Join the AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the Firefox leadership team to celebrate Firefox 20th anniversary and discuss Firefox’s future on Mozilla Connect. Mark your calendar on Thursday, November 14, 18:00 - 20:00 UTC!

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

Thunderbird 68 truncates the link to a detached file at the first comma in the filename

more options

To reproduce: Send an email to one of your own email accounts with an attachment with a comma in the name eg "One two, three four.txt" Receive the email, open it, right click the attachment and select Detach and then Save Note the error: This detached file or link attachment is not found or is not accessible at this location anymore. Note the truncated link in the status bar: eg "file:///[saved location]/One two" Note the file is saved correctly: eg "file:///[saved location]/One two, three four.txt"

Repeat and note the same error in Safe Mode.

To reproduce: Send an email to one of your own email accounts with an attachment with a comma in the name eg "One two, three four.txt" Receive the email, open it, right click the attachment and select Detach and then Save Note the error: This detached file or link attachment is not found or is not accessible at this location anymore. Note the truncated link in the status bar: eg "file:///[saved location]/One two" Note the file is saved correctly: eg "file:///[saved location]/One two, three four.txt" Repeat and note the same error in Safe Mode.
Attached screenshots

All Replies (14)

more options

I assume this is bug 160190 as that dealt with incorrect quoting.

more options

Matt said

I assume this is bug 160190 as that dealt with incorrect quoting.

It looks similar but (1) this affects any type of file, (2) spaces in the filename don't trigger it but commas do, (3) it appears in the new 'filelink' functionality rather than just on attempting Shell Command, and (4) is not fixed in TB 68.4.1

Since commas in names of attached files are common and TB 68.4.1 is on the release update channel I am assuming there must be lots of duplicate reports, but I'm afraid I'm not so skilled at using this forum, sorry.

Chris

more options

I can't reproduce here with 68.4.2 32b/W10, testing with a file that has spaces and a comma in the name. Detach and Open do not show an error.

Before deciding it's a bug, I think you would have to test in a new profile. Help/Troubleshooting, about:profiles, to create a new profile. The old one is unaffected.

more options

sfhowes said

I can't reproduce here with 68.4.2 32b/W10, testing with a file that has spaces and a comma in the name. Detach and Open do not show an error. Before deciding it's a bug, I think you would have to test in a new profile. Help/Troubleshooting, about:profiles, to create a new profile. The old one is unaffected.

I have reproduced this problem in Thunderbird 68.4.2 32b in Windows 10.

I am very sorry but I cannot understand your suggestion. I cannot find a menu item "Troubleshooting" under the "Help" menu and neither the menu item "Troubleshooting information" under the "Help" menu nor anywhere else that I can find appear to provide any option to create a new profile, nor can I discover a way to access anything called "about:profiles" in Thunderbird.

Please could you clarify your instructions?

UPDATE: I created a new profile by running "thunderbird.exe -p". I was able to recreate the problem with under the new profile.

more options

chris_seddon said

I have reproduced this problem in Thunderbird 68.4.2 32b in Windows 10.

On how many machines, just because you have the problem does not mean you can reproduce it on another device.


chris_seddon said

UPDATE: I created a new profile by running "thunderbird.exe -p". I was able to recreate the problem with under the new profile.

Here are my instructions with pictures. https://thunderbirdtweaks.blogspot.com/2019/09/i-lost-my-profilemail-on-update-to.html

more options

There have been rumors of a windows bug to do with file saving as well. But as Thunderbird has bugs in that area, that is not well understood.

But I would suggest you try safe mode for the operating system;

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.
more options

Reproduced in W10 safe mode TB68.4.2 32b.

This really does not appear to be a file system problem, if you look at the screen shot you can see that TB is not even trying to open the detached file, it has truncated the file name in the link at the first comma. I can open the file by using the full name in other programmes.

I'll try it on another computer when I can get hold of one.

more options

Matt said

chris_seddon said
I have reproduced this problem in Thunderbird 68.4.2 32b in Windows 10.

On how many machines, just because you have the problem does not mean you can reproduce it on another device.


chris_seddon said

UPDATE: I created a new profile by running "thunderbird.exe -p". I was able to recreate the problem with under the new profile.

Here are my instructions with pictures. https://thunderbirdtweaks.blogspot.com/2019/09/i-lost-my-profilemail-on-update-to.html

Thank you for clarifying the instructions already provided by sfhowes. I have assumed that by creating a new profile using the method I documented I no longer need them, but do let me know if there is some significant difference.

more options

I was just clarify where things were for you as you said they were not there.

more options

Matt said

I was just clarify where things were for you as you said they were not there.

Thank you both, your patience is much appreciated

more options

After reading you original post again, I think I understand it better, and do indeed see an issue with commas. In the first picture, a message has two attachments, Image 1 Copy.png and Image,Copy.png. Both attachments can be opened or detached, and after detaching both are removed from the message. The context menu for the first file shows the available actions, and the path is correct in the status bar. If I were to delete or move the detached file from its original saved location, the file name would have a strikethrough, and only 'Copy Link Location' would appear in the context menu.

The second picture shows the context menu for the detached file with a comma. The path in the status bar is truncated to the part before the comma, and the menu shows the same options as a detached file that has been deleted or moved, although this one hasn't. Hovering on the file shows that the file is 'not found', because there is in fact no file with the truncated name (3rd picture).

So, I guess the bug is what you said: TB fails to retain the location of detached files with commas in the name. The bug that was fixed in 68.4.1 was for opening attachments with spaces in the name. There is no issue now with opening files with commas, only with detaching.

more options

sfhowes said

So, I guess the bug is what you said: TB fails to retain the location of detached files with commas in the name. The bug that was fixed in 68.4.1 was for opening attachments with spaces in the name. There is no issue now with opening files with commas, only with detaching.

Thank you for confirming that. I hope that you guys will know whether and how to submit this as a bug and get it fixed as required, but do let me know if I can help in any way.

more options

Bugs can be submitted on Bugzilla:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi#h=dupes%7CThunderbird

Include a link to this forum topic, and post a link to the bug report here.

more options

Added as a reversion to a very old bug https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=350825