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Add-on or code so Thunderbird's blue "Home" icon stays forever on Windows taskbar please

  • 2 cavab
  • 1 has this problem
  • Last reply by mizlist

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Hi, I am writing on behalf of an elderly user who sometimes closes Thunderbird windows when making their way to other Thunderbird windows or Tabs which are open. This sometimes leads to the situation where, in the Windows taskbar, there is no blue Thunderbird icon visible, but there are Thunderbird Write icons visible (the black-coloured fat pencil icon). The problem is that the "Launched" or "Home" icon can vanish from the Taskbar even when the Thunderbird program is open, such as for writing an email.

This person's workflow requires the blue icon to be stable - it should never disappear from the Taskbar, even if certain Thunderbird windows are closed. I have tried explaining the logic and what to do, but after decades of using "forever stable" email software and their permanent "stable Home icons are always to be found in the Taskbar" I am unable to change the users' expectations about usability.(I am providing family IT support for my elderly parents and others.)

I would like to implement a script or install an add-in which ensures that the blue Thunderbird "Launched" or "Home" icon is permanently welded to the Taskbar, like a limpet, in all circumstances.

This "Sticky blue Home Thunderbird icon in the Taskbar" would be an acceptable usability outcome even if it means computer performance is degraded by allowing users to open multiple instances of Thunderbird.

Put plainly, they want it more and if performance is the price to pay, they will accept that price.

Is any such script available? Is there a switch in the coding I can change to enable stickiness? Is there an Add-In which can achieve this outcome? Is there any other path to the desired solution?

Thank you for your time considering this and solutions.

Hi, I am writing on behalf of an elderly user who sometimes closes Thunderbird windows when making their way to other Thunderbird windows or Tabs which are open. This sometimes leads to the situation where, in the Windows taskbar, there is no blue Thunderbird icon visible, but there are Thunderbird Write icons visible (the black-coloured fat pencil icon). The problem is that the "Launched" or "Home" icon can vanish from the Taskbar even when the Thunderbird program is open, such as for writing an email. This person's workflow requires the blue icon to be stable - it should never disappear from the Taskbar, even if certain Thunderbird windows are closed. I have tried explaining the logic and what to do, but after decades of using "forever stable" email software and their permanent "stable Home icons are always to be found in the Taskbar" I am unable to change the users' expectations about usability.(I am providing family IT support for my elderly parents and others.) I would like to implement a script or install an add-in which ensures that the blue Thunderbird "Launched" or "Home" icon is permanently welded to the Taskbar, like a limpet, in all circumstances. This "Sticky blue Home Thunderbird icon in the Taskbar" would be an acceptable usability outcome even if it means computer performance is degraded by allowing users to open multiple instances of Thunderbird. Put plainly, they want it more and if performance is the price to pay, they will accept that price. Is any such script available? Is there a switch in the coding I can change to enable stickiness? Is there an Add-In which can achieve this outcome? Is there any other path to the desired solution? Thank you for your time considering this and solutions.

All Replies (2)

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Helpful?

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Hi Matt, one would think so, but that's not the case. The icon is already pinned, and the Taskbar mouseover hover options never include "Pin to Taskbar"; the mouseover option is only ever "Unpin from Taskbar", which shows it is already pinned. (And thanks for the quick reply).

I am dealing with a pinned icon which disappears when some Thunderbird tabs are closed but Thunderbird remains open because there are "fat pencil" tabs open (to indicate an email is being composed or is open).

There may be forty to ninety fat pencils/ opened emails at any one time so the ability to get back to Home immediately is important, to avoid having to track past every open email on the journey from right to left. But the blue Home icon has vanished, even though it is pinned to the Taskbar.

Helpful?

Sual ver

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