viewed from newest to oldest; when I delete one I want focus to move to the next one down, i.e. the next oldest one). As I say, the desired behaviour always used to happen and I don't know what's changed.

TB 68.9.0 (64-bit). I'm using this version because I'm used to it. Scenario: * I am viewing the message list, eg the inbox * I click a message * The message is highlighted in grey with a thin blue outline. However it does not have focus: for example when I hit delete on the keyboard nothing happens * When I click the message again (after a delay, so it's not a double-click) the message is highlighted in blue and I can now delete it from the keyboard * When I delete it, grey highlighting (but again not proper focus) moves to the next email. If I want to delete that from the keyboard, I have to click it to make it blue. Desired behaviour (this always used to happen): * I click a message once * It's highlighted in blue * When I hit delete on the keyboard, it is deleted and focus (blue highlighting) moves to the next message so I can delete that from the keyboard immediately. I've tried rebuilding the folder, to no avail. The config mail.delete_matches_sort_order is set to false, which is what I want (emails viewed from newest to oldest; when I delete one I want focus to move to the next one down, i.e. the next oldest one). As I say, the desired behaviour always used to happen and I don't know what's changed.

All Replies (1)

Lin
Lin
  • Top 10 Contributor

You will have trouble finding someone with that version to compare with your description. If you're determined to stick with the 68x series, I would recommend that you at least upgrade to the latest and last version in that line, 68.12.1, which has the most refinements and bug fixes.

https://releases.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/68.12.1/

This sounds to me like a glitchy interaction with your computers display subsystem, The first thing I'd try would be to disable hardware acceleration in Thunderbird, which can sometimes cause display anomalies like this. You can find that setting (in more recent versions) at <Settings | General (or Advanced on some old versions) | Use hardware acceleration when available>. Uncheck that option to disable. It's intended to improve performance, but I find that it makes little difference in practice.

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