What is your anti-virus software?

When I once wrote a paper letter to Mozilla in the UK in which I pointed to another serious problem that bothered users for years

When you want to report a bug you'd need to create a new bug ID in Bugzilla. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/

Thanks for this suggestions. Since anti-virus software was already mentioned as supposed cause on the web, I checked this out and installed different anti-virus software. No change.

As I wrote, the problem comes and goes in dependence of the operating system: no problem with Windows 7; freezing if used with Windows 10.

Is it possible that Windows 10 is incompatible with Thunderbird in some respect as this operating system or an update of it is sometimes incompatible with older printer drivers?

All best, Lisa

I checked this out and installed different anti-virus software. No change.

But what is your anti-virus software?

It was the Windows Defender and I changed to Avira. Btw, I also tried to use Thunderbird with deactivated anti-virus software. The freezing seemed to intensify.

Here are some additional information: if I remember it properly, freezing can also happen if I save a draft.

Does this help?

All best, Lisa

P.S. May I ask a curious question: how are you connected with or related to Mozilla?

Try to start Windows in safe mode with networking enabled. - Win10 http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/change-startup-settings-in-windows-10#v1h=tab01

Still in Windows safe mode, start Thunderbird in safe mode. - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/safe-mode

Does the problem go away?

how are you connected with or related to Mozilla?

Most of the people answering questions in this forum are volunteers, i.e. users like you. I'm one of them.

Right, I have not done this before (although I expect that I pretty much tried everything what is available on the web). I am not sure what the purpose of running Windows and Thunderbird in safe mode is. This would be a reasonable procedure if I were not able to start the computer in normal mode and needed to uninstall software and/or save files. However, even if it turns out that the freezing does not occur in safe mode, what would be the conclusion - since I do not intend to run my computer permanently in safe mode?

Do I miss your point?

how are you connected with or related to Mozilla?

Most of the people answering questions in this forum are volunteers, i.e. users like you. I'm one of them.

Thanks for this explanation. I am wondering whether this problem which I share with numerous other users and which is not just caused by a simple lack of knowledge how to use the software properly could be solved by the Mozilla people much faster. They should know the software in detail and be able to fix the problem. Or in other words: I don't think that it is an efficient way to make users find individual work arounds or solutions. As long as they have installed common software and a common operating system (as I have), Thunderbird should work without freezing. If it doesn't, this is not the fault of - common -anti-virus software or whatever, but of Thunderbird.

Do I ignore important aspects that would change my perspective?

You ignore the fact that Mozilla has very little to do with Thunderbird these days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Thunderbird

Hi, I´m using Windows 10 together with Thunderbird and is not experiencing the freezing problems you write about. However before starting to use Thunderbird I did have similar problems with another e-mail program. The problem then was a conflict between the e-mail program and another program, which was unsolvable.

Have you tried to start Thunderbird without Add-ons? Any change?

What specs does your computer have? CPU? Memory? Have you tried to use Windows Task monitoring to see if there is a conflict with another program when you have the freezing problem? //Goforit

I am not sure what the purpose of running Windows and Thunderbird in safe mode is.

Windows safe mode prevents certain software from running, such as anti-virus software.

Thunderbird safe mode disables extensions and themes.

However, even if it turns out that the freezing does not occur in safe mode, what would be the conclusion - since I do not intend to run my computer permanently in safe mode?

Windows safe mode should help to determine whether anti-virus software is the culprit. It is meant as a troubleshooting step, not as the solution to the problem.

I am wondering whether this problem which I share with numerous other users and which is not just caused by a simple lack of knowledge how to use the software properly

There appears to be a lack of knowledge with many users about how anti-virus software interacts with Thunderbird. In addition there is a complete lack of knowledge about the importance (or lack of it) of scanning email messages and attachments by anti-virus software.

I am wondering whether this problem ... could be solved by the Mozilla people much faster.

Thunderbird is a community project, not a Mozilla product. It does use Mozilla infrastructure though.

They should know the software in detail and be able to fix the problem.

This forum is full of complaints about Thunderbird not responding. Almost always the problem is caused by anti-virus software. And I don't think Thunderbird developers do read this forum.

Thunderbird should work without freezing. If it doesn't, this is not the fault of - common -anti-virus software or whatever, but of Thunderbird.

When anti-virus software is blocking access to a mail file when Thunderbird needs to write to it, then this isn't the fault of Thunderbird.

In addition to the 'not responding' issue, anti-virus software often causes corruption of Thunderbird mail files, which can result in data loss.

Do I ignore important aspects that would change my perspective?

Apparently you do. Whether that will change your perspective I don't know.

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your suggestions and additionally information. I have learned a lot and appreciate this. If replacing Windows Defender by Avira and running the computer with deactivated anti-virus software did not stop the freezing (as I wrote before), is my conclusion accurate that this problem is not caused by a specific anti-virus software?

Goforit said

Hi, I´m using Windows 10 together with Thunderbird and is not experiencing the freezing problems you write about. However before starting to use Thunderbird I did have similar problems with another e-mail program. The problem then was a conflict between the e-mail program and another program, which was unsolvable. Have you tried to start Thunderbird without Add-ons? Any change? What specs does your computer have? CPU? Memory? Have you tried to use Windows Task monitoring to see if there is a conflict with another program when you have the freezing problem? //Goforit

I forgot to answer to this question: The computer is a Yoga 3 pro, average CPU, but nonetheless one of the most advanced computers in technical respects as far as I know. By the way, the windows 7 computer on which running Thunderbird with my profile does not cause any problems is a netbook with an atom processor, so more or less the worst you can use, I suppose.

In order to definitely exclude anti-virus software from the list of potential culprits you'll need to run Windows in safe mode.

Goforit said

Have you tried to start Thunderbird without Add-ons? Any change?

Sure. As I wrote before, I tried pretty much everything I could find on the web. (If you spend 1 hour every week over four months to solve this problem, you have tried everything...)

Sorry for repeating..

Have you tried to use Windows Task monitoring to see if there is a conflict with another program when you have the freezing problem? //Goforit

christ1 said

In order to definitely exclude anti-virus software from the list of potential culprits you'll need to run Windows in safe mode.

O.k. This seems to imply that you suppose that Thunderbird can - principally? - not work properly with two of the three(?) anti-virus software available for free: Windows defender, Avira, Avast.

Or, to put it differenty: what do you think is the reason that, in the past, Thunderbird worked fine on my computers with Windows defender, Avira and Avast (and does so on the computers of countless other users, I suppose), but just not on my current 'main computer' and just since 4 months? What could be new or different in your experience?

Goforit said

Sorry for repeating.. Have you tried to use Windows Task monitoring to see if there is a conflict with another program when you have the freezing problem? //Goforit

If you mean the task manager: yes, of course. There is nothing specific to see. (Users of 'secondary computers' with atom processors have some intimate experience regarding how a cpu looks like of which 100% is used up.) That's why I would describe the behavior of Thunderbird as freezing, not as 'not responding' (because of unavailable CPU capacity, for instance) - even though the freezing is accompanied by the message "not responding".

Btw, Microsoft changed for Windows 10 the 'architecture'/rules how much cpu and ram the computer uses. Usage of both is generally higher, but should/does not influence the performance.

Thanks so much for your suggestions thus far. Anything else I can do?

LisaMeierhoff said

Btw, Microsoft changed for Windows 10 the 'architecture'/rules how much cpu and ram the computer uses. Usage of both is generally higher, but should/does not influence the performance.

Maybe Microsoft says that, but that's not always the same as the reality. Especially for software not produced by Microsoft..

Is the freezing problem unchanging whether you run only Thunderbird or when running together with other software/programs?

//Goforit (who is just an ordinary user..)

What could be new or different in your experience?

The contents of your mail file(s).

not to beat a dead horse - but please start windows in safe mode (as already has been said) AND start thunderbird in safe mode.

Hi everybody,

Thanks for your recent suggestions. Here is my report: 1. There seems to be no freezing if I use Thunderbird in Windows safe mode (with activated add-ons). (I used it only for writing and saving a couple of emails because I needed to send these emails which is not possible in safe mode). Returning to Windows normal mode, freezing returns. 2. I installed version 45 beta. Freezing did not occur for the first hours; since then, it seems to be more frequent than before. 3. Starting Thunderbird in safe mode (in Windows normal mode) does not stop the freezing (as I checked already during the past 4 months in which I have tried more or less everything what is suggested on the web).

Btw, my text modules (add-on Quicktext) ‚disappeared’, i.e. seem to have been deleted, during the same time period when I installed the version 45 beta. Is it possible that this was caused by the installation of the beta version?

If you make suggestions, could you please add some explanation regarding the purpose of the procedure, the expected causes to be eliminated by this procedure and the like? This enables users to add more information regarding the symptoms that might support the proposed procedure or lead to other methods to solve the problem. Furthermore, it helps users to become more competent solving similar problems.