If you create a thread please
- Mention the version number in Help -> About Mozilla Thunderbird, what operating system you're using, and the exact text of any error message.
- Use a descriptive title such as "contact sidebar vanished", don't just say you need help. If you're running OSX or Linux mention the operating system in the title to help other users with that background notice your thread.
- Don't post your email address.
- If you need to provide a picture you could post an image on a web site such as ImageShack and then include the URL for that image in your post.
Some good articles for new users:
Getting started with Thunderbird.
Common misconceptions about Thunderbird
How to keep Thunderbird working (aka How not to shoot yourself in the foot)
Using webmail , yahoo, hotmail and gmail with Thunderbird.
Moving your profile
Move to a new PC
Using Gmail with Thunderbird.
Updating add-ons
Emulate Microsoft email clients
How do you backup Thunderbird?
Make the Next and Previous buttons work like you'd expect them to
Top twelve issues: (in no particular order)
1. Suddenly can't connect.
2. Attachments renamed.
3. Why doesn't deleting messages make my inbox smaller?
4. Thunderbird suddenly lost all of my messages/address books. How do I get it back?
5. How do I import messages from Outlook or Outlook Express?
6. Some of my messages disappeared.
7. New messages don't show up.
8. Why did Thunderbird start getting slower?
9. My anti-virus program found a virus and my inbox disappeared.
10. I can't send a message.
11. How do I share address books?
12. How do I synchronize profiles on multiple PCs?
Add-on doesn't support your version of Thunderbird
Many add-ons are automatically disabled by Thunderbird 5.0 or later because they have a maximum version field that indicates they only support up to Thunderbird 3.3. However, many add-ons will work if you bump the maximum version they support, despite tools -> add-ons complaining that is it incompatible. The easiest way to do that is to install the Add-on compatibility reporter add-on which automatically disables version checking so that you can test an add-on. You could also use the MR Tech Toolkit or Nightly Tester Tools add-on.
If you run into a problem just uninstall the add-on. If you can't do that, use "help -> restart with add-ons disabled" to disable all add-ons and then uninstall the one that doesn't work.
If you're upgrading from 2.0.0.24
Backup your profile before upgrading. The new account wizard makes poor decisions when adding new accounts. There is no need to create a new profile, you can avoid the account wizard bugs by re-using your old profile. Thunderbird 3.x will automatically run a migration wizard the first time you run it. If you're using a more recent version of Thunderbird, use Help -> Migration Assistant.
1. Thunderbird 3.0 installation issues
2. Thunderbird 3.0 new features and changes
3. Thunderbird 3.1 new features and changes
4. Updating add-ons (its possible to get many add-ons that don't support the latest version of Thunderbird to install and work if you change certain settings)
5. Other sources of information/help
Downgrade to 2.0.0.24
If you want to go back to Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 see Go back to an old version of Thunderbird. However, take a quick look at Make Thunderbird 3.1 look like Thunderbird 2 before you do that.
Lightning (calendar) problems
Check if there is a release candidate at Calendar Weblog
EarlyBird and Beta versions
Earlybird and beta versions of Thunderbird are available here.
A side effect of installing a beta is that it puts you on the beta channel, so that whenever you check for upgrades it will look for both new releases and betas. The channel information is stored in the programs directory, so if you uninstall you start fresh. Uninstalling doesn't delete your profile, which contains your mail, address books, settings, add-ons etc.