Set Message Sorting All Folders The Same

[D.Dancer]

Can't see how to do this without visiting each and every folder in the program, for each computer running Thunderbird, and that would take weeks to do.

Yes, I am talking about a LOT of folders.

And they all sort oldest message at the top, which is not user friendly IMHO because who wants to first look at a message back from 1999?

So I need them all to sort youngest first.

[DanRaisch]

I don't use the extension but this one seems like it might be what you are asking for -- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunde ... src=search

[D.Dancer]

Nice, not compatible with my version of TB.

[DanRaisch]

Have you tried installing it?

[D.Dancer]

Cannot install it, Thunderbird will not let me install it. The selection is grayed out in the "search Add-ons" tab that comes up with I do a search for "sortpref" in the Add-ons.

[DanRaisch]

OK, but that's not how you install an extension.
Go to the page for that extension using the link I posted above. Click on the green "Download now" button and save the file to your local hard drive.
In Thunderbird, open the Add-ons Manager and click on the gear icon, then select the third item in the context menu "Install Add-on from file".
Navigate to the hard drive location to which you save the .xpi file for the extension, select it and click on the "Open" button.
You may need to restart Thunderbird for the extension to become active and accessible.

[D.Dancer]

Affects FUTURE folders not existing ones, ...

[DanRaisch]

Then it seems the answer may be that there is no way to change the sort order for all existing folders at one go.

[morat]

It is possible to reset the sort order for existing folders by quitting Thunderbird, then deleting the mail summary files (*.msf) for those folders. If you delete a mail summary file for a folder, then all the folder settings would reset to default.

Application not responding (how to delete *.msf files)
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Application_not_responding

SortPref should work like you want after resetting the sort order for existing folders.

Please note this data ends up stored in each folder, so changing control values only affect new folders or those with a rebuilt index.

SortPref
http://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/addon/57219

Similar threads
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=2939501
http://superuser.com/questions/13518

[DanRaisch]

Note that in deleting the summary file you will also lose any custom selection of columns displayed.