What version of Thunderbird are you using? I was not aware the release version could do that.

Matt, many thanks for your reply.

How do I determine/find what version of Thunderbird I'm using? Would you please provide guidance.

I also must apologize that I didn't provide a complete explanation of what is showing at the bottom of the screen when I wrote the request for help, but I was just too confused at the time to do so, so here's what's there: In addition to Send, Fwd, Archive, Junk, Delete, there is also From, Subject, Reply To and To, as well as a couple lines of the message.

However, such is only the case when in the inbox, a particular message is highlighted. Once one opens the message, then everything is at the top of the screen as in the past, rather than the bottom.

Is possibly this by design in whatever version of Thunderbird I have, that its something new resulting from an automatic update?

move you mouse to the line that goes across the screen above what your "Function bar" when the mouse cursor turns into an updown type arrow, somewhat like the following ⇕ Click and drag the line to the middle of the screen.

You will get the version information on the more troubleshooting information on the help menu, Help > about menu. But at this point I do not think it is needed.

Matt, thanks for your most recent message.

I tried doing as you suggested with the cursor, on the lines of the email containing your message, but the arrow never inverted and left clicking on the lines to drag, simply moved the entire page. Might I not be interpreting and executing your instructions correctly?

But if you are of the opinion that what I'm experiencing which I described in my previous message is simply a new feature of Thunderbird, then I'll just live with it.

What do you suggest?

It would be helpful if you could post an image which visually shows the problem. But it just sounds like the 'Message Pane' height has been reduced. So you currently have a lot of space for the list of emails, but not much space to read the content.

Image below should help you to understand what Matt has advised on how to increase height of Message Pane. You need to hover mouse over the top edge of Message Pane. That means the dividing line just above the buttons 'Reply, Forward, Archive, Junk, Delete, More' The mouse pointer should change to perhaps a double headed arrow. Then left click, hold down and drag up.

Toad-Hall, many thanks, as by following your advice/instructions, the problem has seemingly been solved, although not quite in the manner anticipated.

I did as you instructed and was able to drag the Message Pane upward, but it wouldn't go all the way to the top of the screen and was, therefore, blocking the screen, so I dragged the Message Pane back to the bottom and took it so far that the Message Pane which had been occupying the bottom of the screen, disappeared completely!

So, problem solved, hopefully permanently and I thank you!

Good lord. That is just pressing the F8 key to turn on and off the message reading pane. I finally worked out what you were trying to do

So Matt, had I known to press the F8 sequence keys, that would have rectified my problem?

The F8 key (I have 12 of them above my numbers keys), it is not a sequence. But yes it turns the pane on and off depending on it's current state. You finally turned off by dragging it off the screen but F8 would have done exactly the same thing.

Matt, many thanks for your patience, as being elderly I too often experience cognition deficiencies, but thanks to your reminder I took better note of my row of function keys and there among them is F8, with little screen symbols.

I wonder if I had unknowingly caused the original problem by inadvertently having pushed F8?

Anyway, thanks again and I'm making a note of the matter for future reference in case such is required.