Thunderbird Community Forum

Not a question, but an ANSWER. You could get double or triple the contributions, if you gave the users some kind of RECOGNITION! I've made several contributions over the years, and I've received zero acknowledgement. Why don't you software geniuses do some coding to RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT YOU. Make a little logo that pops up in the browser and email screens acknowledging the user as a "Supporter of Firefox/Thunderbird Software," ...or something like that. Go ahead! Make me feel just a little better every time I use your software. This is just an idea...from a retired old social psychologist. --Ed Mitchell elashn@gmail.com

This happened once before, then started working again for a few months and now doing it again. When I start up Thunderbird the emails will not load. I keeps saying "not responding." After around five minutes or so a couple of emails will load and then it's back to "not responding." Then another few or more minutes of waiting and another couple of emails download and back to "not responding." This goes on for hours. Tonight I have been waiting for eight hours and I'm still waiting with no end in sight. I can't do anything else with email until it finishes. This is very frustrating. Can you help?

Installing Thunderbird on a new iMac M4 with Sequoia 15..1.1 OS. Thunderbird says it "failed to find the setting of my email account." I entered the correct gmail user name and the correct password. Any idea on what might be wrong and how to fix it?

I've had Tbird for a number of years and have been satisfied. However, this past year the program started to act up not sending emails every once in a while. Problem would clear itself in 2-3 days. Now it won't. I have not been able to send emails for three months. I have gone through all your advice in all your Support and all your info available on the internet. There is nothing wrong with my Tbird set up, my computer, or my ISP. It's a Tbird thing. I am not the only one who has this problem judging by the number of incidents in your support page. Please get this thing fixed because I am [this] close to uninstalling a now-useless program. Thank you.

A few weeks ago after an automatic update I ended up having Thunderbird version 131.0.1 installed, I have no idea how this happened. On opening I get a message telling me I shouldn't be using a beta version and that I should revert to the latest general release version (128.4)

Today when I had some free time I downloaded 128.4 and installed it. On opening it it says that I can't use a profile file from a later version with the earlier version. Is there a way to recover from this WITHOUT having to set up the whole profile again from scratch.

Meanwhile I have done a system restore so I am back with 131.0.1 It has not given me any problems so far. Is there a new general release version imminent that will get me back on track?

I would appreciate any help I am not a computer expert, just a user, and find Thunderbird a very good email client.

David Gould

I just upgraded my desktop pc from Windows 10 to 11, and before the upgrade I used the Tools Export function to export my complete Thunderbird profile, so I could import it after the upgrade. Unfortunately the export file cannot be read on my upgraded pc using the Import function - Thunderbird gives me error messages every time, that suggest the exported folder might be corrupted or invalid.

My IMAP emails are fine, as I have set those accounts up from scratch and the folders have now populated with all the emails - the problem is all my filed emails, dating back many years, which were all stored manually in a filing system under Local Folders.

I tried manually copying across the individual files from the extracted back-up folder into my live Thunderbird profile and then reopened Thunderbird...which worked to some extent...as in, all the folders are there, but no emails are showing! It shows no messages under each folder, even though if you look under the Profile you can see that the email files exist.

I tried various ways to bring them in, including zipping one of the folders and trying to import from the zip file (which also brought in a folder but no emails) but even though the email files are clearly there under my profile, Thunderbird shows 0 messages in all my Local Folders. It's as though it is unaware the files exist, so I suspect it needs them to be formally imported somehow?

I would hate to lose the emails, as they document important information and purchases etc over many years, along with archived emails for my charity work, social events, etc. As I said, I can see the files are there but simply copying the files to my profile has only worked to the extent the filing 'structure' is visible, Thunderbird doesn't display any of the emails.

I have included two images...one of my Thunderbird Local Folders as they currently look, and the other showing the backed up files existing in my Profile, which I hope are helpful.

Can anyone help please? I am running a desktop PC on Windows 11. Thanks, David.

For some reason, I am getting message that the Certificate for server is not valid (etc.). I can not get or send my emails as of this morning. Is there something I can do to resolve this issue?

The Inbox show have 1 message,but the dialog cant display message. when i use [search message] in inbox ,the message can display. Thanks,Have a good Day! Richard Lee

I created two new email accounts (ex: info@newemail.com). I can sent from them just fine, but when I send TO them the emails are received in a separate set of folders under the name of that email address. How do I get those emails to appear in the Inbox under Local Folders instead of in the Inbox under info@newemail.com.

I've set its Copies & Folders to the same as my other email addresses where received emails do appear in the Inbox under Local Folders.

How do I get Thunderbird to pick up all the messages in all my accounts. Currently, it omits some messages and I have to open one of the web email programs to see these messages.

On Wednesday 12/11 at approx 4PM PT, Thunderbird stopped being able to log in to my sbcglobal.net POP3 account. It had been receiving emails routinely up to that time. There are two error messages associated with this. One happens if TB has been open and I ask it to download new messages using the little cloud symbol or “Get Messages”: “The account xxx@sbcglobal.net is being processed. Please wait until processing is complete to get messages.” Or if I open TB and it just starts with the login process, the error messages is a popup: “Connection to server inbound.att.net timed out.” TB manages two other accounts, both of which are functioning normally. One of them is also an sbcglobal.net account, and both sbcglobal accounts are set up identically: Port 995, SSL/TLS, Secure Mail Key (rather than OAuth2). Version is 115.18.0 32bit, Windows 22H2. Logging in to the server shows many emails that have arrived since the problem started. I have gotten nowhere with ATT/SBC, they don't seem to want to provide any support anymore if they hear the word Thunderbird. Can you help?

About a month ago I began the process of upgrading from W10 to W11. In the process, several problems happened. One of the problems was with Firefox. After reading and trying many suggestions from the Mozilla site, as well as several other sites, and having no success, I posted my problem on this Mozilla support site and hope that there was someone who could help. There was. After several days of exchanging messages (suggestions, instructions and results - mostly about Profile), Firefox returned.

The other major problem is Thunderbird. I have downloaded a current version (128.5.2esr). I have run it twice and, each time, email was downloaded. So that part seems to be working. What doesn’t appear are the settings I have used and message folders I have created over several years. I suspect that the problems are Profile related.

Starting from Help in the Thunderbird menu, then Troubleshooting Information, then Application Basics, I see Profile Folder. On that line is a button labeled Open Folder followed by (Local Drive). I click Open Folder and File Explorer opens to a folder named ab3xaztm.default-esr. It shows that the folder contains 59 items, including 10 subfolders. All files and folders show a December date.

Following the path C:\Users\rsuth\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\, in addition to ab3x…, there is another folder nlys3gkl.default that contains only 1 file, times.json.

Because of my earlier struggle – and eventual win – with the Firefox problem, I think that the Thunderbird problem might also be fixed in a similar way: Profile.

Slightly before the upgrading from W10 to W11, I made a copy of my Thunderbird folder. I think if I replace the currently active Thunderbird folder with the one I have saved, my Thunderbird problem may be over. However, I’m not certain that will happen and I’m not certain about the specific steps to take to make the replacement. (With my Firefox issue, there were a couple of small important steps I had to take to make it work, and those steps were explained to me by the person who helped me with my Firefox problem. So, after all these words, can someone point me in the direction to solve my Thunderbird problem?

Thanks for reading.

I have tried. Lord, how I've tried. to STOP Thunderbird, GMail (web), and Outlook (web) from putting ANY emails in Junk or Spam folders. Apparently, GMail and Outlook have "services" on their websites that mark things as JUNK before they ever get to me. I have turned OFF everything I can find in Thunderbird to stop stuff from going in JUNK/SPAM folders, but emails still get there.

Since I am apparently unable to STOP emails from going to JUNK/SPAM folders, it would be really helpful if Thunderbird showed little numbers as to how many emails are in there. It currently does NOT. Do I have something set incorrectly or is that a "feature" in Thunderbird?

Would appreciate any help.

Thank you.

I am a very retired programmer (K&R C mostly starting in early 70's. Not C++ or .NET stuff). About 20 years ago I became legally blind - low vision, only very center of one eye, loss of most color perception and need high contrast. Dark mode is usually better. For years I used WordPad to take notes with large font etc., but WordPad is no longer in Windows 11. I rarely save the notes, it is sort of my large print Post-It note - more than phone numbers, messages for wife, etc. For small stuff like that I use my 8x10 white board with dry-erase marker. I switched from Outlook to TB about 2 years ago. Wonderful. But it appears that it insists that I save as DRAFT etc. where I usually don't want to save it (or retrieve it by selecting from not large font list of items in the DRAFTS folder. Life expectancy for sheet if preinted is measurered in hours if I want/need to print it. Is there a way to make use of the TB editor as a standalone? Forget Word with its unfriendly ribbon etc. Ditto for OpenOffice, LibreOffice, NotePad++, etc. They are all to heavy, awkward to launch/start up, etc. I don't need TO:, SUBJECT: etc. I don't need multi-documents at once.

I use TextPad and ZoomText (magnifier/reader with all sorts of enhancements such as full-screen cross hars to help me find the cursor / mouse pointer) for recreational programming etc., too many features etc. to launch or get out of.  No, I don't want a copy out on OneDrive - not on my phone, not on my tablet etc.  Although speech recognition would be nice, but then again that could be disruptive in home environment.  My wife is not a fan of Alexa.

Perhaps find a way to grab WordPad from somewhere? (I doubt that I have media for, say, W7 or earlier. Then there's compatibility issues, ... )

Lastly, I apologize for all of those 'etc.' - this question would have been a lot longer without them.

Thanks, Nick

Inbox messages disappeared and were not loading for about 1 hour prior to them disappearing.

I can view emails on Dream Host Webmail as well. That is how I know that emails have not been loading onto Thunderbird.

Can still view all other folders. Sent, drafts..........

Was getting an error message initially that another operation was preventing the inbox from working as intended and to wait until that operation was finished. I do not know what that operation is.

I now no longer get the error message - just no new emails in the inbox.

How do I get inbox messages to return?