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Where are commands to minimize, restore down (resize window) and close Thunderbird 68.12.0?

  • 14 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 16 views
  • Last reply by Horse.Sense

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Where are commands to minimize, restore down (resize window) and close Thunderbird 68.12.0?

With update to TB 68.12.0 - commands in the upper right corner to minimize, restore down (resize window) and close are GONE! This makes Thunderbird totally useless. Have closed and opened TB now 3 times today, with same result. The only way to recover the missing upper right corner commands is to grab TB and move it around on the page, until the commands are visible. What seems to have happened is the entire TB screen is around 1 inch wider than my 23" computer screen. How do we fix this, so TB is normal size (as it's been for the past 7 years I've been using it)? This is happening on Dell Desktop computer, with Windows 7 Professional.

Thank you.

Where are commands to minimize, restore down (resize window) and close Thunderbird 68.12.0? With update to TB 68.12.0 - commands in the upper right corner to minimize, restore down (resize window) and close are GONE! This makes Thunderbird totally useless. Have closed and opened TB now 3 times today, with same result. The only way to recover the missing upper right corner commands is to grab TB and move it around on the page, until the commands are visible. What seems to have happened is the entire TB screen is around 1 inch wider than my 23" computer screen. How do we fix this, so TB is normal size (as it's been for the past 7 years I've been using it)? This is happening on Dell Desktop computer, with Windows 7 Professional. Thank you.

Modified by Horse.Sense

All Replies (14)

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Horse.Sense said

Where are commands to minimize, restore down (resize window) and close Thunderbird 68.12.0? With update to TB 68.12.0 - commands in the upper right corner to minimize, restore down (resize window) and close are GONE! This makes Thunderbird totally useless. Have closed and opened TB now 3 times today, with same result. The only way to recover the missing upper right corner commands is to grab TB and move it around on the page, until the commands are visible. What seems to have happened is the entire TB screen is around 1 inch wider than my 23" computer screen. How do we fix this, so TB is normal size (as it's been for the past 7 years I've been using it)? This is happening on Dell Desktop computer, with Windows 7 Professional. Thank you.
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You can simply drag the borders of the TB window and reduce its size until the whole window fits within your screen area.

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Thank you Stans, but that process doesn't work. Just tried it about 5 times - from the top corners, bottom corners, right and left sides; yet Thunderbird is still about 1 inch wider than the screen. It will become shorter (top to bottom), but it will not change the horizontal screen dimensions from left to right. When trying to resize the width of the screen, it merely moves the screen and does nothing to change its actual size.

Every time I log into it, I've still got to grab it at the top and move the entire screen from side to side in order to see the left column - or move it the other way to see commands in the top right corner.

I really don't have time for this much email drama. Unless it can be fixed, does anyone have ideas for something better than Thunderbird?

Thanks!

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Try this: start in safe mode (hold Shift when TB is launched), check 'Reset toolbars and controls', click 'Make changes and restart'. Any difference?

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Thank you sfhowes. Started TB in safe mode, but the command you recommended makes me a bit nervous. Will it affect all of the custom settings and addons I have now? If it resets TB without addons, I may as well switch to another email client now. As it stands, I've got around 20 different email accounts in TB: some from my businesses, some of customers I do work for, and some personal. They must be color coded, along with features of the other addons, to further organize that much information on a daily basis.

Bottom line, what does the command you suggested make changes to?

Thanks!

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Resetting the toolbars won't affect your accounts or add-ons; at most you might have to customize toolbars again.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_mode#Safe_Mode_options

To do it in a reversible way, open the profile from Help/Troubleshooting, close TB, rename xulstore.json, then restart TB and see if the window problem remains. The 'Reset toolbars...' option is the same as deleting xulstore.

Or, if you just run in safe mode without checking any boxes at the prompt, that will test the Reset step.

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Horse.Sense said

Started TB in safe mode

What was the outcome? Did the window size issue persist in safe mode as well?

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Thank you Stans. Starting TB in safe mode, without clicking either of the two choices, DID solve the problem of side to side width of the TB screen.

I'm not exactly clear on what to do next. Above instructions indicate I may have to customize toolbars again. What is included in that step? Just regular toolbar menu options, or all features that occupy the top horizontal space? I've got Tabs of open emails, "get messages", "write", etc. , plus QuickFolders - with all accounts listed, color coded and indication of those with unread emails. Would all of that have to be set-up again?

Thanks!

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The kb article explains what happens when you do the Reset:

"Removes any toolbar customizations you may have made via the "Customize Toolbar" dialog. Also restores default window size/position and tree sort order and resolves various localstore [now xulstore.json] corruption issues."

Your add-on settings are not affected. As mentioned above, you can achieve the same thing by renaming xulstore.json, so if you want to roll back, restore the json file.

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Thanks again, sfhowes. Took a closer look, based upon your answer above. It appears this action would include removing QuickFolders, which is my life-blood for organization of so many emails accounts in TB.

Now I am really mad at TB for this problem. At this point, I'm putting up with the inconvenience of constantly grabbing and moving the screen - but am earnestly searching for a better alternative.

This is not the first time a TB update has wasted my time, and by extension - it has also wasted the time of the many the nice people on this page offering possible solutions.

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Thanks again, Thunderbird experts who offered advice.

Your wisdom must have somehow influenced TB, because as of this morning, problem fixed (with no changes on my part)!

Blessings and Wellness,

Lori

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I sent a telepathic patch last night, haha. Actually, it has been seen in the past that simply launching TB once in safe mode corrects some problems in unknown ways - it prompts a reset of certain settings that were not reset manually.

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Well sfhowes, I cannot thank you enough for brain-waving my computer last night...LOL

But seriously, I'm so happy to have everything in TB working properly today.

Thanks again for your help! :)

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Well sfhowes, thank you so much for brain-waving my computer last night...LOL

But seriously, I'm so happy to have TB working properly today.

Thanks again for your help! :)