Is that with the Quick Filter Bar? If you use Classic Search, Ctrl+Shift+F, search begins only after a button is clicked.

First, thank you very much for replying so quickly.

I expect you're correct in identifying the two search functions using the official terms. I think of Ctrl-Shift-F as Advanced Search because it offers search on multiple criteria (and opens up in its own window), and Ctrl-Shift-K as regular, everyday Search because it's much simpler in both ways.

It is the Ctrl-Shift-K search that is failing to wait for me to tell it I've finished typing in a search term before it starts searching. I'd really like to undo that "automatic start to searching" function, and so be able to use the Ctrl-Shift-K search the way I have for years. Is there a way to do that?

If the QFB buttons are all deselected, entering text in the search doesn't start the search until one or more of the buttons are selected.

Thanks again -- but the search is jumping ahead even though I haven't selected any buttons. (In fact, I notice now that I don't see the buttons I'm used to having . . . the ones which would let me choose to search within/among senders, receivers, subjects, and/or bodies of messages. Which buttons are you referring to?)

Type something in the QFB and then the filter buttons appear. In the attached picture, none of the buttons are selected, so the search hasn't begun.

So they do. Thank you for that much. I was hesitant to try because of the automatic jump-start I've run up against.

But I'm still left with that original request. Isn't there a way to force the quick filter to not be quite so quick -- to wait to run until I finish my desired search term? Until I hit Return, or perhaps the space bar, at least?

I don't think we can, or want to, make the Quick Filter Bar less quick. It shouldn't be a problem if you have even a modest piece of hardware, unless your folders have tens of thousands of messages. Enter your search query in another document then copy it into the bar.

Some of my folders do indeed have tens of thousands of messages -- but that's never caused this problem until now. (Dunno if it's a Version 78 thing, but it sounds possible offhand to this very amateur user. I haven't been considered a techie since the mid 1980s when I was the only person in our office who wanted to use a PC we got in a grant.)

I don't want to force anyone else to slow up quick search if what's there now works for them. I do want the option to be able to keep quick search from jumping ahead of my typing fingers, or from forcing me to type even individual-word search terms on Notepad etc. and then cut and paste them to the quick-search bar. If anyone knows of a setting that can accomplish this, please let me know. If not, then I guess I'll have to suffer -- or maybe try reverting to Version 68 to see if that helps -- and be a little less happy with Thunderbird.