388449 - Very Slow Message Display

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Thunderbird :: Mail Window Front End, defect)

Description

[Howard Robson]

User-Agent:       Opera/9.21 (Windows NT 5.1; U; en)
Build Identifier: Version 2.0.0.4

This bug appeared with one of the the last pre 2.0 builds and is still present in the latest build.  The display of new messages is very very slow (about 10 seconds for a very short message with no graphics content).  I have a fairly large database of messages going back a few years.  I have compacted all folders and this does not help.  I have the same problem on two different computer where Thunderbird is installed.  I have a modified configuration so that my mail folders are stored in a folder under "My Documents" with the normal Windows XP folder hierarchy.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Receive a new e-mail.
2. Click on e-mail in upper right pane.
3. Takes at least 10 seconds before the bottom right pane displays the message



This slow message display was never there in versions upto the last of the 1.5.xx versions and I am using the same software installation on the same computers as before.  I also tried a clean Thunderbird installation on another machine and the result is the same once I copy my mail folders to this machine.  I am guessing that it is some kind of database indexing problem.

Comment 1

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(In reply to comment #0)
It sounds that mail folder file is scanned by ant-virus software when try to read new mail.
 - New mail has "X-Mozilla-Status: 0008", and is changed to "0000" when read.
   This means physical write is executed when first display of new mail.
 - Scan of whole mail folder file takes long because your mbox is very large.
I don't know why different result between pre 2.0 releases and 2.0 release/trunks. But if some kind of change such as followings are made in 2.0, it can be explained.
 - "physical update of X-Mozilla-Status" is changed by Tb 2.0
   from "after display of mail" to "before display of mail".
 - "physical mail folder file open(write mode)" is executed before "display of
   newly arrived mail" by Tb 2.0, but is not executed (write-opened only when
   folder open) by pre 2.0.

(Q1) With my daily use Seamonkey 1.1.2, "X-Mozilla-Status: 0008" for newly
     arrived mail is found in Inbox only. When new mail moved to other folder
     by filer, "X-Mozilla-Status: 0000" is set because I do't specify "set to
     Unread" explicitly. (I don't know whether it is bug or not)
     Is "slow display of new mail" observed even when filtered mail?
(Q2) What anti-virus software do you use?
(Q3) Will "excluding mail folder file from scan target list" alter phenomenon?
     (Inbox, not Inbox.msf)
(Q4) "Process Monitor" in following MS's site can monitor file activity.
       http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilitiesindex.mspx
     Can you observe difference of "physical file open behavior" between pre 2.0
     and 2.0?

Comment 2

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

Correction.
"X-Mozilla-Status: 0000" was Unread and "X-Mozilla-Status: 0001" was Read.
So "X-Mozilla-Status: 0000" is changed to "X-Mozilla-Status: 0001" when read.
Sorry for my confusion and spam. 

Comment 3

[Howard Robson]

I am using Webroot Spy Sweeper With AntiVirus Version 5.5.1.3356

Even if I disable the E-mail attachments shield in Spy Sweeper, it still is very slow.  However, if I shut down Spy Sweeper completely it is much better, so it appears to be some bad interacation or slowness introduced by the Spy Sweeper software, what do you think?

Comment 4

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(In reply to comment #3)
> I am using Webroot Spy Sweeper With AntiVirus Version 5.5.1.3356
> I shut down Spy Sweeper completely it is much better,
> so it appears to be some bad interacation or slowness introduced by the Spy
> Sweeper software

This is the evidence of "interfere by anti-virus software".

> Even if I disable the E-mail attachments shield in Spy Sweeper, it still is
> very slow.

"E-mail attachments shield" is probably mail scan while sending/receiving(when network access. not when file I/O).
Following is an article in Knowledge Base of Spy Sweeper.
  http://support.webroot.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=2705
It seems that Spy Sweeper can control specific program access to specific file and "scan or not" for specific file.
Try to exclude ...\Mail\...\Inbox(not Inbox.msf) only from scan target.
Try to exclude access check for Inbox file by thunderbird.exe

See next page for general actions to avoid "interfere by anti-virus software".
  http://kb.mozillazine.org/Antivirus_software
If it'll find that "file scan" is the cause, exclude all files in Tb's mail directory from automatic scan target.  

Comment 5

[Howard Robson]

Thank you for your excellent help.  I resolved the problem by turning off the anti-virus shield in SpySweeper.  The e-mail attachments shield is still turned on.  I also use SystemSuite 7 Professional and had previously turned off the anti-virus component of this program, but have turned it back on.  It does not appear to have any adverse interacation with Thunderbird so I still have full anti-virus protection.

Comment 6

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

=> invalid