I do agree that the threading default was a shot in the foot by Thunderbird, but what's done is done. Fixing it is messy, but at least it's a one-time thing. Here are my notes on that:

This is the official (to my knowledge) documentation. Well worth the read https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/message-threading-thunderbird

Here is my own documentation on threading, duplicating the above, but it may help: You need to highlight each folder and click View>sort by>unthreaded. If this applies to just a few folders, just repeat the process as necessary. If you have many folders or plan to add many new folders, you may wish a different approach, below:

More info: To change default for *new* folders, In config editor, you can change default that applies to NEW folders you set up: mailnews.default_view_flags 0=unthreaded

Config editor is available at Tools>settings>general and scroll to bottom right.

 ------------

To set many *existing* folders, follow these steps: (I creates a crude video that walks through the steps at

   https://davidkirk.org/SettingDefaultFolderView.mp4  that demonstrates the following steps:

   First, highlight a folder that you have set to unthreaded and all other preferences	
   In the Message List view, in the column header, on the far right, open the options button that shows    
    context menu. :
   At the very bottom is the option:
   -> "Apply current view to..."
   -> "Folder and its children..."
   -> Hover over an account
   -> In the next menu don't select a folder. Instead select the account name itself.

ALSO, for future installations of Thunderbird, 
- install Thunderbird and exit prior to setting up accounts
- create a simple text file with name of user.js with these lines: 
     // Set default threading to UNthreaded  ###   <== this line is optional, just for documentation
     user_pref("mailnews.default_view_flags", 0);
- copy the user.js file into the profile
- now, when you start Thunderbird, unthreading will be the default. Problem solved. 

Thanks for the suggestions, david. I have seen similar advice before – I may have even read the 'official' version. I really don't want to get into using config editor, I just want a simple menu option which I ( and other not-very-technical users ) can use. If threading is as unpopular as you imply, it is rather surprising that Mozilla have not come up with a simple 'once-for all' menu solution. I should have thought it would be relatively straightforward to have global options for the whole of my Thunderbird installation, by which I could choose various options: 1) Threading or not 2) 'Correspondents' or 'From' and 'Recipient' 3) Descending or Ascending date order. Different people are sure to want different options, so why not give the flexibility to choose? As far as I recall, earlier versions defaulted to 'From' and 'Recipient' and to Descending date order, and threading had not even been introduced as a possibility. Is it worth trying to find and use an old version?

I share some of your frustration, but much of what you desire is already there -- all except a default setting of no threading. There is, as documented above, already the facility to set one folder as desired and then set as the default for that account. Also, the above-mentioned user.js file option would protect you from the threading setting in any future thunderbird install. I strongly encourage you to remain with 115, as that is the only version that will be updated. The good news is that 115 is being regularly enhanced. The beta is up to 118 and the daily is at 119. 115 was a bumpy upgrade due to a truckload of new code to replace old code, but this gets smoother with each revision.

The notes for the latest update which Thunderbird has advised me read as follows: " Check out the notes below for this version of Thunderbird. As always, you’re encouraged to tell us what you think, or file a bug in Bugzilla

"Thunderbird 102.15.0, is the final release of Thunderbird 102.

"Thunderbird 115 is now available! The "Supernova" UI features provide an updated user interface and is designed to be more modern, customizable, and with code that is easier to maintain and improve."

Looks like they are offering me 102.15.0 , not 115, though I could probably follow up a link and get 115. My present version is 102.14.0 Perhaps they will eventually offer me 115, anyway? I don't know. From what you say, sounds like you had a rough ride with the earlier versions of 115 and it might be worth waiting for a less 'bumpy' version of it to come along! Thanks for your persistent help. I MAY try your suggested fixes, but the threading remains a real pain.

Staying with 102 for awhile isn't a bad idea, although I am very pleased with 115 - but it IS different, and there are bits and pieces still evolving. If stability is primary (but only temporarily), 102 is a good choice. The threading solution applies to both. Once done on 102, it should remain for 115. Be sure to do a profile backup prior to ALL upgrades is my advice. Not because Thunderbird is fragile, but because other software sometimes interrupts the upgrade process.

You may have guessed from my delayed reply that I am not enthusiastic about a 'technical' fix. Despite all the help that you have offered, what I really want is global menu options within Thunderbird itself, by which I can permanently set my preferences. I remain very surprised that Mozilla have not seen fit to include such options, but instead have imposed their own preferences, apparently leaving only a technical fix as the solution. For those of us who prefer to use programs as they are delivered, without tinkering with the code which runs them, this is a very unsatisfactory situation. You suggest a profile backup. Again, this seems to be a 'technical' fix, as I can see no option for it within the Thunderbird menus. Sorry, but I shall not be following your suggestions. It would be good if my comments could somehow reach Mozilla themselves, rather than remaining in this forum. Is there any way that I can approach them direct?

There are many avenues, but you might try here: https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/contact/

Please vote for the improvements you seek at https://connect.mozilla.org/ If you don't see it mentioned there, please post a new idea.

Thanks, Wayne! I can't say that it has actually solved my problem – yet – but I have posted my ideas and there is at least hope that someone may be listening and will take on board my suggestions. I guess that there are many 'out there' who share my frustration with having to reset Thunderbird with every update, so hopefully some simple global menu options will be introduced to save us all the hassle. Great email client, but what a pity about these 'improvements' which have been forced upon all the users!

re :what I really want is global menu options within Thunderbird itself, by which I can permanently set my preferences.

The setting you want is already set up you just have to modify it.

You complain that all new folders you create have the same threading problem. To stop this you need to modify the setting. Do not be worried about doing this. This is incredibly easy if you follow the 8 basic step by step instructions below. This is a setting you would have to set up regardless of what ever version you are running if you want to solve the problem.

1. Settings > General
2. Scroll to bottom
3. click on 'Config Editor' button - It opens in a new tab
4. In search type: default_view
5. You will see this line: mailnews.default_view_flags - It will have a numerical value of 1
6. click on the 'pencil' icon on the right to allow an edit.
7. Remove the number 1 and type in a zero 0
8. click on the 'tick' icon to save your settings.

You will now have: mailnews.default_view_flags - It will have a numerical value of 0 This will now mean any new folders you create, they will not have threading by default.

I have created some images which will help you to see what is required before you do it and help you step by step all the way. It will show you the exact process so you can feel confident that this is not as difficult as you may have imagined. If you need to see the images much larger - in this forum question click on the thumbnail of image and it will become much larger.

Thanks, Toad-Hall! Looks like that should solve the threading fiasco. Do you also have a way to permanently set folders to 'From' and 'Recipient', rather than 'Correspondents' ? And what about making folders always default to descending rather than ascending date order? If those can also be easily solved, then I would be very pleased. BUT I still think that simple global changes like these should be made available in the standard Thunderbird menus and not require people to dig around in Config settings.

David did offer some good instructions on how to set up all folders to be the same.

The following really works on all mail accounts you have created, but some people are experiencing a weid bug when it comes to 'Local Folders ' mail account.

• First select 'Inbox' folder of mail account.
• Using icon on far right of column headers, select the column headers you want to see.
• eg: Select 'From' and uncheck 'Correspondents'

Then set up the sort view you want to see.

• 'View' > 'Sort by' and choose 'Date' and 'Descending' and 'Unthreaded'

Apply column selection to all folders in that mail account:

• Click on icon on far right of column headers to see drop down options
• Hover over 'Apply columns to' > Hover over 'Folders and it's children' > hover over the actual 'mail account name' - not a folder > finailly click on the 'mail account name' not a folder.

Apply the sort view to all folders in the mail account:

• Hover over 'Apply current view to' > Hover over 'Folders and it's children' > hover over the 'mail account name' - not a folder > finally click on the 'mail account name' not a folder.

You would need to repeat the above for each mail account.

When it comes to the 'Local Folders' mail account, you may find the above works, but you may be one of those - like me - see a bug. So if the usual process stated above fails, then you are seeing the bug. However, the process still works if you select a top level folder. It's more bothersome but it does work.

For example lets pretend in 'Local Folders' you have a top level folder called 'Friends' and it has a couple of subfolders. 'Apply columns to' > Hover over 'Folders and it's children' > hover over the actual 'mail account name' > hover over mail account name and then locate and click on 'Friends' folder.

Friends folder and it's sub folders should now column headers like 'Inbox' then repeat the same process but using the 'Apply current view to' option to set up the Sort by view.

re :BUT I still think that simple global changes like these should be made available in the standard Thunderbird menus and not require people to dig around in Config settings.

I can see your point and that is often the complaint when something more unusual needs fixing, but there are so many additional settings that can be manipulated it would be impossible to put all of them into the 'General' settings section. Hence why 'Config Editor' is available. That's why this forum is here to offer help for the more unusal options.

In all fairness to the developers, the recent 'Config Editor' is much easier to use and it's also now easier to reset to default. Maybe, I'm just used to using it to locate info for others.

I have found a setting which by default will force the use of 'FROM' and not CORREPONDENTS'

It is in the 'Config Editor' - same process as mentioned previously.

• In top search type: threadpane
• look for this line: mail.threadpane.use_correspondents
• It is set as 'True' by default.
• click on the far right icon - it's like a two line double arrow icon - to toggle the 'True' to 'False'

Job done :)

How to set 'Sort by Date' and 'Sort by Descending' as default sort options.

It is in the 'Config Editor' - same process as mentioned previously.

• In top search type: default_sort

This is the Sort by Date setting:

• look for this line: mailnews.default_sort_type
• It has a value of 18 by default to sort by date.

Usually this is ok, but if it does not have 18 :

• click on the far right pencil icon to get 'edit mode'
• Remove whatever number is in that location and type in number: 18
• Click on the tick icon to save

Now set default to descending:

• look for this line: mailnews.default_sort_order
• It has a value of 1 by default to sort by ascending.
• click on the far right pencil icon to get 'edit mode'
• Remove the number '1' and type in number: 2
• Click on the tick icon to save

Job done :)

Many thanks again, Toad-Hall! I have done the edit for non-threading and will now try the others. I have tried using the edit for 'folder and all its children' before, and have come up against failure, so it seems like I have been getting the bug. I will try again, now that my TB has updated to version 115, and see whether it works this time! Part of my problem is that I use MANY Local Folders (not within my mail accounts) as a convenient filing system, so it would be nice if a one-off fix would work. Otherwise, it will be the usual long slog to fix them all – again. I appreciate your point about there being many functions and that it would be difficult to provide simple menu options for each, but I have two comments to make about that: 1) Menus can have sub-menus and if it can be done in config editor, it could only be a short step to put it into a menu system. 2) It would not be so bad, except that all (or at least most) of these fixes that I want are only to change BACK to what used to be the old TB default values. Not a very user-friendly move by Mozilla to change the defaults and make it difficult to revert to the old defaults to which we had all become accustomed!!

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Thunderbird 115.2.2 Portable, I have just installed it on a new device and the problem I am having is that the Sort by- Unthreaded- Descending works fine, but the Sort by-Grouped by Sort- Descending, sorts the group headings correctly, but the idividual mails in each group are sorted in Ascending order. The images below show the result. All that I did between them was change the Sortby from Unthreaded to Grouped By Sort. The strange thing is that I had previously updated my existing TB Portable on a different drive, and it continues to work fine, maintaining the descending order within the groups. So is there another pref setting which controls the in group sort order or is it a bug in the software?

Hi roger157 Can you please create your own question because this particular question is all about setting default setting specifically when creating new folders and correcting view/column s across all folders.

Your issue is not the same, it's is all about you selecting 'Grouped by Sort' and it's results. This means all the comments I have made will not help you and your comments are not helping the person who asked the question. You have to be aware that you are using a Portableapp version, so whilst in general it's the same, I'm not sure whether your issue is something generally a problem in Thunderbird or whether it's specific to a 'portableapps' version. Ask your question in a new question.

Apologies, have done

I share some of your frustration, but much of what you desire is already there -- all except a default setting of no threading. There is, as documented above, already the facility to set one folder as desired and then set as the default for that account. Also, the above-mentioned user.js file option would protect you from the threading setting in any future thunderbird install. I strongly encourage you to remain with 115, as that is the only version that will be updated. The good news is that 115 is being regularly enhanced. The beta is up to 118 and the daily is at 119. 115 was a bumpy upgrade due to a truckload of new code to replace old code, but this gets smoother with each revision.

In the suggestion: ".....and then set as the default for that account," kindly explain how to set threading/unthreading for the entire account. Changing the setting for one folder does not change the setting for all others, in ver. 115. Thanks