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Some settings are lost between sessions in Windows 8

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by Zenos

Jaws
Jaws
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This is a new problem for me after an (involuntary, no-notice, thanks to a bricked computer) change to Windows 8.

I run CCleaner frequently between Thunderbird sessions, and sometimes reboot too (horror of horrors). Every time I do, though, three things happen on startup of Thunderbird that I don't like, and require fixing in a specific order (or I have to redo to keep even within this session):

  • the Lightning calendar tab disappears (fix first)
  • the Quick Filter toolbar REappears (fix second)
  • the bloody Message Pane (F8) reappears (fix third)

Is there a reason that this is a problem ONLY on Windows 8 (it's not a problem on another machine running Windows 7, same version of Tbird, same add-ons, same version of CCleaner, same settings in CCleaner)?

More to the point, are there specific ways to work around this, perhaps by altering data in about:config ? That bloody Message Pane is a REAL annoyance (and security/privacy hazard, but that's a battle I lost a long time ago -- I just want it to stay turned off), and it's annoying to not have startup access to the calendar and to have to reclaim screen real estate from the Quick Filter.

This is a new problem for me after an (involuntary, no-notice, thanks to a bricked computer) change to Windows 8. I run CCleaner frequently between Thunderbird sessions, and sometimes reboot too (horror of horrors). Every time I do, though, three things happen on startup of Thunderbird that I don't like, and require fixing in a specific order (or I have to redo to keep even within this session): * the Lightning calendar tab disappears (fix first) * the Quick Filter toolbar REappears (fix second) * the bloody Message Pane (F8) reappears (fix third) Is there a reason that this is a problem ONLY on Windows 8 (it's not a problem on another machine running Windows 7, same version of Tbird, same add-ons, same version of CCleaner, same settings in CCleaner)? More to the point, are there specific ways to work around this, perhaps by altering data in about:config ? That bloody Message Pane is a REAL annoyance (and security/privacy hazard, but that's a battle I lost a long time ago -- I just want it to stay turned off), and it's annoying to not have startup access to the calendar and to have to reclaim screen real estate from the Quick Filter.

All Replies (3)

Zenos
Zenos
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And is CCleaner set to ignore Thunderbird's profile folders?

I'm really puzzled by the paranoia about the Message Pane. It's never done me any harm and Thunderbird doesn't run scripts anyway.

Jaws
Jaws Question owner
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(1) No such "exclusion" was ever necessary (or remains necessary on the other machine) for Windows 7. To repeat, all CCleaner settings (and versions) are identical between the machines. That's why I asked if this is a new interaction in Windows 8. Further, "ignoring" the Profiles folder will essentially keep CCleaner from managing anything relating to Tbird... and that's sort of contradictory.

(2) Even if it was paranoid to dislike it for security reasons (it's not -- there are exploits in the wild), the Message Pane takes up valuable screen real estate, especially when trying to deal with wave after wave of spam that is not being "learned" by the adaptive filter. Bluntly, I don't want it and shouldn't be forced to sometimes turn it off manually (in a certain order) on some machines that I use... but not on others.

Zenos
Zenos
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Any of the regular helpers here will tell you that CCleaner deletes settings files resulting in the sort of upsets you have described. I don't know why you didn't have such trouble under previous versions of windows, but since I choose not to use windows 8 I'm not able to comment on how or if the behaviour has changed.

There have been changes in Thunderbird itself, allegedly, which I haven't seen applied to any of my own three installations of Thunderbird, that might mean that there are new files that need to be specifically excluded from CCleaner's actions. Maybe these changes are specifically related to Windows 8 installations. If you have a xulstore.json in the profile on the affected machine(s) then try adding xulstore.json to CCleaner's exclusions.

"…will essentially keep CCleaner from managing anything relating to Tbird... and that's sort of contradictory…" Why?? What do you do in Thunderbird that you consider needs to be cleaned up by CCleaner? CCleaner picks on files whose names coincide with similar files used by browsers to record browsing history. Thunderbird uses, for instance, json files to store configuration settings. If you allow CCeaner to delete these from Thunderbird's profile then Thunderbird will necessarily forget things.

We always advise to exclude all of Thunderbird's profile from CCleaner. If you won't take that advice then you're rather on your own.