Three pane style, can I get it back

[bawldiggle]

On my old laptop TBird was 3 panes (columns).
On my new laptop TBird v52.5.2 (32-bit) there are only 2 panes,
1. Folders
2. Subject-Correspondents-Date (as one pane, with 3 fields)

I understand the fields are optional, but the fields are columns.
In my older v43.xx (I think it was) pane #2 had the fields as 2 lines ... with pane 3 the message for the selected folder item

I find it very tedious to be constantly opening a new tab to read the selected message.
In older versions I could skim through each message (viewed in pane #3)

How can I get the 3 pane UI back in v52.5.2 ?
So far I cannot locate an extension to do such a thing.

Would appreciate any help, thank you

--------------------
SPECS:
Lenovo E540-20C600BVAU
Intel i5 | 1TB HDD | 4GB RAM | 2x USB3 | 1x USB2
Win-7 PRO 64-bit

[Eckard]

Maybe you have been using the "Vertical View" before?
Go to "View" > "Layout" > check "Vertical View".
Then "View" > "Layout" > check "Message Pane" or hit F8

[bawldiggle]

Hi Eckard,

They are my settings, but my problem is with Pane 2 displaying 3 (basic) fields as columns and not 2 lines as I was used to on my old laptop.
On a laptop to get any sensible "structure" the fields in Pane 2 are so truncated , pane 2 is of no use at all.

The old Pane 2 structure was ...
line 1 | Subject
line 2 | Sender/Correspondents PLUS Date ... (all on line 2)

Leaving a reasonable width of TBird window for pane #3 ... the message pane

[Eckard]

I don't know of any multi-line column display in the Thunderbird thread pane.
Maybe you've been using Outlook before.

See also http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=2976881
and Bug 441414

[bawldiggle]

It's decades since I used Outlook if that is what was Win-95 , I was a convert to TBird in XP days

That thread 2 line message list is exactly what I am talking about.
Looks like Mozilla have dumped the idea.
I have tried the TBird Extension "Compact Header" but it does not resolve my dilemma
- the developers comments only address the message pane (pane-3) and not pane-2

Thanks "Eckard" for your help

[Eckard]

Have you ever tested the "Classic View"?
I like it (use it for twenty years now - remember Netscape?) and nobody could ever make me use the "Vertical View"

[bawldiggle]

Yes. I have tried Classic view, it was my first setting
- as an old dog I don't like bells and whistles, pretty colors, jiggly bits, fade in fade out etc
- I am a heavy user of AutoCad for many years; the screen is busy enough so I really like a clean worktop.

With Classic view the "thread" pane (pane_2) still dominates the TB Window ... fields as column
And I have tried various field types ...
- date and received are identical
- sender and correspondents are identical
- its like nobody has ever looked at the "fields" options to clean up duplicates

The thread 2 line message list is old
and it looks like the problem cannot be resolved

I guess I was hoping for a miracle
"PostBox" (commercial fork of TBird) can do it , my wife uses PostBox
- but I object to the rip-off of TBird by pox-box and they are charging $50 per seat AND help is $10 per issue
- I make an annual donation to the free programs I use, so I don't expect anything for nothing

Opera Mail displays thread pane as 2 lines but it is balking at downloading my 2,000+ emails
- but that is my problem

I do appreciate the help you have offered

[tanstaafl]

Slightly off topic, where did you find mention of postbox help at $10/issue? They used to not provide ANY support (or any forums), which is why we sometimes had Postbox users asking for help in these forums. I notice https://support.postbox-inc.com/hc/en-us/requests/new (which requires postbox 5) appears to let you request free technical support. One reason I ask is I'd like to update the Postbox section in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Email_clients ... hunderbird .

https://www.postbox-inc.com/store seems to state a license for Postbox 5 costs $40.