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Thunderbird will not display message body.

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  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu taavim

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Installed TB 31.5. Everything looked fine til I attempted to open an email. When I attempt to do so, no content/body of email displays. Have tried many different emails with same result: shows To, From, Subject, etc on top left. Where message body should be, it is all blank. Have tried changing 'view message body as' options (original html, simple html, plain text). Nothing works.

Installed TB 31.5. Everything looked fine til I attempted to open an email. When I attempt to do so, no content/body of email displays. Have tried many different emails with same result: shows To, From, Subject, etc on top left. Where message body should be, it is all blank. Have tried changing 'view message body as' options (original html, simple html, plain text). Nothing works.

All Replies (20)

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tried right clicking the folder, selecting properties and then the repair button?

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Just tried that, didn't work. The message body is visible if I click reply or print preview. Thank you for the suggestion.

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Go to Tools menu (alt+T) > options > display >colors and make sure the font color set there is not the same as the background.

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Checked--font color is black, bg is white. 'Use system colors' is unchecked, 'Allow content to choose its own colors' is checked. Seems like it should be something simple, but I'm baffled. Other ideas? Thanks for your help.

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Oh and what shows up is not white--it's just gray (prefer the old classic windows design). There's no 'window', it just blends in with the rest of the tab--as if the tab is covering everything except the part with the to, from and subject.

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Is it a POP account? How is your account settings / server settings ? Do you have fetch headers only marked? Uncheck that.

Ilungisiwe ngu Gnospen

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Yes it is POP account and fetch headers only is unchecked. Thanks.

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Any more suggestions?

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Is it all mail, or only mail from some recipients?

Could you forward a mail that has demonstrated this to me as an attachment? Alt +m to display the message menu, select forward and then as attachment. email address unicorn dot consulting at gmail dot com

Mail forwarded as attachment is exactly as it appears on your computer so I can see the source exactly as it appears to you. That is before you click reply or print preview.

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It is all mail, no matter who sent it, what it contains, or what subject. I have forwarded to you as attachment. It may go to your spam folder though--subject begins LAST CHANCE to get 66 percent off... I hope it does display exactly. If I simply hit the forward button without opening the email, the email body displays with no problem (except, of course, that any links are not clickable). I can open attachments too, although I have to do it through the menu. Thank you Matt.

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Nothing yet, so I assume one of us got the address wrong.

Go there and get the address then at least I am off the hook for messing it up 0 :) https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/user/MattAuSupport

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Ok, tried again, copying and pasting your address. Checked the first one and had address correct, but who can say what happened? If you don't receive, let me know. Thanks.

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Matt did you ever receive my email?

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elceema said

Matt did you ever receive my email?

No I did not.

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How odd. I sent it a 2nd time. I tried sending it to my gmail address and didn't receive it. Then sent to husbands and it arrived. Then send to mine again and it arrived.

Anyway, update: I tried restarting TB in safe mode and it works. But when I start regularly, the message body won't display again. When I check, I have no add ons/extensions, though I do have some plugins. I don't know what is being disabled when I start in safe mode, but message body shows when I do.

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I have it now.

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Thank you for letting me know.

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Here it is over 2 months later and I still have the same problem. I have checked every setting I can think of. There was no problem at all before updating to the new version. I've even tried installing tb on another computer and migrating profile there--same result. Can only view message body by replying, forwarding, or restarting tb in safe mode.

Is there no actual support from the creators of this program? I've used ff and tb for years and seriously don't want to go to another email client!

I would happily go back to an older version, but am concerned that some important business emails would get lost in the transition. If I backup my profile, then uninstall version 31.5 and install, say, version 31. When I restore my profile, would my profile be intact? (Because I'd be backing up with a different version than I was restoring to).

I feel there HAS to be some setting that I could change to correct this issue (in about:config, for example), since it operates fine in safe mode and everything is visible when I select reply or forward.

Any help would be much appreciated!

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Have you tried the simple expedient of downloading the current version and installing it?

Thunderbird does occasionally update the user profile, but there have been no substantive changes for a couple of years now, so installing another version is as simple an doing so. No backups or uninstalls required.

Personally I think the issue will be in the theme (you use the standard theme I am assuming) or an add-on as they are the things affected by safe mode. HAve you made the changes permanent when you start in safe mode?

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I'm curious what add-on's do you use? Perhaps pasting your troubleshooting information here might bring some light.

To find the Troubleshooting information:

  • Open Help (or click on three-line-icon and select Help)
  • Choose Troubleshooting Information
  • Use the button Copy to clipboard to select all. Do not check box "Include account names"!
  • Paste this in your post.
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