Thunderbird : Tips
From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
General tips
- Check out the keyboard shortcuts for Thunderbird.
- Launch Thunderbird using command line options (list is for the Mozilla Suite; not all options work with Thunderbird).
- Read these tips for using antivirus software with Thunderbird.
- Make regular backups of your email messages, address books, and account settings.
- For best performance, compact folders periodically.
- When something's amiss, try creating a new profile.
Visual customizations
- Try a new theme to give Thunderbird a different look.
- Customize the toolbar: add/remove buttons, change the placement of buttons, etc.
- Arrange the columns in the message-list pane.
- Show expanded columns in the folders pane for number of unread messages, total, or size.
- Change the order of accounts in the folders pane.
- Change the fonts used in the folders pane, message-list pane, and menus.
- Change the background color in the preview pane and other panes.
- Change the color of links in messages or turn off the underlining of links.
- Change the signature display color (so that everything below "-- " isn't gray).
- Change the menu highlight color (by inserting code into your userChrome.css file).
- Get rid of the colored quote bars and use ">" instead.
- Change the display format for date and time for messages from today, the past week, or all previous dates.
Other customizations
- Try new extensions to give added functionality to Thunderbird; you'll be surprised.
- Change the keybindings.
- Use plain text and disable HTML & MIME.
- Disable the warning dialog when you try to send a message without a subject.
Platform-specific tips
More great tips are available at mozilla.org's Thunderbird Help: Tips & Tricks page.
