Thunderbird Community Forum

I'm having problems with my default email account in thunderbird which might have started with the 28/10 update. Most times when I open TB the default account has no folders (inbox, spam, etc). To get them to appear I have to restart it. At other times it has all the folders present and all expanded including archives. When I can access my inbox the sort order is always by date descending so the oldest email is at the top which I don't want. If I click it to set it to ascending order it sets back to descending the next time I open TB. I've tried repairing the inbox but it makes no difference.

1. Click on Help/T* Bulleted list itemroubleshoot information...
2. At profile Directory click Open Directory

Which of the files do I need to change?

total 17912 drwx------. 1 j j 2442 Nov 3 14:22 . drwx------. 1 j j 120 Mar 11 2026 .. -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 786432 Sep 18 17:37 abook-1.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Sep 18 17:37 abook-1.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 622592 Mar 11 2026 abook-2.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Mar 11 2026 abook-2.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 589824 Jun 2 19:06 abook-3.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Jun 2 19:06 abook-3.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 262144 Jun 2 19:06 abook-4.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Jun 2 19:06 abook-4.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 262144 Jun 2 19:06 abook-5.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Jun 2 19:06 abook-5.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 262144 Mar 11 2026 abook.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Mar 11 2026 abook.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 75644 Nov 3 14:19 addons.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 20853 Oct 20 13:21 addonStartup.json.lz4 -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 54012 Nov 3 14:19 AlternateServices.bin -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 524288 Mar 11 2026 blist.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 98304 Nov 3 14:19 bounce-tracking-protection.sqlite drwx------. 1 j j 140 Sep 27 10:37 calendar-data -rw-------. 1 j j 229376 Mar 12 2026 cert9.db drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 940 Nov 3 14:19 chrome_debugger_profile -rw-------. 1 j j 165 Nov 3 14:19 compatibility.ini -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 583 Oct 19 07:58 containers.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 262144 Oct 9 09:48 content-prefs.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Oct 9 09:48 content-prefs.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 524288 Nov 3 14:22 cookies.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Nov 3 14:22 cookies.sqlite-wal drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 66 Nov 3 14:22 datareporting -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 136 Mar 11 2026 encrypted-openpgp-passphrase.txt -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 317 Aug 11 09:45 extension-preferences.json drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 248 Aug 27 07:56 extensions -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 222517 Nov 3 14:02 extensions.json drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 26 Apr 2 2026 extension-store-menus -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 5242880 Nov 3 14:19 favicons.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 32768 Oct 7 12:00 favicons.sqlite-shm -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Nov 3 14:19 favicons.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 207126 Nov 3 14:22 folderCache.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 15083 Nov 3 14:02 folderTree.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 262144 Mar 11 2026 formhistory.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 1245184 Nov 3 14:14 global-messages-db.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 223 Mar 13 2026 handlers.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 262144 Oct 9 09:48 history.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Oct 9 09:48 history.sqlite-wal drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 766 Oct 7 12:01 ImapMail -rw-------. 1 j j 294912 Mar 11 2026 key4.db lrwxrwxrwx. 1 j j 20 Nov 3 14:19 lock -> 10.21.105.34:+166530 -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 11897 Oct 7 12:01 logins-backup.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 360448 Jun 22 07:49 logins.db -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 10494 Oct 7 12:01 logins.json drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 36 Mar 11 2026 Mail -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 472 Mar 11 2026 mailViews.dat -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 229376 Apr 19 2026 openpgp.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Nov 3 14:19 .parentlock -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 163840 Nov 3 14:06 permissions.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 31 Apr 19 2026 persdict.dat -rw-------. 1 j j 465 Mar 11 2026 pkcs11.txt -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 5242880 Nov 3 14:22 places.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 32768 Oct 7 12:00 places.sqlite-shm -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Nov 3 14:22 places.sqlite-wal -rw-------. 1 j j 40037 Nov 3 14:20 prefs.js -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 3368 Aug 27 16:06 pubring.gpg -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 3368 Aug 27 16:06 pubring.gpg.old -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 296 Sep 24 07:15 search.json.mozlz4 -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 4353 Aug 27 16:06 secring.gpg -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 4353 Aug 27 16:06 secring.gpg.old drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 0 Mar 11 2026 security_state -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 288 Nov 3 14:22 sessionCheckpoints.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 370 Nov 3 14:22 session.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 416 Nov 3 14:19 session.json.backup drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 26 Nov 3 14:02 settings -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 5434 Nov 3 14:02 SiteSecurityServiceState.bin drwxr-xr-x. 1 j j 84 Mar 11 2026 storage -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 28672 Nov 3 14:22 storage.sqlite -rwx------. 1 j j 50 Mar 11 2026 times.json -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 65586 Oct 9 13:45 training.dat -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 8 Oct 9 13:45 traits.dat -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 10 Nov 3 14:22 virtualFolders.dat -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 98304 Mar 11 2026 webappsstore.sqlite -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 0 Mar 11 2026 webappsstore.sqlite-wal -rw-r--r--. 1 j j 3721 Nov 3 14:21 xulstore.json

This just started yesterday: When I open thunderbird my inbox does not show up unless there is a new unread email in it. Also my previously set display columns and tool bar all have to be reset each time I open Thunderbird.

I've used Thunderbird on a pc for decades, love it. Today when I opened it, the 'top level' of folders is entirely missing, it shows only Local folders. I've checked that 'Folder Modes' is set to All Folders, and now I don't know what else to try. Any advice greatly welcomed, I'm struggling to get work done using webmail or phone!

Auf der Öffnungsseite erscheint normalerweise links ein schmaler Streifen mit den ganzen Ordnern, wie Posteingang, gesendet usw. mit der jeweiligen Anzahl der E-Mails. Im übrigen Feld rechts daneben sind alle E-Mails einzeln aufgeführt. Jetzt erscheint manchmal auf der Öffnungsseite eine andere Ansicht, ähnlich wie die Konteneinstellungen. Mit mehreren Versuchen kreuz und quer gelingt es dann wieder die normale Ansicht zu erhalten. Vermutlich habe ich mal irgendeine falsche Taste gedrückt, so daß sich die Ansicht plötzlich geändert hat. Könnte sich das Problem lösen, wenn ich Thunderbird neu installiere oder gibt es eine einfachere Lösung?

Is there a way to pin an email to the top like Outlook? also, I would love to be able to create a unique signature like Outlook. Is that possible too? I tried to just copy and paste and it came out much like this. Crappy.

Thanks!

Wenn ich im Terminkalender einen Termin neu eintrage oder bearbeite erschnt ein Bearbeitungsfenster. Darin sind alle Eintragungen weiß auf schwarzem Hintergrund (OK).

Nur im Teilbereich "Beschreibung" erscheint seit einigen Wochen der Text schwarz auf schwarzem Hintergrund und ist daher nicht lesbar. Erst wenn dieser Text markiert wird, erscheint er gut lesbar weiß auf blauem Hintergrund.

Wie kann ich die Schriftfarbe hier wieder zu weiß auf schwarzem Hintergrund ändern?

Either Thunderbird filter function is extremely buggy, or there is something that I don't understand ... Some filters work pretty fine (though not always reliable) for years, an then suddenly they stop working. E.g. I have a filter (see screen shot) that's supposed to move all eMails with senders that are not in one of my Cardbooks to a special folder (Prüfen) and tag them.

This filter worked for many years - well let's say fairly. About 50% of the Mails that applied to the filter rules were marked and moves correctly, 50% wasn't. And about 10% of the Mails marked and moved didn't meet the rules ... Seemed to be some timeout problem, because when applied manually it did what it should.

Since the last update the filter doesn't work at all, when new messages are downloaded. If I apply the filter manually it marks all Mails, regardless of the rules - and it doesn't move any of them ....

It's a rat race ... I already thought of deleting all filters in Thunderbird and do all the filtering on the Mail-Server. But unfortunately the filter functions of my provider are rather limited. Now I'm wondering: Should I change my Provider, or rather my eMail-Client or both of them? It's really frustrating ...

Over the past couple of days, I've discovered new mail in my inbox but the new mail icon (with the red dot) doesn't show in the system tray.

I get notifications of new mail, which is fine if I'm sitting at the computer. But the icon in my system tray doesn't change, so I never know if mail has arrived while I was away.

I've tried everything - both in Thunderbird settings and Windows system tray settings - and nothing is making a difference.

Is this happening to anyone else? Might it be a bug?

Averill

When upgraded to 159, I seem to have lost the icon change in the tray that there is new mail. Still get the Windows push notification, yet that does not suffice with the volume of mail we receive. Any suggestions?

Usually when I open mail, there are boxes next to each email that I can click to delete. They are gone and I have on the left side a vertical list of tabs that begin with Mail, Calendar, and People and others follow. This panel was not there before and I cannot figure out how to remove it--I think this will restore the boxes I use to delete emails.

I've been using Thunderbird for a good while now and love it. One thing that I find very frustrating though - it doesn't auto capitalize, such as A and I (one word). Is there any way to make it do this? Thanks

Over the last couple of days the general appearance / layout of Thunderbird has changed for me. I have attached a screenshot of how it appears now, previously under the 2 talktalk e-mail addresses I had a number of additional folders I also, under SPAM, had spam folders for each e-mail address, in fact I had 2 for each of the talktalk addresses.

I first noticed the changes yesterday but after shutting Thunderbird down I got most of the old layout back, but today I see only what is in the image.

Is this some sort of an update or has my installation been corrupted in some way.

I want to change and customize the background color of the left side of TB where the folders are listed. My current theme is "System theme- auto" version 1.4.2.

How is this done?

I'm running Debian 13

Thanks,

Craig

I am using Thunderbird as an email client. I have the option set to normally send emails as plain text. If I receive an email that is formatted and then reply, the email is composed as unformatted. I wan the reply to be formatted.

Is there anyway Thunderbird can detect formatting and automatically format the reply the same as received?

How can I reply to an already formatted email so that the reply is formatted?

I had to buy a new computer and reinstall my Thunderbird. I'm running version 158.0.1 (64-bit). When I have an email with a bunch of replies, it always opens each reply in a separate tab. In the past, the solution was tools -- preferences -- general but when I got to tools, there's no preferences option and I have clicked on everything possible there and in settings. I need the email to open as a single tab, closing a bunch of tabs is a real pain. I'd appreciate if anyone has a solution they can share.

I just updated to 159.0 TB seems to have a new annoying behavior. I have reproduced it on two different PCs.

I enter an address, then tab to the subject, and then the next tab should take me to the field where I can start typing my email. Instead it takes me to two horizontal blue lines just above that field. See image. The next tab takes me to the field where I can write. It's not a big problem but a new minor annoyance.

Thoughts? Am I missing something?

Prior to the update to TB 153.5.1esr (on Linux Debian) all was fine. The update was accompanied by (caused?) a display that is huge, such that much of my content is off-screen.

I installed the newest update this morning - and since then, the background color in all areas have turned black? I tried to change to white in settings (html selections) - but it does not change. Still black. WHat can be wrong?