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Why can't I use 'open message in conversation' anymore?

  • 15 replies
  • 10 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by macsym

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We are 4 users and two of them have version 24.3.0 and two are on 24.4.0. We use the option of 'open message in conversation' a lot and all of a sudden this option is no longer available. Is there a setting which could have been changed to make this happen? The only thing that changed was that I rearranged our folders using 'manually sort folders' - could this be it?

Any messages with a thread from before yesterday are still available with 'open message in conversation' but anything from the afternoon yesterday are not even showing the option when you right click and using the short ctrl swift O is doing nothing.

Any suggestions what could be wrong are very welcomed.

We are 4 users and two of them have version 24.3.0 and two are on 24.4.0. We use the option of 'open message in conversation' a lot and all of a sudden this option is no longer available. Is there a setting which could have been changed to make this happen? The only thing that changed was that I rearranged our folders using 'manually sort folders' - could this be it? Any messages with a thread from before yesterday are still available with 'open message in conversation' but anything from the afternoon yesterday are not even showing the option when you right click and using the short ctrl swift O is doing nothing. Any suggestions what could be wrong are very welcomed.

Chosen solution

Thanks guys,

I think I have managed to sort it out now. What I did was the following: Go to Help at the top and choose 'Restart with add-ons disabled'. Are you sure...? Press 'Restart' It will now ask you if you want to start in safe mode. Choose this option. The 'manually sort folders function' is now disabled. Now close down Thunderbird and wait for a little bit. Now open it again, check if you have the add- ons back - Manually sort folders. Try again clicking on an email to view message in conversation. And so it works with both the add on and the open in conversation. Very odd but if it works I'm happy.

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All Replies (15)

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ThunderBird Menu

  • Tools–>Options–>Advanced–>General, and click on "Config Editor"

In the Config Editor, search for mailnews.thread_pane_column_unthreads and change the value to false.


Make sure you enabled thread view in Inbox. Check the attachment


Try this Add-on

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Checked the Config editor and the value was already false for the 'unthreads'

Enabled thread view? When I click on View - Threads, I have All ticked - is this what you mean?

I'll have a go at installing the add-on and see how it goes

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Unfortunately the add on changed the whole layout in Thunderbird so had to remove it.

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In order to uninstall a possibly unwanted extension, please do the following:

  1. From the Firefox window click the Firefox button at the top left and select Add-ons, or, if the Firefox button is not shown, click the Tools menu and click Add-ons.
  2. Once the Add-on Manager has opened in a new tab, click the Extensions button on the left side of the window.
  3. You should now see a list of your installed extensions on the right side together with buttons on the right side of each extension.
  4. To remove an extension from Firefox, simply click the Remove button. You should see a message that informs you about the successful removal of the add-on.
  5. Note that some add-ons require a Firefox restart to be removed completely. To perform a Firefox restart after the add-on removal, click the Restart now link in the message.

You can find further information about uninstalling extensions in the following articles:

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Thanks but I had already removed the add on.

My problem remain however, i.e. there's no option to 'open message in conversation'

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I just checked this in my version 24.4.0 which is the current release.

I noticed that my right click option to 'open in conversation' was removed and also greyed out under 'Message'. I opened the Add-ons Manager and disabled 'Thunderbird Conversations 2.7' and this gave me back those options. In Thunderbird - Tools > Add-ons to open 'Add-ons Manager' in a new tab.

If you have done this already then in Thunderbird use 'Help' > 'Restart with Addons disabled'

If the option reappears then it was an addon causing the issue. Gradually enable the Addons/ extensions to see which one is triggering the conflict.

Modified by Toad-Hall

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iamjayakumars - your reponse is all about Firefox , not Thunderbird - although the same can be applied.

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The add on I have is 'manually sort folders' - anyone who knows is there are any known problems with this? I would prefer not to disable this add on as this is how we currently work

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If you do this then you will find out if it is causing an issue. in Thunderbird use 'Help' > 'Restart with Addons disabled'

Please check this out and report back on results.

the next time you restart, it will be enabled again, but you need to know if it is causing the conflict.

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Chosen Solution

Thanks guys,

I think I have managed to sort it out now. What I did was the following: Go to Help at the top and choose 'Restart with add-ons disabled'. Are you sure...? Press 'Restart' It will now ask you if you want to start in safe mode. Choose this option. The 'manually sort folders function' is now disabled. Now close down Thunderbird and wait for a little bit. Now open it again, check if you have the add- ons back - Manually sort folders. Try again clicking on an email to view message in conversation. And so it works with both the add on and the open in conversation. Very odd but if it works I'm happy.

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I am using Thunderbird 24.4.0 on Ubuntu 12.04

I am experimenting this bug in 3 different manners in the ~15 inboxes inside my Thunderbird:

1- in some inboxes, the "Open in Conversation" is greyed out so I can't click it (and the option doesn't appear when right clicking a message) 2- in some inboxes, the "Open in Conversation" is clickable but nothing happens when clicked 3- in some inboxes, the "Open in Conversation" is clickable and it does open the conversation when click (so no bug)

I did install the "manually sort folders" add-on a long time ago but I uninstalled it once my folders where in my desired order. I don't remember which folders I moved at that time but I think the problems occur on the folders I moved.

Here is what I tried but it didn't help: - Install back "manually sort folders" - Starting with disabled add-ons - "repair folder" under "properties" - "mailnews.thread_pane_column_unthreads" was already set to false

Any suggestion?

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macsym: The help in previous comments asks:

'Help' > 'Restart with Addons disabled'

Please check this out and report back on results.

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Hello Toad-Hall and thank you for your answer. Unfortunately, it doesn't help. As a reminder, this doesn't help:

- Install back "manually sort folders" - Starting with disabled add-ons - "repair folder" under "properties" - "mailnews.thread_pane_column_unthreads" was already set to false

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Oh I just noticed something. Wheter the bug occurs or not doesn't even depend on the inbox it is in. In a same inbox, some emails have the bug and some don't. I am really lost here.

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OK I have managed to fix this. This is how I did: 1- close Thunderbird 2- go into your profile directory and delete global-messages-db.sqlite and all *.msf files in all subdirectories 3- open Thunderbird and wait patiently (it took me a few hours) until it rebuilds the index (you can see when it's done when the size of global-messages-db.sqlite stops changing).

I hope it helps!