How to Fix Thunderbird Not Responding Issue?

Mozilla Thunderbird is a desktop-based email client. It is the most widely used application due to its flexibility and functionality. Sometimes, users encounter some issues while using the Thunderbird email client. One of the most common issues is that Thunderbird does not respond while using. If you are also facing the same trouble then read this blog. Here, we will discuss some effective ways to fix Thunderbird not responding issue. So, keep continuing and resolve this issue.

Why is Thunderbird Stop Responding?

There are various reasons for Thunderbird not responding. Some of them are given below-

  • If you are running Thunderbird on another device with the same profile.
  • Antivirus or other third-party software prevents Thunderbird from working properly.
  • The Windows search feature in Thunderbird also may be the cause for this issue.
  • Corrupt indexing files in Thunderbird.

How to Fix Thunderbird Not Responding Issue?

There are some effective ways to solve Thunderbird not working properly issue-

1. Close Thunderbird and Restart it Again

Sometimes, some programs have been hanged due to working on it for a long time. So, close the Thunderbird with other processes running with the application, and restrat it to check issue is solved or not.

2. Scan Your Computer for Viruses

A virus that is present in your system can also cause for Thunderbird not responding. So, you need to run an antivirus on your system to scan it. After scanning restart Thunderbird and check it is frrespond or not.

3. Close Thunderbird on Another System

Running Thunderbird on another device with same profile may be also cause for this issue. So, close Thunderbird on another system by selecting Quit Thunderbird from Thunderbird menu.

4. Run Thunderbird in Safe Mode

If an installed extension is damaged then Thunderbird stops working and does not respond. To sort out issues with Thunderbird add-ons follow the below given instructions-

  1. Press Shift key and hold down and open Thunderbird application.
  2. A pop-up window will appear where click on Continue in Safe Mode.
    thunderbird not responding
  3. After that, try to run Thunderbird again, if it not responding then check Disable all add-ons and click on Make Changes and Restart.
    click on manage and restart

5. Disable Windows Search in Thunderbird Messages

Follow the below-given steps to disable Windows search in Thunderbird.

  1. Click on Tools menu in Thunderbird and select Settings option from drop-down list.click on settings
  2. Uncheck the option Allow Windows search to search messages in General settings.
  3. Save Changes and restart Thunderbird.

6. Disable Antivirus Software

Sometimes, Thunderbird might not be responding because your antivirus is blocking it. So, try to temporarily disable antivirus to fix this issue. To disable Windows Defender-

  1. Press the Window key and type Virus to Select Virus & threat Protection.select virus and threat
  2. Now, click on Manage Settings option.click on manage settings
  3. Then move the cursor backward to disable Real Time Protection.

7. Delete Thunderbird Index Files

Follow the below-given steps to delete corrupted indexing files from Thunderbird-

  1. Follow the given path to open the Thunderbird folder in your system:
    C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\ProfileName.default\Mail\
  2. Explore all the files with the extension .msf from the mail folder. Select them and then delete them.delete .msf files
  3. After that open Thunderbird and wait for Thunderbird to recreate the indexing files.

Final Words

In this article, we have discussed how to fix Thunderbird not responding issue. Here, we have provided some effective ways to resolve this problem.  You can apply these methods and fix Thunderbird not working properly issue.