Default app to open attachments

[garyfritz]

I dug through tons of posts to see if someone else had raised this issue before, but I came up dry.

When I open an attachment (double-click on it), TB always displays the "What should Thunderbird do with this file?" dialog. The checkbox for "Do this automatically for files like this from now on" IS CHECKED, and Tools -> Preferences -> General Files & Attachments shows the action I've defined, but it still prompts me.

I see this with all the non-PDF file types I've tried: GIF JPG PNG DOCX XLSX. Opening PDF files DOES display the file without prompting, whether I use "Preview in Thunderbird" or use an external PDF viewer.

When opening DOCX or XLSX files, the OK button (in the "what should TB do" dialog) is grayed out! I have to click on the dialog several times before it activates.

None of this is a big problem, just a bit annoying. I assume it works properly for other people? Is there a secret trick?? I'm running 91.1.1, 64 bit. Windows 10 Pro.

[Gone Postal]

If you go to Tools > Preferences > General and scroll down to the Files & Attachments section are the offending file types noted as "Always ask"? If so, reset to the app/program you wish to use and see what happens.

[tanstaafl]

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=453455

The bug was reported 13 years ago but the feature worked correctly for most people for the last ten years, until it broke in version 91. The engineering manager stated in https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1725562#c4 (a duplicate bug) "This is a very known issue (bug 453455 which got worse with the move to e10s, I'm told it's super hard to fix)"

[garyfritz]

Ugh. Well, good thing it's a pretty minor annoyance. Thanks, @tanstaafl.

[fbu924]

Reinforcing this bug. This is, for me, SAVING (better: NOT being able to save) files locally. I don't keep a record, but I rptd this bug early on (here, not in https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/thunderbird). My just-found fix:
-use the "open" button. Since I don't code, nor have the time even if I did, I don't know why this works. I only know that the file saves on my desktop - what I want.
brief history why this should be addressed:
Downloading mp3 podcast was/is crucial for me to keep up avec ma langue française (in my french language skills). Thunderbird's having its "newsfeeds & blogs" feature built-in was crucial. With it, I have downloaded, by 2021, probably thousands of Radio France podcasts. With those, with headphones on while I did other things, my french lang. college-level "skills," went from upper-level inadequate, to where they are today, mid-level "ça marche...", barely. So that, while the moment I open my mouth in Nîmes, it's clear I'm American -- still, I use the subjunctive right, & a few idioms. In appearance I got confused w/a real french native a fair amt. on the street. With the podcast skills learned, I can walk in france & can live only in that language 24/7. Forcing myself to listen, via t-bird d/l'd podcasts, to "La Terre au Carré" , etc., & replay till I understood all of it - that's priceless (I have paid a few bucks, too).

There are others who may be in the same boat, so pls fwd to bug fixers to prioritize? Thank you (merci bien).

[garyfritz]

My just-found fix: -use the "open" button.

"open" button... do you mean the button in the lower-right corner, that says "Save" but click on it and you can choose "Open?" I usually open the attachments either with click or double-click on the attachment, but right-click -> Open does the same thing, and that's the same as the lower-right Save/Open button. Still asks me what to do, even though the dialog has the correct choice selected AND the "Do this automatically" box is checked.

[fbu924]

Hi, I just click on right mouse for context menu & choose "open" there. I don't think it matters much from where you choose "open." It gives a dialog. I "think" (again, not knowing code) this reroutes access paths in cmd line to where things still work. In trying things out 1 by 1, I changed the file name to something like "autour 26sept open" which chg of name may?/may not help in saving, but it helped me track what worked or didn't.

Before posting, I did go to prefs & autosave was already selected. & it did not matter for "save" choice, nothing saved.

[Okoth]

this worked for me

go to Tools > Preferences > General and scroll down to the Files & Attachments section
scroll down the list and find your content type and click on the Action part.
click on Use other...
pick the app you want to use and click OK

[pabloalg]

this worked for me

go to Tools > Preferences > General and scroll down to the Files & Attachments section
scroll down the list and find your content type and click on the Action part.
click on Use other...
pick the app you want to use and click OK

Same issue here! Started since Thunderbird updated to 91. But this didn't do it for me, still have the same annyoing issue.
Clearly, the checkbox for "Do this automatically for files like this from now on" is not working. I don't get how is this hard to fix. I've been using TB for more than 10 years and never had this issue before.

[tanstaafl]

It was fixed in BetterBird version 91.1.2-bb15 (27 September 2021), a soft fork of Thunderbird led by a former engineer on the Thunderbird project. All of their fixes have been submitted upstream to Thunderbird, and some used. However, not this one.

https://www.betterbird.eu
https://www.betterbird.eu/releasenotes/index.html
https://www.betterbird.eu/index.html#featuretable

[garyfritz]

Interesting. Obviously they're not impartial observers, but from the description it sounds like a good project, done for good reasons. I'm not desperate for any of the the new features or fixes (though this attachment-opening fix would be nice), but it sounds like a more solid base. Is there any reason NOT to switch? It sounds like you can easily switch back if you don't like it.

[rcarlson]

I am having the same issue, it started with 91. I've tried deleting the handler.json file - no effect. I can see int he tools/preferences/files section that I have "always open" and not "always ask" but every single time I try to open anything other than an HTTP link or a PDF, it challenges me.

[rcarlson]

Same issue here --- I have tried all the fixes, but the issue persists. PDF, HTML are OK, it's just stuff like .DOC and .XLS files -- every time I open them, I get challenged, no matter what the "do this automatically" setting is set to.

[tanstaafl]

Is there any reason NOT to switch? It sounds like you can easily switch back if you don't like it.

a) There may be a couple of days delay until BetterBird releases a update based on the latest Thunderbird version, but that's no big deal.

b) Biggest risk is probably if you have a problem with an add-on and the author wants to blame BetterBird because they haven't tested against it. In that case you might need to test it against Thunderbird to rule that out.

c) If you want to file a bug report at Bugzilla you'll need to retest against Thunderbird.

If you use it I suggest you install it in the exact same directory as Thunderbird. That way you avoid potential issues with profiles.ini thinking your profile is used with an incompatible version due to the hash string for the installation directory stored in profiles.ini

[garyfritz]

Huh, I never would have thought of that (c). I would think they would step on each other and overwrite some settings. Apparently not! Thanks for the tip.