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

how to stop thunderbird send out my draft email

  • 5 replies
  • 6 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

more options

Thunderbird keeps sending out my unfinished draft message automatically. I did not hit send button when I was composing, but Thunderbird just did so. Besides working in offline mode, how can I configure Thunderbird to have a "send later" function.

Thunderbird keeps sending out my unfinished draft message automatically. I did not hit send button when I was composing, but Thunderbird just did so. Besides working in offline mode, how can I configure Thunderbird to have a "send later" function.

All Replies (5)

more options

It is not possible to Send without the specific instruction. But there is more one method to 'Send' an email.

So I'm wondering if you have unknowingly used certain key strokes which caused this to occur. 'Ctrl' + 'Enter/Return' can Send an email.

When composing emails you may frequently use the 'Enter' (also known as Return key), but if you accidentally are depressing the 'Ctrl' key at the same time, the Send operation will happen.

I have only come accross this before with a person I know personally, who showed me what they were doing and they just did not realise that they had developed a habit of accidentally depressing the 'Ctrl' key on the left side of keyboard where they rested their hand; the side of their hand near small finger was applying enough pressure to make the 'Ctrl'+'Enter/Return' keystroke operation to be invoked when they thought they were only pressing the 'Enter/Return' key.

Usually, when this occurs, a 'Send Message' Are you sure? will pop up, but if this has been switched off at some time in the past by selecting the option 'Do not show me dialogue box again', then it will not show the message again and will just send the email.

One method I suggested to that person was to compose message whilst in 'Offline' mode. Then it would not send an email as the Ctrl+Enter operation is not available in Offline mode. I also suggested they placed something under their wrists to raise their hands when typing.

Offline mode can be easily selected by clicking on the two blue screen icon located far left in the bottom Status bar. You can return to 'Online' mode by clicking on the two black screen icon located far left in the bottom Status bar.

more options

To make sure the option to 'confirm when using keystroke shortcut to send message' is selected:

Tools > Options > Composition > General tab select: 'confirm when using keystroke shortcut to send message' click on OK

more options

The only other method I can think of without going into Offline mode, would be to not insert the TO fields until you have finished the email content.

Ususally, in a new Write message, the focus is on the TO field, then Subject then content, but if you have not entered an email address in a TO field then the 'Send' and 'Send later' functions are not available and that includes the keystroke methods of sending.

So after opening a new Write message, use TAB to move from TO to Subject, enter the Subject and then Compose the message. Finally, enter the TO fields. As soon as you type in the TO field, these options become available. Perhaps this slight change in the order of completing an email form will suit you better.

more options

Toad-Hall said

To make sure the option to 'confirm when using keystroke shortcut to send message' is selected: Tools > Options > Composition > General tab select: 'confirm when using keystroke shortcut to send message' click on OK

I checked my choice, the box was checked. And I tried to send messages to myself, but it never asked me to confirm.

more options

It would only ask to confirm if you had used the shortcut keys: 'Ctrl' + 'Enter/Return', not if you used 'Send' button. It is fail safe just in case you used the shortcut keys by accident.