Please describe what you're doing in a way that someone who cannot see what's happening on your screen is able to follow your steps. Provide as many details as possible. A statement like 'I cannot read any e-mail' isn't that useful really.

When Thunderbird loads everything appears normal. I can see the number of e-mails in the inbox (the number only. The actual list is visible only on the default e-mail account that appears on the screen) . However, when I place the cursor over an e-mail and click on it to open it, nothing happens. It is like the mouse isn't working although I know it is. I then click on another e-mail account to even see if those e-mails will display in a list. Nothing happens. That is the point. Nothing at all happens. It is just frozen when I click on any e-mail, or account or go into the menus at the top of the page.

I have followed the instructions to start Thunderbird in safe mode but that has no effect.

All of this started immediately on the update referenced above being installed.

That is all the detail I can give you.

Try to start Windows in safe mode with networking enabled. - Win10 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12376/windows-10-start-your-pc-in-safe-mode - Win8 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17076/windows-8-startup-settings-safe-mode - Win7 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17419/windows-7-advanced-startup-options-safe-mode#start-computer-safe-mode=windows-7

Still in Windows safe mode, start Thunderbird in safe mode. - https://support.mozilla.org/kb/safe-mode

Does the problem go away?

After being unable to even start Windows 7 in safe mode I gave up. I used the restore point function to go back to prior to the installation of 52.1.1 which resulted in the older program being unable to run, so I went to FileHippo ann downloaded version 45.8 which now seems to work okay again.