what anti virus are you using? Most of the reports I have heard about were antivirus specific permissions issues.

AVG Internet Security

turn it off (avg), update and it will actually succeed and the messages will stop.

I will wait to see if the manual update request shows again, and do as you suggest. If it works properly afterward, I will relay the details to AVG support. Thanks.

Avast and AVG are causing a problem.

It seems the Avast and AVG are blocking required access.

It may also mean in Thunderbird 'Settings' > General > Updates section, the update history is not being recorded and so it thinks it needs to get update. This effects people who are running an up to date version, but the history is not recorded and cannot be updated.

It requires you to make exceptions for the following: Add as exception: 'aus.thunderbird.net' and also 'www.thunderbird.net'

If using AVG: - under 'Add an advanced exception' https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlname=AVG-Antivirus-scan-exclusions

If using AVAST: use info at link: https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/Antivirus-scan-exclusions

If you find they are already added then remove them and add again.

Updating Thunderbird with AVG disabled did not fix the problem.

Setting the two URL as exceptional may have solved the problem. I will watch for a few days and report back or close the ticket. Thanks.

Excepting the two URL appears to be keeping Thunderbird from requesting manual download and installation of the current version. To test, I removed the exceptions and the requesting came back. However, I do not like adding blanket security exceptions to web sites. It makes my personal security completely dependent on your site's security. Basically an exempt site becomes a back door into my computer. That makes me feel very uncomfortable, a clear sign of a cheap fix that should have a better answer. So, I will remove the exceptions and just keep ignoring the update requests. The actual update seems to be keeping Thunderbird up to date. It merely forgets that it is up to date, like grandpa forgetting his own age. He isn't any younger, but does anyone really care? I recommend Thunderbird development do their due diligence and contact the antivirus makers to figure out what should be done by the ones who are responsible for the problem in the first place, rather than making it the responsibility of the users.

re: So, I will remove the exceptions

No, you must allow those exceptions. You may find it fixes once the next auto update occurs. Then the update history should get fixed at same time.

In the meantime, make sure Thunderbird is an allowed program in the Firewall.

I did as suggested and added the exceptions to my AVG. However this has not stopped the mesages. I note that although I have updated to 102.3.3 this does not show in the Thunderbird update history list. So somehow when I do a manual update it is not being recorded in history. Must be a bug somewhere.

Last update to show in my history is 102.2.1

I did as suggested and added the exceptions to my AVG. However this has not stopped the mesages. I note that although I have updated to 102.3.3 this does not show in the Thunderbird update history list. So somehow when I do a manual update it is not being recorded in history. Must be a bug somewhere. Last update to show in my history is 102.2.1

You mention you updated, but did you download and install it from the website or did you click on 'Help' > 'About Thunderbird' and click on the update button ?

If you downloaded and installed from website then you did not use the update, you installed a new version.