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Thunderbird doesn't reopen previous session's tabs on startup

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 15 views
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

Mark Howitt
Mark Howitt
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There are some messages that I want TB to reopen on startup, in tabs that were open when I closed TB. Until the latest update, it did this, now it always forgets them.

I found an answer in archived question "Email account stuck on Drafts and can't get to Inbox etx" https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1280765#question-reply, but that requires getting into Troubleshoot mode to correct it. However, Troubleshoot mode will kill all add-ons etc. How do I correct the problem without losing previous work? (Better would be an update that reverses out this change.)

There are some messages that I want TB to reopen on startup, in tabs that were open when I closed TB. Until the latest update, it did this, now it always forgets them. I found an answer in archived question "Email account stuck on Drafts and can't get to Inbox etx" https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1280765#question-reply, but that requires getting into Troubleshoot mode to correct it. However, Troubleshoot mode will kill all add-ons etc. How do I correct the problem without losing previous work? (Better would be an update that reverses out this change.)

All Replies (3)

sfhowes
sfhowes
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Selecting Help/More Troubleshooting Information (TB 91) doesn't put TB in safe/troubleshoot mode, it just opens a tab with other system information. On that tab, click Open Folder for Profile Folder, close TB, delete session.json. TB should then open with the tabs that were open at last closing.

Mark Howitt
Mark Howitt Question owner
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I did all that, carefully and in sequence, having first opened a tab that I wanted to reopen on startup. It didn't reopen it.

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
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re :I did all that, carefully and in sequence, having first opened a tab that I wanted to reopen on startup. It didn't reopen it.

Assuming you accessed the profile - Exited Thunderbird - deleted session file - restart Thunderbird. I would not expect it to open and display any previously opened tabs upon restart because you deleted the session file. This means it creates a new clean session file when you restart Thunderbird.

Then you open email in new tab and hopefully this time the 'session' file keeps a good record. So when you next exit Thunderbird, it retains info correctly.

However, if you have another program which is cleaning up session files then you will keep getting a problem. So if issue persists - do you have any software/program on your computer that can clean up files like session or password etc files. Programs like CCleaner or WiseCleaner or even some Anti-Virus Products can clean up files. If yes, you do use those types of products then you need to make sure that your Thunderbird profile folder and files are exempt - do not allow those types of products access to your Thunderbird profile as they can cause havoc.