Thunderbird startup broke

[seb1525]

I've been using Thunderbird for a while now. Suddenly the startup behavior changed. It no longer fetches mail at startup (I have to click Get Messages), and it doesn't preserve the multiple mail tabs I had when I exit. Also, it always starts up with focus on my Sent folder. The error console shows the following:

Uncaught (in promise)
Exception { name: "NS_ERROR_FAILURE", message: "Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsIMessenger.msgHdrFromURI]", result: 2147500037, filename: "chrome://messenger/content/mailTabs.js", lineNumber: 419, columnNumber: 0, data: null, stack: "restoreTab@chrome://messenger/content/mailTabs.js:419:32\nrestoreTab@chrome://messenger/content/tabmail.js:1493:19\nrestoreTabs@chrome://messenger/content/tabmail.js:1514:19\natStartupRestoreTabs@chrome://messenger/content/msgMail3PaneWindow.js:1209:13\n", location: XPCWrappedNative_NoHelper }

(I upgraded to the latest Thunderbird and it made no difference.)

Everything works OK after startup, so I suspect something in the startup process failed to complete.

If it's getting stuck on some bogus mail tab entry, what can I do to get rid of it? Is there a file in my profile I can delete?

- seb

[vortexae]

I've been having the exact same issue but for at least a couple months now: Not fetching mail at startup, despite my preferences telling it to; not preserving open mail tabs. But in my case it always starts without any folder selected. Additionally, TB always starts up with the Message Pane is visible (once I click on a folder), despite that I keep F8'ing it away--it does not preserve that preference.

I have tried deleting session.json after closing TB down. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling TB. Neither fixed the problem.

Inspired by the OP, I found and checked my Error Console, and there's definitely errors being reported, but different ones:

Unexpected event profile-after-change URLQueryStrippingListService.jsm:224
observe resource://gre/modules/URLQueryStrippin ... ce.jsm:224
Unknown Collection "thunderbird/query-stripping" RemoteSettingsClient.jsm:160
UnknownCollectionError resource://services-settings/RemoteSett ... nt.jsm:160
sync resource://services-settings/RemoteSett ... nt.jsm:501
InterpretGeneratorResume self-hosted:1482
AsyncFunctionNext self-hosted:692
Uncaught TypeError: gFolderDisplay is null
get currentViewValue chrome://messenger/content/msgViewPickerOverlay.js:98
RefreshViewPopup chrome://messenger/content/msgViewPickerOverlay.js:171
RefreshAllViewPopups chrome://messenger/content/msgViewPickerOverlay.js:154
ViewPickerOnLoad chrome://messenger/content/msgViewPickerOverlay.js:293

[seb1525]

If your error console messages aren't the same as mine, then they may have nothing to do with the problem. Which is not very helpful.

[tanstaafl]

xulstore.json file stores the toolbar , window layout and size/position settings. Try deleting it and starting Thunderbird again. I assume
you already tried safe mode (help -> troubleshooting mode) to see if it was due to add-ons.

If that doesn't help see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Toolbar_or_wi ... ot_working

A lot of errors in the error console have no effect. I've found it most useful when trying to determine if an add-on is working, not
Thunderbird.

[seb1525]

That's useful information, but my preferences and customizations are saved OK so they aren't the problem. In fact, I was thinking of deleting and rebuilding the entire profile (after moving my mail out of there, of course) but hesitated to do so because I didn't want to lose preferences and customizations.

Would saving xulstore.json (and other applicable .json files) and copying them back into a fresh profile be worth trying?

[tanstaafl]

You'd be better off just creating a new profile and migrating your address books and downloaded mail to it.

The fact your toolbar customizations are stored okay doesn't necessarily mean xulstore.json isn't corrupt. Usually
when its corrupt you see that only due to side effects.

[vortexae]

xulstore.json file stores the toolbar , window layout and size/position settings. Try deleting it and starting Thunderbird again.

THAT DID IT!!! Thank you! After shutting down, deleting that file, then restarting--then opening up some messages, shutting down, and restarting again--everything worked as expected: the window layout and open message tabs were restored from the previous session, and TB checked for new messages without my doing anything. Also the calendar is now fully functional from the get-go (another broken start-up symptom I had not mentioned here; all the calendar functionality had been grayed out so that I couldn't make new events or edit them until several minutes after starting TB up.) Yay! Thank you!

Adding xulstore.json to my list of "delete it and see if things get better" .json files.

If that doesn't help see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Toolbar_or_wi ... ot_working

Bookmarked for future reference.

A lot of errors in the error console have no effect. I've found it most useful when trying to determine if an add-on is working, not
Thunderbird.

Good to know, thank you!

[seb1525]

Great for you. I just did the exact same thing. It didn't help me at all. Same situation as before.

[seb1525]

OK, I tried some other things.

Deleted session.json and session.json.backup and session-checkpoints.json and restarted Thunderbird. This time it remembered my mail tabs and which folder I was focused on, and fetched mail at startup. What's more, that error message no longer appears on the error console.

So it looks like I have a solution; just a different set of json files to delete.

Thanks for your help.