Images do not display.

Sometime the remote images in an email do not display  This could be due to the permissions.default.image hidden preference in Thunderbird. If you never see the allow images button on emails from senders not in your address book this setting is the probable cause of the images and the button not appearing.

As I understand this preference, it blocks remote images. 2 blocks everything 1 allows images from the original server, 0 allows images from any server. With 1 being the Thunderbird default.

Go to Tools menu > options > advanced > config editor

Type into the search box permissions.default.image or as much as you need to double click on it in the list below.

When changing this setting, it is advisable to reduce the setting to it's current value -1 as each reduction in values is a reduction in security as well as an increase in convenience.

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The RETR command did not succeed. Thank ATT and YAHOO for the need for this post

This post is about the "conversation" that occurs between a mail client and the mail server when the client is downloading mail using POP3

Because email is one of the early developments of the internet, everything about the connection and download of mails is done in plain text in the English language.  So much so that you can log into a mail server and get you mail by typing text commands in response to text prompts from the server

But we are not going there. If that is your interest there is an article here that discusses how to use Telnet to connect to the POP3 server.

I am concentrating on only Three of those POP commands STAT, LIST and RETR.

STAT is the command issued to the server to ask if there is mail to download.  The server replies with a message that looks like

+OK nn mm

where nn is number of messages and 

mm is the total size of those messages. 

LIST is the command that follows and is designed to get the server to provide more information about the messages it is holding.  So when your mail client issues the list command to the server it get a reply that looks something like this.

Thunderbird: LIST
Server: +OK 2 messages (320 octets)
Server: 1 120
Server: 2 200
Server: .

In this example there are 2 messages available  

The important information for the mail client such as Thunderbird is that the server has allocated the messages a number (in the examples case 1 and 2) that proceeds the message size information.

This allows for the Third command, RETR.  Using the information obtained in the proceeding LIST the mail client can now proceed to ask the mail server for the message.  This is done using the RETR command and the message number.  This command is issued once for each message to initiate a download of that message and looks something like this.

             Thunderbird: RETR 1
             Server: +OK 120 octets
             Server: <the POP3 server sends the entire message here>
             Server: .

As you can see, for the RETR command to fail, there basically has to be a problem on the server as the mail client (Thunderbird) is only asking the server to provide that which it has already said is available.

Further information can be found in RFC 1939 which is the standard that all POP3 compliant mail server and clients must comply with

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Importing CSV files

Now this post is very much driven by the fact that there are still plenty of major players in the email world that have never grasped the more advanced methods of exchanging address information and we are continually relying on that old nugget CSV.

It is fine for those that have been using computers for 20 years or more, we used to exchange data between dBase and just about everything else, so CSV is no stranger.  To those that have grown up in the point and click world of Microsoft Windows on the various Mac operating systems, anything that can not be done with a Mouse is foreign territory.

Enter Comma Seperated Values (CSV), a true "blast from the past" having a history that goes back into the 1960s, long before Apple had a computer and well before the mouse was even an idea. CSV is unfortunately a term used to describe a collection of data formats, about the only thing they have in common is that between each pierce of information there is a comma and the information is in "text".


Because there is so much difference between what is called CSV between the programs that generate is (some put text inside double quotes, "This This", others do not. It becomes important to actually have a bit of a visual at the data in the to get some idea of how the data is laid out.  It is to this end that you will often see a recommendation to open the file in a spread sheet application.

The actual data stored in the file looks something like this

 First Name,Last Name,Email Address,Home Phone,Mobile Phone,Business Phone
Willian,Gates,bill@microsoft.com,,,
Rob Roy,mcgregor,rob@mcgregor.com,,,

Developers of Spreadsheet applications have spent many years developing sophisticated import wizards for CSV files so you can tweak the import using options to make the data look like it is in columns under headings.  Ultimately this process results in a "more standardised" data format and your CSV file opening in your spreadsheet looking like a table.

This data layout is generated by Windows Live.  Thunderbird expects there to be a first and last name, but it also expects a display name but Live simply does not include this, so we have to massage the data supplied by windows Live to make things work.  Having the data in LibreOffice it is a fairly simple process to add a column for the display name.  But first things first. You need to save the document as an ODF file, as Libre is stubborn about what you can and can not do with a CSV file.

Right clicking on the letters and the top displayed a menu and you select insert columns from it.

I do this twice, and create two columns on as a temporary display name and the other as the final display name.

Now to get the display name data.  Obviously the information we want is in the first two columns, so we need to include the information from both of these columns into on. ie Concatenate the data.

To do this we use a formula.

 

For those not used to formulas, once it is entered the first time, you can use the little black square on the bottom right to drag the formula down the list to the end.  What we have now is a formula generated display name, but the cell contains a formula and displays what we want.

The next step is to copy and paste the information from the temp column to the final "Display Name"  when you paste, use the paste special and change the options so all you paste is text.

Now we should have  the Diusplay name in two columns, so right click the Temp Display name column and delete it. so things end up looking like those shown in the image below.

Now  File menu, select "save as" and select the file type of CSV. 
Thunderbird will not do anything but choke if you forget this step.

PostScript
For those using LibreOffice, it automatically changes formulas to the display value when you save as a CSV file. I have no idea is this is the case with other spreadsheet programs.  Needless to say you can skip the copy and paste text part if you are using Libre office, just name the column to "Display Name" in the first place and only create one now column.  For myself, I will continue the two column approach because that way I can see and be sure, I am not relying on the computer program to get it right for me.

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Compacting Data loss.

Data loss through the compact process has become the number one support request, so something is wrong.

The release of Thunderbird 16 should have fixed most of these issues.  Please post a support request on the get satisfaction support site if your still experiencing these sorts of issues,
 https://getsatisfaction.com/mozilla_messaging

Please be sure to try right clicking the folder selecting properties and then repairing it. (not this only repair the index,  If real data loss has occurred it can do nothing) Lots of information about how and what is always good.  Steps to reproduce a problem get it fixed far faster that those issues where magic is involved.



Unfortunately no one knows what it is that is wrong, or really when it 'became' a problem.  I have posted in the past about compacting and stated that data loss does not occur at the time of compacting, at the moment I feel that is not the case.  I may also have been in error then as well.

I am making no claims that I can fix your problem, or that your data can be restored, on the contrary, recent cases of data loss do appear to be permanent.  The usual options of changing the entry on the View menu for folder to ALL does not work and neither does right clicking the folder, selecting properties and then the repair button. I do however encourage everyone to try them.  At this point my desire is to try and establish some sort of base line that can be used to determine the cause.

Is there a fundamental bug in the compact process?  If there is, it is well hidden.  Millions of people have no problem, but an unfortunate few not only see this problem, but in some cases see it repeatedly.  This leads me to believe, rightly or wrongly that there is a secondary issue required or more than one that makes the circle complete and result in the problem.   Thus we need to start looking for similarities between users who have the problem, and we get to the whole point of this post, to ask people to provide information.

I have no idea if this will be useful, but your co operation is appreciated.

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Thunderbird and CCleaner or my settings will not stick.

for quite some time I have observed people complaining in support forums that they are unable to get the preview pane in Thunderbird to stay turned off.

I have also seen complaints that other changes to the layout of the folders and other elements of Thunderbird such as setting the folder view to something other than the default will not stick.

Recently I have learned that this action is not accidental, nor is it the result of a bug or some weird interaction between unrelated software.  It is deliberate 

Enter CCleaner

The people over at CCleaner appear to think that Thunderbird is a browser.  They also think that they are preserving your privacy be deleting the Session.json file from your profile after Thunderbird closes and you guessed it.  The file is used to store settings about what elements of the user interface is visible, or which type of folder fview you have selected.  Or even what headings appear on your message list.

The cure is also self evident once you know what is going on.  Complain most bitterly to the people at CCleaner who have caused you inconvenience and turn the silly option off.

Fortunately this is fairly simple and straight forward, just deselect session under the Thunderbird entry in CCleaner.

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Opening Suspicious Emails

Under this heading, I could almost start a topic on urban Myths. The internet abounds with Furhpys  about email, and one of the most common is that something disastrous is going to happen if you open that suspicious email you just received.

Scripts

This is one of those urban myths that has been around for years that actually has a grain of truth attached to it.  In relation to Thunderbird is is basically a mistruth.  However if you are using a mail client from the Microsoft Stable it is in fact a very real risk.  This is because the Mozilla mail client is designed from the ground up with security in mind, where as the Microsoft product (as well as many others I am sure) are designed with ease of use and a glorious and rich email experience as the single most important thrust.  The trouble with this approach is that almost everything you do to your email to make it sing and dance reduces the security of the email process significantly.

To protect you from those with malicious intent, Thunderbird does not allow any scripts (VBscript JavaScript) to run within the email.  This means that the bouncing ball or the funny banner that the sender programs to follow your mouse simply will not work, but it also means that the folks over at virii R us can't get their little gem to play either, so even if the mail contains a script to download every know virus onto your computer, opening the email will do nothing because the script simply can't run.

This is also the case with Flash animations and flash movies.  They also don't work, and for the same reason that the scripts are disabled. They represent a threat to your security.

Unfortunately this does at times catch other legitimate processes, such as the little Plus and Minus that some emailers include with reports.  In my opinion however the negatives are vastly outweighed by the positives.

Remote Content.

Thunderbird likewise blocks remote images from those not in your address book.  This causes many to moan about the fact that they have to make a conscious decision to 'allow remote content'. I have even seen what I would consider rants about how you don't have to do this in Outlook so why should I have to do it in Thunderbird.  The answer remains the same as it has always been.  Remote content can and does represent a security and privacy risk to you and the recipient of the mail.  You will find that many commercial emails you receive (those ones you subscribed to from XYX newservice, paypal etc) contain a special image just for you.  These images are usually a single pixel and the same color as the background of the mail so they add nothing to the content as such, but the link that downloads that image contains your personal identifiable information.  The result is that the sender can identify that you received the mail they sent and that you opened it, what time of day you opened it and to a reasonable extent where you were when you opened that mail.  Just how close to the were, you can get from here   That web site uses the same technology to locate you are is used with these one pixel images.

Now this blocking of remote content can be turned off, by changing a setting in the config editor.
Tools menu > options > advanced > general and click the config editor button.
Acknowledge the half tongue in cheek warning and enter the editor.
Type mailnews.message_display.disable_remote_image or as much of it as is needed to display it in the list
Double click the entry in the list
Set the value to false

A far more responsible way to do this is to set up a list of domains that can sent you emails with remote content.  (The domain is the part after the @ in an email address).

The procedure is the same as outlined about, but instead of editing mailnews.message_display.disable_remote_image you edit mail.trusteddomains (if the entry does not exist, simply add it.) and include the domain you think you can trust.  This example uses domains I would not trust.

hotmail.com,yahoo.com,aol.com,gmail.com,paypal.com,ebay.com

If you were to enter that list into the mail.trusteddomains preference all remote content from people that have email addresses at those domains would be show.  Note there are no spaces between entries.

Remember that once you allow remote content by default you are giving up some of your privacy for the convenience of not having to decide if you really need to see the pictures.

My remote content is enabled on a per user basis and I am providing this information as just that. I do not recommend automatic enabling of remote content.  My theory is that if I don't want them in my address book (thus enabling remote content) I probably don't need their images either. I do occasionally click that little allow remote content button to allow remote images, but I decide case by case.

Summary

 In the absence of any scripting language support and without the avenue of remote content, that email in your inbox is basically quarantined.  Now all things are void if you open any attachment that the mail has, but the mail itself can do no harm because all of it's attack vectors have need closed off from it.

You can still open a virus in an attachment, but it requires you to make the conscious decision to open the attachment. So the risk of opening a mail is almost nil.  I will not say Zero, because there is nothing in computing that is that certain.

Addendum

 Looks like religious web sites are riskier than porn sites

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Your email- Your way :- Customize Thunderbird

I remember hearing once that this was one of a catch phrases used with Thunderbird. "Your mail,your way".

The only problem with this phrase is that while Thunderbird is vastly customizable most people are unaware of the basics of the process.   The support forums have seen many an unhappy camper since the Aero Theme was introduced as default, but it is only one Theme and Thunderbirds appearance is customizable with hundreds, if not Thousands of Themes.

Appearance

The following are four Thunderbird themes which can simply replace the appearance Mozilla gives to Thunderbird




The best approach to get a theme is to use the add-on manager on the tools menu.  When it opens the tab should by default show the get add-ons tag.  If it does not click on the get add-ons. By searching through the Themes this way you get to simply click the install button.  If you do it using your browser, you have to download the files and manually install it. You also get the benefit of only seeing Themes that are compatible with your version of Thunderbird.  This can save time if you are one the current version, but can cause a few problems occasionally if the Thunderbird version is not up to date. Sometime it limits results a little to aggressively.

Additional Functionality

Before you ask for new functionality, check out the add-ons site. it is the official repository of addons for Thunderbird. This site contains hundreds nay Thousands of addons most of which add useful functionality of some sort to Thunderbird.  Simply because there are so many add-ons, the site contains collections.  These are groups of add-ons that users have collected together as they feel they make a set.  I have a collection of the add-ons that get refered to often on the support site at Get Satisfaction. If you are looking for a place to start, there is a chance I have included it in my collection.

One thing to be sure about is that the addon site is not the only place you can get addons. One place I constantly recommend is Kaosmos website This is the home page of some of the best add-ons for Thunderbird. In particular, have a look at the quote and compose manager.  A must have for everyone as it has an option to stabilize the font when composing a message. Without it the font you have selected keeps changing as you move around in the message you are writing.

Remember, that add-ons at the official site are reviewed.  Keasmos also is also a site that can be trusted but it is possible that an add-on can be harmful, so be sure when installing add-ons from sites other than these two that you read what other people have to say about the add-on.  Also be particularly careful of add-ons installed by anti virus and SPAM software. While these are not intentionally harmful, they often break other functionality in Thunderbird.

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