1807702 - Missing display for "To:" and "From:" header data in message header (multiple reports on DE-forum)

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Thunderbird :: Mail Window Front End, defect)

Description

[Alex Ihrig [:Thunderbird_Mail_DE]]

Attachment: No data displayed for "To:" and "From" in header area

In german support forums we have several reports about not displayed data / content for the "To:" and "From:" header data in message header area. The data seems to be extisting, due to the fact, that this data/content is displayed in the message/thread pane. But it is not shown in message header area:

Related forum threads:
https://www.thunderbird-mail.de/forum/thread/90719
https://www.thunderbird-mail.de/forum/thread/91079
https://www.thunderbird-mail.de/forum/thread/91100

Comment 1

[Alex Ihrig [:Thunderbird_Mail_DE]]

Attachment: Another Screenshot with missing header area content

Comment 2

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

Danke Alex! Das ist nicht normal, und nicht schön! :-|

Forum reports seem to involve a number of extra/fuzzy factors. This won't be easy to disentangle.
I think we need the following data for each report (some of which you've already gathered, but not all for all reports):

1. Does this happen in ≡ > Help > Troubleshoot Mode…?
2. Anything in Tools > Developer Tools > Error Console (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+J)?
3. Is the following pref true (checked) or false (unchecked):
   ≡ > Settings > General > Reading & Display > Display Name: [ ] Show only display name for people in my address book?
4. Are the email addresses of the missing headers (From & To) saved in a contact of the user's address book?
   • If yes, does this involve CardDAV address books?
5. If yes, what's the per-contact setting on the card(s) having the missing email addresses (checked or unchecked):
   Select contact > Enter to edit > [ ] Prefer display name over message header?
6. What's the pref value (true/false) for
   ≡ > Preferences > General > [Config Editor…] > mailnews.display.date_senders_timezone?
7. Does affected user have any custom headers (and which?) via the following pref (or related prefs):
   ≡ > Preferences > General > [Config Editor…] > mail.compose.other.header? (bug 1799520)
8. We need an affected testcase.eml message for each report.

This bug reminds me of a couple of things.

• My Bug 1655884 Comment 9: Afasics, there's an inherent design flaw between the global pref and the per-card setting which control showing display names. As the per-card setting will have been migrated to VCard for the New address book in 102, maybe there's some unwanted side effects which manifest that problem. This would explain why this won't happen on new profiles, and perhaps why it's 102-version-dependent.
• One of the reports from the German forum claims a regression range from 102.4.0 to 102.4.1, and Alex (in this comment) provided a regression range for that (which I haven't double-checked). I do see one change there related to custom headers which might affect this: Bug 195716, which has the following open regression:
  • Bug 1799520 - setting mail.compose.other.header to "from" breaks header display in message reader UI
• In theory (but unlikely as this seems to be cured by settings/new profile), this could also be caused by corrupt/missing/duplicate mail headers, which Thunderbird may not take lightly. See e.g.
  • Bug 1793918 - Message with missing/empty/corrupt From: header has no message header buttons (reply, forward, delete etc.)
  • Bug 310189/Bug 705587 - For malformed message with multiple headers of same type (but RFC 5322 max-number=1), TB should only use the first header instance consistently (show/use only the first From:, To:, Date: etc. in message list, message reader, replies, filtering etc.)

Comment 3

[Alex Ihrig [:Thunderbird_Mail_DE]]

Contacted the initial issue reporters, to give feedback here.

Comment 4

[Karl]

Since Thunderbird version 102.4.1 the window layout message area is missing the information at "From" and "To" and also "Reply to".

That's why I always go back to version 102.4.0, because this problem does not appear.

Above Alex has already posted a snapshot in two comments how it looks like.

Comment 5

[Shamit Shah]

A number of users have the same issue and I reported it on Thunderbird forum:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1394756?page=2#answer-1575767

As mentioned above the blank headers only started from V 102.4.1 and continue to manifest on 102.12.
Therefore there must be some change from 102.4.0 to 102.4.1 that triggered this problem.

Comment 6

[philippe.garteiser]

Attachment: another proof that CC field appears empty in recent thunderbird102.10.1/32bits

Comment 7

[Anje]

If managed to get some feedback in a Support Question.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1410667

I was trying to locate the common factor between all of those people suffereing from blank FROM, TO, CC etc in Message Pane.
I suggested the user check the various mail.compose preferences in Config Editor for modfied preferences.

User reports :

After changing 'mail.compose.other.header' from 'To' to the default setting I got all recipient fields back.
(I don't think I ever changed this setting myself)

• Settings > General
• Scroll to bottom and click on 'Config Editor'
• In search type: mail.compose
• look for 'mail.compose.other.header'
• If it has any entry - click on pencil icon to open the edit
• clear all the data and then click on the tick icon to save.

Hope this info helps.

Comment 8

[Gib Henry]

Wow! Who’da thunk it? The solution to failure to display RECEIVED message headers is a mail COMPOSITION header issue!? (Like the respondent, I didn't change it either.) Worked for me in TB 115.8.1 in MacOS 14.3.1. Must be a bug….

Comment 9

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

I tested comment 7 now, and can confirm it on 115.9.
But it's not a problem on daily. I think bug 1800759 fixed it.