Thunderbird Setup

I use Thunderbird (tb) extensively. Here are my modified preferences and advanced configurations. I will reference where I can but honestly, I have forgotten where I got some of them. TB 24.5.0 is the version. Sadly, in earlier versions of tb, these configurations could be changed through the preferences' gui.

Moving mailbox files

tb’s mailboxes end with .msf. I back up the whole user account folder. Therefore, when I need to recover them, I was hoping that I could just copy the files to the appropriate folders. Here is how to do it: 1 create a pop3 account for your present email server 1 set the options as outlined in 'How to disable an email account in Thunderbird,' http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=635510&start=0 1 in tb, create a new folder, i.e. test, and then create a subfolder in it, i.e. inner, and then quit tb 1 in your OS, navigate to tb’s user account folder, and to the email folder for the pop3 account, where you will see the test and inner folders 1 copy the old mailboxes, to the test folder 1 start tb, and you will see the the old mailboxes and their contents, within the test folder 1 quit tb and navigate to the email account’s test folder 1 move the old mailboxes to whichever folder level that you want.

The important thing is to get tb to recognize the old mailboxes. Once that is done, you can move them around the email account’s folder hierarchy and they will still be recognized.

Modified Preferences

Preferences are under the Edit menu.

Composition > Spelling:

  • check 'Check spelling before sending'

Security > Web Content:

  • change 'Accept cookies from sites' > 'Keep unti:' to 'I close Thunderbird'

Advanced > Update > Automatically check for updates to:

  • uncheck 'Installed Addon-ons'

Modified Configurations

I prefer that my email be displayed and sent in plaintext. In preferences > Advanced > General > Advanced Configuation:

  • click the 'Config Editor…​' button

In the 'Search' field type:

  • 'html' to display the html options:

    • change mail.default_html_action to 1 from 0

    • double click mail.html_compose to set the boolean to true from false

    • double click mail.identity.default.compose_html to set the boolean to true from false, http://kb.mozillazine.org/Mail_and_news_settings

    • change mailnews.display.html_as to 1 from 0

  • 'plain' to display the plaintext options:

References

IST instructions for 'How to set up an email client,' https://uwaterloo.ca/information-systems-technology/services/student-email/mailservices/set-up.

 — MarlonAGriffith - 09 Jun 2014