Settings are being saved on the fly. There is no way or button to explicitly save settings. So settings you changed will automatically be applied the next time you start Thunderbird.

Then, it looks like there is a bug in my Thinderbird.

Do this while on your Inbox and using Table View:

- TB menu bar > View > Sort by >Date Descending

(If you don't see the menu bar on top, press the ALT key)

- r. click any Message list column header (From, Subject, etc.) > click 'Apply current view to...' > 'Folder and its children...'

- navigate back to the top level (Account name) and click it

That will set your sort order for all folders. If it doesn't stick, there is some other problem.

I am having the same issue, but with everything not being saved. Table will not save. I also had to create a new account email, which worked fine. I changed the name to an old email account simply by adding "OLD" to the name. I had to create another outgoing server, change a couple names on the server names. Everything I did worked. I tested emails back and forth to two accounts. Perfect. I closed TB. When I reopened it, nothing was saved. Now, even the name of an account does change in Account Settings, but on the main screen it does not. A while back I deleted an email from Spectrum. That worked. I deleted it from TB, and that worked. When I reopen, it comes back with Inbox and Trash. Since that account is gone, it keeps coming up wanting the password, so I click cancel. As mentioned above, I went to prefs.js and unclicked Read Only. Did not make a difference. Nothing saves on any change. TB is also up to date. Ideas?

I am having the same issue, but with everything not being saved. Table will not save. I also had to create a new account email, which worked fine. I changed the name to an old email account simply by adding "OLD" to the name. I had to create another outgoing server, change a couple names on the server names. Everything I did worked. I tested emails back and forth to two accounts. Perfect. I closed TB. When I reopened it, nothing was saved. Now, even the name of an account does change in Account Settings, but on the main screen it does not. A while back I deleted an email from Spectrum. That worked. I deleted it from TB, and that worked. When I reopen, it comes back with Inbox and Trash. Since that account is gone, it keeps coming up wanting the password, so I click cancel. As mentioned above, I went to prefs.js and unclicked Read Only. Did not make a difference. Nothing saves on any change. TB is also up to date. Ideas?

Try a new profile.

Here is the odd thing. Table view saved. When I opened TB this morning, it was in Table view. The name on an account with "OLD" added also was there. I have not gone in deep for anything else, other than finding the outgoing server settings and new server was not correct.

Hi Ed. I did try a new profile. That is where I was able to add everything I needed, and it worked perfectly. When I closed TB and reopened, it was all gone. Name changes, added outgoing server, etc., back to where I started. Again, odd.

My bad. It was accounts that gave me issues. Looking into your suggestion and directions, I will try the profile route. Thanks.