I do see a pattern, a common one for folk that have incompatible add-ons or anti virus that is not really up to snuff. The following will help you establish which it is;

• Restart Thunderbird with add-ons disabled (Thunderbird Safe Mode). On the Help menu, click on "Restart with Add-ons Disabled". If Thunderbird works like normal, there is an Add-on or Theme interfering with normal operations. You will need to re-enable add-ons one at a time until you locate the offender.
• Restart the operating system in safe mode with Networking. This loads only the very basics needed to start your computer while enabling an Internet connection. Click on your operating system for instructions on how to start in safe mode: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, OSX

If safe mode for the operating system fixes the issue, there's other software in your computer that's causing problems. Possibilities include but not limited to: AV scanning, virus/malware, background downloads such as program updates.

Great, except that .... sometimes Thunderbird DOES update on its own or when I push "Get Messages".

I have no Add-ons for Thunderbird. My AV program (Avast) runs all the time. So something here is inconsistent: The rest of my programs which run fine, or .... Thunderbird - which has had this problem like, forever.

Oh, and if your program needs me to be in Safe Mode with Networking in order to run properly, then the state of affairs just went from sad to pathetic.

trohlev said

Oh, and if your program needs me to be in Safe Mode with Networking in order to run properly, then the state of affairs just went from sad to pathetic.

If your operating system needs to be in safe mode with networking the problem is most assuredly not Thunderbird. But it would appear you did not read the answer I gave if that is the conclusion you have managed to draw from it. I am well and truly over listening to folk with a problem tell me it is not their "insert name of anti virus" and that "safe mode" does not help. It is up to you if you want to find a solution. If not just do not bother to reply to this email. If you are interested in finding a solution then reply with the results of the testing you did, not assertions as to what you think is the problem and what you think is not. Most Thunderbird issues are not problems with Thunderbird and on Windows it is very often a bad update to an anti virus product..

There is a list if Avast caused issues going back years here https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:Testing:Antivirus_Related_Performance_Issues#AVAST Does it cause a problem with some other product, probably not. That does not make the failure any less the responsibility of the product causing the failure.

Ohh and every install of Thunderbird comes with an add-on, the calendar. I doubt it is your issue, but then given your apparent disdain for actually getting support I chose to offer generic fundamental advice in case anyone had the misfortune to stumble on your venting while actually seeking a solution to a problem.

Additionally if you are having issues with a mail account it is always a good idea to identify the provider (they are not all the same) and the settings you are using to connect to the providers server.

Completing the following will provide that information about your settings.

Could you please do the following:

1. Open the menu > Help > Troubleshooting Information, then click Copy text to Clipboard.
2. Open a reply to this post, and paste the link to your troubleshooting information.

I would also suggest you disable the mail shield to see if they are at fault. https://help.avast.com/en/av_free/19/settings_sh_mail_basic.html

Get this: Yesterday Thunderbird did not update my emails until it was restarted.

Today it is updating my emails as expected.

Here's the short list of things that have NOT changed since yesterday:

My Avast update. My Malware update. My operating system. Add-ons to Thunderbird. Programs added or taken off my machine.

So what does that leave?

1: The position of the moon relative the Earth. 2: The position of the Earth and all other planets relative the Sun. 3: Bugs in Thunderbird.

But I'm sure you're right: It absolutely, positively, can't be Thunderbird. Thousands of posts on this blog complaining of Thunderbird bugs notwithstanding, it MUST be something else. It's always something else.

....my guess is the effect of Neptune's gravity on my HDD during a write.

you restarted your device, so you cleared any software issue that was blocking Thunderbird. Most likely avast.

There is a reason all troubleshooting of electric devices from refrigerators and bed side clocks to computers has always been to turn the thing off and on again. You have now done it and cured your problem.

But as you can not leave the snarky sarcasm behind I think I will just stop this conversation. My life is to short to deal with you further.

Just leave it that i will bow to your clearly huge experience and knowledge on the topic. It is obviously superior to my 30 years dealing with FREDS.