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How to forward a message to a list from address book? (Send button not available, like it used to)

  • 7 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by Matt

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I used to be able to forward an email message to a list of people from my address book. If I put in the List Name as the To address, it identifies the named list, but the Send button is not activated and message will not send (see image).

Same thing on a new message. I cannot create a new email and put the list name in the To: box and have it expand list member emails into separate To: fields. But if I highlight the list name in the address book, then press the Write button, it populates the To: fields with the list's email addresses.

This is a change in behavior, which makes address-book lists somewhat useless. Help much appreciated.

I used to be able to forward an email message to a list of people from my address book. If I put in the List Name as the To address, it identifies the named list, but the Send button is not activated and message will not send (see image). Same thing on a new message. I cannot create a new email and put the list name in the To: box and have it expand list member emails into separate To: fields. But if I highlight the list name in the address book, then press the Write button, it populates the To: fields with the list's email addresses. This is a change in behavior, which makes address-book lists somewhat useless. Help much appreciated.

Chosen solution

I am guessing the expansion of list members was done with this add-on https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/popmaillistrecipients/?src=ss

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All Replies (7)

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This has to do with Thunderbird email app.

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Why would this make the list useless. I am not following you at all.

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I can only send a new message to a list, but cannot forward an email to a list of people for their reactions. For example, I get an email from a project client and want to send a copy to everyone on my team to review. When I try to forward it To: Teamname, it says that Teamname is not a valid email address, instead of inserting all of the list members' addresses. Does this make sense? (JPEG screen grab does not upload)

I have used Thunderbird under Win 7 for a long time and this recently started under Win 10.

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re :When I try to forward it To: Teamname, it says that Teamname is not a valid email address, instead of inserting all of the list members' addresses.

If the Mailing List name is inserted then it will not insert all the various mailing list contacts. It does not insert both.

If you click on 'Address Book' Then select the 'Mailing List name' Then click on 'Write' It will insert all the various contacts in that Mailing List in their own TO field.

However, if you click on 'Write' Then use the Contacts Sidebar to insert the Mailing List name, then it only inserts the actual Mailing list name into the 'TO' field in this format: Teamname <"Teamname">


Please specify the exact method you are using such as...:

  • Select email you want to forward.
  • Click on 'Forward'
  • new Write window opens
  • Use Contacts sidebar
  • Select address book
  • select the 'Mailing List name'
  • click on 'Add to TO' button

re :Teamname What exactly is the Teamname When you select the mailing list name in Contacts Sidebar and it is inserted into the 'TO' field, what exactly is put into the 'TO' field?

Retry to post .jpg image. If still not loading...How big is the image you are trying to post. Did you create a screendump using 'Prt Scr' key on keyboard, then paste it into 'Paint', then use select and crop to select the area you need. Save as jpg.

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Thank you for your indulgence on this problem. I am using TB 60.6.1 (32-bit) under Windows 10.

I followed all of the steps you mentioned, including "Add to To:." ("Teamname" is the name of the 'Mailing List name', containing several email addresses.) As shown in the attached image, the Mailing List name is inserted properly in the message's To: field. (See lower red arrow.) However, the Send button stays grayed out and is unavailable to send the forwarded message. (See upper red arrow.)

This seems to be specific to Windows 10, as installed on a new Dell PC at my work. My Win 7 home PC uses the same TB software but when completing the above steps, the Send button is activated and can be pressed to forward the message.

[The only reason I mentioned substituting the email addresses for the List name is that a previous version of TB did this. I would enter the List name in the To field, hit enter, and the List name was replaced by all of the List's addresses, each in a separate To: line.]

Thank you for any suggestions. Perhaps I need to re-install the software?

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re :previous version of TB did this. I would enter the List name in the To field, hit enter, and the List name was replaced by all of the List's addresses, each in a separate To: line

As explained you could only get the list names in separate TO fields if this was done via the 'Address Book'. So it sounds like you may have been using an addon extension which no longer works with current versions, but it may be having some kind of interference.

Please perform a test.

Restart Thunderbird with addons disabled. Do it like this:

  • 'Help' > 'Restart with addons disabled'

Once restarted:

  • Select email you want to forward.
  • Click on 'Forward'
  • new Write window opens
  • Use Contacts sidebar
  • Select address book
  • select the 'Mailing List name'
  • click on 'Add to TO' button

Does the 'Send' button become active ?

If yes, then it is possible you have an out dated addon.

Maybe the addon needs updating. What addon extensions are you using ?

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Chosen Solution

I am guessing the expansion of list members was done with this add-on https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/popmaillistrecipients/?src=ss