364021 - Thunderbird always starts in minimized windows

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Thunderbird :: General, defect)

Description

[davef0]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20061010 Firefox/2.0
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20061010 Firefox/2.0

Out of the blue, Thunderbird always starts in a small screen in upper left corner of my monitor.  Also, message pane continually appears and if I deselect either by using menu or F8 close Thunderbird and re-open Thunderbird, message pane appears over and over again - I basically cannot remove message pane anymore.  If I try to create new message, again it opens in a small screen in upper left corner of my monitor.  Then I drag this screen so it fills monitor and close program.  When I open Thunderbird again I am faced with the same small screen in upper left corner of my monitor.  I just can't seem to fix this problem.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. I don't know how to reproduce it, it just started happening out of the blue and I can't fix problem.
2.
3.

Comment 1

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Do you get that also running in thunderbird -safe-mode?

Comment 2

[davef0]

Hello Scott

Thanks for your reply and in response to your questions as to whether this problem surfaces if I run thunderbird - in safe-mode, no it seems to work normally in safe mode.

I just totally uninstalled Thunderbird, rebooted computer and then re-installed Thunderbird.  When I opened program same problems re-surfaced, i.e.

1. Starts in a minimized screen in top left corner of monitor

2. Message preview pane appears as usual

3. If I go to write a new message it also opens in minimized screen in top left corner of monitor with no contacts sidebar which is normally there.

Then I rebooted computer into safe mode and when I opened Thunderbird it had preview pane but when I hit F8 to remove preview pane, closed program and re-opened, preview pane was not there so Thunderbird seems to be working fine in safe mode.

Comment 3

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Good to know... but i kind of meant the thunderbird built-in safe-mode. (http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_mode) This disables all extensions and such.

Comment 4

[davef0]

Is safe-mode opened by choosing Mozilla Thunderbird (No Extensions)?  That's appears to be the only choice on start menu under Mozilla Thunderbird.  In any event, I did open Thunderbird (No Extensions) but still having the same problem.

Comment 5

[davef0]

I was just going to further mention that I can send you screenshots if that would help.  Would just need an e-mail address to send screenshots to or is there some way to send att. in the bug venue?

Comment 6

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Yes, Mozilla Thunderbird (No Extensions) is safe mode.

There is a Create a New Attachment link above. (If you think a screen shot helps.)

Comment 7

[davef0]

Attachment: When Thunderbird is first opened in "safe mode"

When Thunderbird is first opened in "safe-mode"

Comment 8

[davef0]

Attachment: After maximizing Thunderbird

After maximizing Thunderbird

Comment 9

[davef0]

Attachment: WHen I click on WRITE to compose a message

When I click on WRITE to compose message.  Contacts list doesn't appear on left size anymore

Comment 10

[davef0]

Attachment: Every incoming and outgoing message has large question mark

Every incoming and outgoing message has a large question mark "?"

Comment 11

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Did you just hit maximize? If you want it to be a certain size, just resize it to that (not using maximize window) and that size should be remembered. 

Comment 12

[davef0]

Hi Scott

Yes, I resize WRITE / COMPOSE area to maximum size by dragging sides of box to fill whole screen.  If I go back into WRITE / COMPOSE to write another message it fills complete screen.  But .... if I close Thunderbird and then re-open Thunderbird, go to WRITE / COMPOSE I am faced with the small screen in upper left hand corner of my monitor.  The same with the preview screen.  If I go to view and deselect preview screen or hit F8, the preview screen disappears.  But if I close Thunderbird and re-open, the program keeps defaulting to the preview pane which never happened before.

Did you just hit maximize? If you want it to be a certain size, just resize it
to that (not using maximize window) and that size should be remembered. 

Comment 13

[davef0]

Hi Scott

Do you have a link that would give me instructions on how to do a total uninstall of Thunderbird, i.e. delete entries in registry etc.  I'm still having problems and not exactly sure what to do next.  Thanks

Comment 14

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Normal uninstall (thought windows add/remove progs) should remove registry all entries. BTW, see user support forums at http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewforum.php?f=39

Comment 15

[davef0]

Thanks, do you have an approximate date for next upgrade for Thunderbird?  I have done total uninstall and reinstalled Thunderbird but it's still acting wonky.  I think I will have to go back to Outlook until a newer version comes out.  I really like Thunderbird but frustrated that it's opening in all these minimized screens whether it's to read an e-mail or compose etc.  I drag edges of minimized screens and maximize but when I close Thunderbird and reopen, still have all these minimized screens.

Comment 16

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Nope, you can always try 2.0 beta1, which was released about two weeks ago...

Comment 17

[davef0]

I'm having same problems with beta which I installed.  Now I'm trying to export messages from Thunderbird back to Outlook which I am discovering is very difficult and complicated.  I have followed instructions to the "T" at:

http://email.about.com/od/mozillathunderbirdtips/qt/et_export_to_oe.htm  and
http://www.broobles.com/imapsize/th2outlook.php

They are instructing me to locate mbox files and files ending with .msf extensions but I have done a "search" with Windows XP and searched in Windows Explorer/Programs/Mozilla Thunderbird files to no avail.  Is there a simple way to locate files that contain all my e-mail messages in Thunderbird so I can export to Outlook?  Thanks

Comment 18

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

The mail is in your profile folder http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder. It's hidden by default (so enable show hidden first...)

While you are at it, if you don't find another way to solve you problem, move your profile folder somewhere so thunderbird will create a new profile for you. If the new profile doesn't have the problem you can always copy-paste the mail folders  over to the new account and keep using that.

Comment 19

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to comment #18)
> The mail is in your profile folder http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder.
> It's hidden by default (so enable show hidden first...)
> 
> While you are at it, if you don't find another way to solve you problem, move
> your profile folder somewhere so thunderbird will create a new profile for you.
> If the new profile doesn't have the problem you can always copy-paste the mail
> folders  over to the new account and keep using that.

Dave, is this working for you using version 2?  And if, not did you try renaming the profile folder as described by Magnus.

Comment 20

[Gary Kwong [:gkw] [:nth10sd] (NOT official MoCo now)]

No additional useful information since comment #19 >10 months ago, resolving incomplete.

Please comment if the issue still occurs in the latest 2.0.0.x / trunk nightlies.