re :I was being nagged to update Thunderbird so did so via download & install as instructed (there was a message 'we will guide you through the update'). That did not happen but I installed 102.2.2

That does not sound like an update. Updates occur within Thunderbird and you just restart Thunderbird. It sounds like you went to website and downloaded a fresh copy which you then installed over the current Thunderbird, so it would not need to guide you because the original version was never uninstalled.

re: Message Pane has become blank

Please try this:

• Menu icon > Help > Troubleshoot Mode
• It asks if you want to restart - click on 'Restart'

A small window 'Thunderbird Troubleshoot Mode' opens

• Select 'Reset toolbars and controls'
• click on 'Make changes and restart'

Thank you. That did work, and the pane reappeared ... but I had downloaded a full version, as Thunderbird advised. If I click on help, that panel insists that Thunderbird is up to date, with 'version 102.3.0' however, I am back getting an error message every so often, nagging me and saying 'Thunderbird can't update to the latest version ... and inviting me to 'Download a fresh version and we'll help you to install it'. This is what happened previously there was no specific help, and I lost the pane. So, do you suggest I follow these same instructions or not? I would appreciate your advice.

Q: Do you use AVAST or AVG Anti-Virus software ? If yes: In recent weeks, I have been seeing a lot of people having a similar problem as you describe. They told to update and cannot update without doing a full download, then get repeat requests to update.

In these cases the Anti-Virus is blocking the update and/or blocking the ability to update the history record of what has been updated.

To fix: You need to access the Anti-Virus software and set up the following exceptions:

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.

You may need to wait until the next update, then it should be able to update without the need to download and install again. It should also correctly update the Update history so those annoying requests then stop. Update history info check here:

• Menu icon > Settings (OR use the 'Spaces Toolbar' - near the bottom clickon the gear wheel 'Settings' icon)
• Select 'General'
• scroll to 'Updates' section
• click on 'Show update history'

Thanks again. I use AVG so have followed your instructions. Hope that helps. Possibly a related problem: I have found that emails sent by me are not reaching the addressees. Have had no problem with this until the upgrade. Our url does not appear to be listed as being blocked. I shall send a few test emails, but do let me know meanwhile if you think this is a related problem Thanks again - John

Any thoughts on my last question? Thunderbird now appears to have updated and error messages no longer appear asking me to upgrade (which was impossible as also stated that Tb was up to date!). But I still have a problem with emails sent to clients and not arriving. I welcome any suggestions. John

Emails get sent to smtp server which then sends onwards to receiving server. It may even go through several servers before reaching the correct server for the receiving email address.

At each server there will be server filters which check for spam etc.

If an email address does not exist or exists but it has used all of it's quota, then you should get a mailor daemon email saying email could not be delivered. So you would get some feedback on what went wrong.

If an email address exists, but you made a typo and it went to wrong person, then they would just ignore it, perhaps delete it. If you are lucky they may respond saying I think you sent to wrong person. But otherwise you would think it went to correct person, but it did not.

If a receiving server got the email and then filter decided it was junk the server could just delete it and the recipient would never know it arrived. OR if receipient uses POP then they would not know it was in the server Spam folder as POP accounts only access and download from server Inbox. If server junk/spam folder is an auto empty, then they may not even have the opportunity to locate the email via webmail.

If the smtp server thought you were trying to send a spammy email then usually you get an email saying they did not like it and often you get a link to eg: spamhaus so you can find out if your email address or IP address is on some block list.

Link to spamhaus so you can check both email address and IP address: https://check.spamhaus.org/

Do you find the emails that do not appear to get received seem to be one particular server eg: gmail ?

Check content of email: Do you have lots of links, images, remote content in your emails? If yes, then it is possible this is triggering a spam filter. Do you have a signature which contains an image or links etc? If you do have a signature, do you use a html file? If yes, did you create that html signature file using Thunderbird Write and save as html file?

Do you have the Anti-Virus scanning all outgoing mail? If yes, please switch off scanning of outgoing mail to see if the Anti-Virus program is causing a problem. Sometimes, the Anti-Virus products add a section to the outgoing email.