This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

DISPLAY DATE AND TIME IN EMAILS

  • 20 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by quikwal39

more options

There was a time when all emails displayed the date and time but lately only the time is displayed on emails received on that particular day. I want the date and time displayed on all emails in my Inbox and sent items. I tried the config editor and followed some instructions from the web but nothing worked.

Is it possible to force Thunderbird to display the date and time on all emails?

If not, I can live with the default options. Thank you quikwal39

There was a time when all emails displayed the date and time but lately only the time is displayed on emails received on that particular day. I want the date and time displayed on all emails in my Inbox and sent items. I tried the config editor and followed some instructions from the web but nothing worked. Is it possible to force Thunderbird to display the date and time on all emails? If not, I can live with the default options. Thank you quikwal39

All Replies (20)

more options

I followed the directions here and created a new integer preference mail.ui.display.dateformat.today and set it to 2. Messages for today that previously showed just the time in the Date column now show the date and time, after a TB restart.

Tools/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor.

more options

Unfortunately I've tried this procedure a dozen times and on recent emails only the time is shown. On older emails the date and time are displayed but not on recent emails. The internet says it will work but it never does.

mail.ui.display.dateformat.today set integer to 2 but nothing changes.

more options

I'm using Windows 10 and Tb version 60.7.0 Tools (or Menu Icon)/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor I created a new integer preference mail.ui.display.dateformat.today and set it to 2. Closed window clicked on 'OK' in Options window

There was no immediate change.

Restarted Thunderbird and all of todays dates changed from time to date & time.

So this is working for me following sfhowes instructions.

What OS are you using? What version of Thunderbird?

more options

I have windows 8.1 Thunderbird version 60.7.1. I think it's the latest version.

more options

Two possibilities are that you have a program such as CCleaner, that resets TB preferences to defaults, or the prefs.js file in the profile folder is corrupted, so that it doesn't accept changes. How many prefs-N.js, N=1,2,3... files do you have in the profile folder? Help/Troubleshooting Information, click Open Folder to open the profile folder.

more options

This is all I see in the Profile Folder See images attached

more options

I opened Pref-js and this is what it says:

more options

The profile folder contains much more than what you see. Allow the viewing of hidden files and folders in Explorer.

Don't open prefs.js in Script Host; open in a text editor such as Notepad.

more options

Thanks for trying to solve my problem. I opened pref-js in notepad but it's too long to try to add images So what should I look for Is there something I can change?

I added part of the pref-js file. there would be 5 or 6 more parts if I sent the whole file

more options

There's no need to show the entire prefs.js file, but you should see a line that includes mail.ui.display.dateformat.today if you set it to 2, i.e.

user_pref("mail.ui.display.dateformat.today", 2);

If that line isn't present, you can add it (while TB is closed) and see if it has the desired effect when you restart TB.

more options

mail.ui. etc is there and it is set to 2

So I think there is no way to solve this problem Thanks any way. I can live with it as is and it may not be worth spending any more time on it. I was just curious to see if it was possible Thanks again

more options

Have you tried restarting the Thunderbird instance with add-ons disabled from the help menu? IF not I suggest you try it.

Thunderbird 60 disabled many unmaintained add-ons and others advised folks to change a preference that would allow them to continue to use their old addons. This release therefore has more issues with add-ons causing issues because they only "sort of work" with the current release. But they have always been something along with themes that cause issues for some. Usually around non standard/hidden preference settings.

more options

I restarted Thunderbird with add-ons disabled and recent emails show only the (Time) and not the (Date) and (Time). See image

more options

It is odd, almost as if your TB is overruling and using the today - time only as a default. OR you created the Type as a 'String' and not an 'Integer'.

Please confirm in 'config editor', it is showing: mail.ui.display.dateformat.today as 'Type' = Integer. It probably is but just double checking.

Try this: Tools (or Menu Icon)/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor Right click anywhere in the 'about: config' window and select 'New' > 'integer' Enter: mail.ui.display.dateformat.default Set value to '2' Closed window clicked on 'OK' in Options window

Restart Thunderbird.

more options

Could you post image showing the entries in the 'config editor' window.

more options

At first there were two entries String = 2 and also integer = 2. I deleted the string one but did not solve the problem

more options

In the pref-js file I found two entries One has quotation marks and one doesn't Which one is the integer and which is string? Which one should I delete?

more options

Delete the one with the quotation marks (see above).

more options

Delete this one: user_pref("mail.ui.display.dateformat.today", "2");

more options

I guess when I deleted the string option, it automatically deleted the one with Quotation Marks "2".

So now there is only the one integer format I don't want you to waste much more time on this problem because I don't think it can be solved in window 8.1 system.

They say in windows 10 this method works but I have resisted windows 10 for some unknown reason. Thanks for trying. Walter