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Unable to read messages - no message pane

  • 6 replies
  • 14 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by haweho

siliconglen
siliconglen
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I am using Thunderbird 38.2.0 on Windows 10. When starting Thunderbird this morning, there is no message pane. When I click on my mail and news folders on the left the right pane does not change and remains as the generic top level window which says "read messages" "write messages" "view settings for this account" "create account" etc. I am able to view messages if I create a new window/tab

I have reinstalled thunderbird but this didn't fix the problem

The menus at the top say "file edit view go message tools" When I right click there is a customise option but this does nothing.

There is no help menu.

How do I fix this?

I am using Thunderbird 38.2.0 on Windows 10. When starting Thunderbird this morning, there is no message pane. When I click on my mail and news folders on the left the right pane does not change and remains as the generic top level window which says "read messages" "write messages" "view settings for this account" "create account" etc. I am able to view messages if I create a new window/tab I have reinstalled thunderbird but this didn't fix the problem The menus at the top say "file edit view go message tools" When I right click there is a customise option but this does nothing. There is no help menu. How do I fix this?

All Replies (6)

user01229325
user01229325
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The Message Pane is toggled on and off by pressing F8.

But from your description is sounds like you are viewing the top level account screen and do not have the Directory Pane showing all accounts and folders down the left margin.

From the Menu Bar select View-Layout-Directory Pane

The Message Pane is also available under the View-Layout menu.

siliconglen
siliconglen Question owner
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Yes, I have the directory pane and all the accounts and folders down the left, but wherever I click there the right hand side still shows the same.

I am seeing two panes. The one on the left which shows the accounts and folders and the one on the right which never changes and which is the generic thunderbird top level window as if you had clicked on the root folder on the left.

There is no message directory listing pane or message viewing pane, have tried F8.

Any other suggestions?

user01229325
user01229325
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There have been reports of display problems with the new version. The suggested fix is to turn Hardware Acceleration off.

It is under Tools-Options-General

I have not upgraded to version 38 due to the issues. I never do upgrades until the dust settles on any major version change.

siliconglen
siliconglen Question owner
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This is a hardware issue? It works fine when I open a second pane.

user01229325
user01229325
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I do not know. Just throwing out a suggestion based on questions and solutions I have seen . Do not follow it if you do not want to. I have no more to offer you. Like I said, I do not run the buggy version 38. Maybe someone else will have something for you.

Modified by user01229325

haweho
haweho
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Have you got the extension Thunderbird Conversations installed? If so, you are probalby left with version 2.8.1, which does not work with Thunderbird 38+. Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/de/thunderbird/addon/gmail-conversation-view/ and download the latest version (2.10). This worked fine for me.