Thunderbird Community Forum

I have for a while been getting popups that TBird is unable to write email to a mailbox.

'Unable to write the email to the mailbox. Make sure the email system allows you write privileges, and you have enough file space to copy the mailbox'.

I saw that at least one other person reported this, and the suggestions included:

1. Rebooting. Done, no effect. 2. Antivirus interference. I am using standard Windows antivirus. Have been using same for years without issue.

The problem does not appear to interfere with writing to mailboxes. Seems to be an erroneous popup only.

Hello,

I use macos sonoma and my email provider is hushmail.com . I have version 115.18.0 (64-bit) of Thunderbird.

I would like to get emails in Thunderbird as soon as they come. What setting should I use?

I tried - Server Settings -> Check for new messages every 0 minutes.

Lately, in the last 3-4 days, it has been really weird, the emails don't arrive in the inbox automatically. Just to give you an example, I looked in the inbox at around 9:00am and I had to click the download button (the one with the cloud) and I got messages that arrived around 7:30am.

While writing this message I just upgraded to version 140.6.0esr (64-bit).

Thanks

Thunderbird has managed to keep all the message headers however the body of EVERY email is now empty. I had archives of email going back to the 80's and it's all gone. I tried to import backups again but TB throws away the body of the messages.

Note that there are many different email address formats in use from regular TCP/IP, XNS, UUCP, Mainframe 8.8, and others. The headers are there and show the addresses but the content is totally empty for every message.

Before TB gets a hold of them, I can read them so I know the data is there and it is TB that is removing it.

Please help

I'm using the latest Thunderbird on Fedora 43, fully updated. Suddenly, Thunderbird is telling me that I have messages in my inbox, even though none show. If I receive an email, read it an delete it, the number of phantom messages increases. Compacting the inbox (or all mail boxes) has no effect on this. Any suggestions?

I transferred Win 7 Thunderbird Profile (TB)to a Windows machine. It left behind all the other settings, such as when picking up/sending email, passwords are required at the IP to login, get email/send email.

QUESTION: Is there another TB area where the passwords are stored so I can copy those over to the new computer.

I posted this about a week ago, and when I come back, it's gone. That's why I am repeating myself.

A long timer ago, I was told by a user that Thunderbird does not need passwords. It does if you what to get your email. They are setting for each email user. There are 34 under the one TB.

I hope there is a transferable file because changing all the passwords and preference for each account would be the hard way.

I appreciate your taking the time to read this,

~r

i use shaw email service with thunderbird on my macbook When I go to the usual place on my laptop to see my email it takes me to setting up new thunderbird account Where are all my email I did change my Shaw password awhile ago

Why do I keep getting these? See image.

https://assets-prod.sumo.prod.webservices.mozgcp.net/media/uploads/images/2026-01-09-11-58-40-75f2b1.png

Hi,

      I have a Microsoft Exchange hosted email address with a (mycompanyname.com) domian.   I can check this account via Outlook, but I love Thunderbird so much, I want to sign into this new company account too on Thunderbird.    I know I need to do it via the Exchange Web Services but I get an 'unable to log in at server' error.     See the screen shot attached, is my login field correct?   What should the login field be?  Willing to try any suggestions please!  Thank you,

Thunderbird refuses colored text on new Lenovo 17" Idealpad and adds asterisks not written by the author. Example message test: bbbbbbbbbbbbsssssssss ggggggggggggg***234*5678,56 *<==============* The written numbers and the arrow were colored red. No asterisks were written in the message sent. When writing, colors appeared correctly in messages with no asterisks on screen. However, no colors appear and asterisks are added in recorded messages sent and received on the PC. The Lenovo PC works OK in general, so it must be a Thunderbird configuration/function problem on my PC as the message is correctly received with colors without asterisks on my mobile phone. Can you help me correct this PC anomaly? Many thanks

I use Thunderbird on Windows and on Mac. I'm wondering why the startup time on Mac is significantly longer on MacOS. I'm currently on Tahoe 26.0.1 but Thunderbird has always been a slow starter. Can I change any setting to remedy this. At the moment I have two mail accounts configured both Gmail.

Since updating to Thunderbird v 146.0.1 and Release Channel rather than ESR, Thunderbird will not launch \ refresh. The message "Connection to server imap.mailfence.com timed out" is repeatedly displayed. Troubleshooting mode produced no information about or change to this. Accessing mailfence directly works fine - but I'd like to continue with Thunderbird.

thanks, ---dean

I have a couple of filters which move selected emails from Inbox to specific folders. When this happens the inbox still contains the original messages, although the message count is reduced or zero, the folder size reflects the remaining text, and compacting the folder does nothing. If I then receive a further , unfiltered message and either delete it or move it into a permanent folder, compressing the Inbox then works.

I tried using Properties->repair on the Inbox when it has these remnants and it restores the filtered messages, which can be deleted as I already have the filtered copies.

I suggest there is a bug in filtering which leaves the Inbox in an invalid state. As I like to keep my Inbox clean I find this behaviour annoying. I think this should be classed as a bug.

For as far back as I can remember I've been using Mozilla Thunderbird on a old computer running Windows 7. I've a Win10 machine here so a few months ago, I downloaded the latest Thunderbird and I was suprised to see it looked very different. After a bit of experimenting I managed to get it looking familiar so I uninstalled it with the intention of trying it again early in 2026 when I've a bit more free time, So this morning I installed the latest version but it looks even more different now :-(

I'm not sure how to attach images here but if it works, the original one looked like Capture01 and this morning's one is like Capture02. I still had my installer from a few months ago so I installed that one and it looks the same as today's one. Notice that there's no menu bar any more and AFAICT I can only view email headers and not their contents. Also, the 3 boxes at the top RHS (for sizing the window / minimizing it etc) don't work at all.

Is it me doing something wrong - or are there maybe some settings somewhere that I need to experiment with?

Have been trying to set up some pop3 yahoo mail accounts on a new computer. I have used automatic configuration. I have used manual configuration using the data from my old computer. I have checked the configuration settings on both Yahoo and Thunderbird sites. In all instances Thunderbird verifies the account is valid, but the next window asks for my yahoo username and password. I cannot get passed this stage. I have tried entering my yahoo password and I have also tried the app generated password from Yahoo, all I get is a Yahoo "something went wrong" message. Interestingly I did manage to get one of the accounts to work yesterday, but I must have tried no end of different permutations and I have no idea which one eventually worked.

I'm trying to move my thunderbird data to a new computer. Both have TBIRD 140.6.0esr installed. Old computer is Mac OS 11.7.2, new one is Mac 15.7.3. I've copied and transferred the files same as Mozilla says to: (user>library>thunderbird folder to same on new computer) I keep getting this error message: A copy of Thunderbird is already open. Only one copy of Thunderbird can be open.

This is a fresh new computer, Thunderbird has never been installed. I am stuck. HELP.

I use Thunderbird 115.18.0 on a Windows 7 machine. I wish to transfer all my Thunderbird data to a machine running Linux Mint 21.3 which has Thunderbird 128.12.0esr. I have not been successful after many tries. Could this be because the Thunderbird revisions are different? If so, can I get 115.18.0 to install on my Mint machine? If not how should I proceed? I have already tried creating a new .thunderbird directory with ********.default directory from the other machine. I have also tried a new .thunderbird directory with a the ********default-release directory as directed by one site.

I have previously been able to view my trash folder and either empty or keep messages. My trash folder now has nothing in it, ever. Where is my trash going and why can I no longer see it?