Thunderbird marking new emails as read

[Gersemi]

I've recently bought a new laptop with Windows 10 installed. I've downloaded Thunderbird 60.4.0 and set it as my default programme for emails. I used Thunderbird on my old laptop and it worked as expected with new emails showing as unread.
However when I open Thunderbird now it is showing all emails received as read, even those received since I last logged in.
I've checked Options/Display/Advanced and it shows Reading 'Automatically mark messages as read' unchecked.
I've also noticed that if I receive a new email while on-line it appears as unread, but changes to read at some point even though I've not opened it.
I don't have message preview on.

Does anybody have any ideas I can stop these emails as showing as unread before I open them?

[Lanark]

Possibly they are being opened on another device or by another program?

Change the email account password to eliminate that possibility.

[Stompa]

Maybe?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1132921

[Gersemi]

Hi thanks for your replies.

Firstly I forgot to mention that when I open Thunderbird on my old laptop the new emails are showing as unread even though they are showing as read on the new one, so I don't think they are being opened on another device.

Secondly I have already read the advice on the link copied in your post Stompa, but I don't think that applies to me, I don't use Outlook at all and of course they would show as unread on the old computer as well.

Sorry for forgetting about the old laptop, but thank you for your help.

[vrdiver]

Have you tried changing the password anyway, just to eliminate the possibility of another app/device being the culprit (I agree it's weird that one instance shows them as read, whilst the other PC shows as unread...)

I have the same version of Thunderbird as you, but only one instance of it, which appears to behave properly for me.

VRD

[Slarti]

I've recently bought a new laptop with Windows 10 installed. I've downloaded Thunderbird 60.4.0 and set it as my default programme for emails. I used Thunderbird on my old laptop and it worked as expected with new emails showing as unread.
However when I open Thunderbird now it is showing all emails received as read, even those received since I last logged in.
I've checked Options/Display/Advanced and it shows Reading 'Automatically mark messages as read' unchecked.
I've also noticed that if I receive a new email while on-line it appears as unread, but changes to read at some point even though I've not opened it.
I don't have message preview on.

Does anybody have any ideas I can stop these emails as showing as unread before I open them?

Are you using POP or IMAP on the new machine?

What is your setting in Options > Display > Advanced ?

[madhatter]

Not used Thunderbird, but I have occasionally come across a situation it which the right setting appears to be checked (or unchecked) but some program acts as if to the contrary. I have sometimes fixed the problem by following the advice uncheck (or check) the setting (making it deliberately wrong) then quitting the program (or restarting if it was an Operating System setting) then relaunching and reapplying the correct setting.

Often it works.

[mc2fool]

Firstly I forgot to mention that when I open Thunderbird on my old laptop the new emails are showing as unread even though they are showing as read on the new one, so I don't think they are being opened on another device.

Ok, so I take it from that description that you are using IMAP, and that you are referring to the same emails; that messages showing as unread on your old laptop are showing as read on the new one, yes?

The read/unread flags are on the server and a message should show the same on every (connected) client, so, what happens if you are looking at your inbox on both laptops and on one or the other you change the read/unread status on a message (Message -> Mark -> As Read/As Unread)? It should change on both.

Also, as a general check, are you sure you have the same configuration on both? Same version, same settings, same add ons, themes, etc, etc? A side-by-side comparison may reveal something....

[kyu66]

A bit left field, but do you have the preview/message pane displayed at the bottom of your TB window? I seem to remember that an email was marked as read if previewed.

Try turning off the message pane from the View -> Layout menu.

[Gersemi]

Are you using POP or IMAP on the new machine?

What is your setting in Options > Display > Advanced ?

Ok, so I take it from that description that you are using IMAP, and that you are referring to the same emails; that messages showing as unread on your old laptop are showing as read on the new one, yes?

The read/unread flags are on the server and a message should show the same on every (connected) client, so, what happens if you are looking at your inbox on both laptops and on one or the other you change the read/unread status on a message (Message -> Mark -> As Read/As Unread)? It should change on both.

Also, as a general check, are you sure you have the same configuration on both? Same version, same settings, same add ons, themes, etc, etc? A side-by-side comparison may reveal something....

Ok, I am on IMAP on the new machine and POP on the old one, so I guess this is what is causing the mismatch? Certainly reading an email on the new machine doesn't cause the email on the old one to show as read.

[mc2fool]

Ok, I am on IMAP on the new machine and POP on the old one, so I guess this is what is causing the mismatch? Certainly reading an email on the new machine doesn't cause the email on the old one to show as read.

Ha! Yes, that's it.

Read/unread is a local (to your PC) matter with POP3 but is a server flag with IMAP, and most (all?) servers will mark a message as read (on the server) when it's downloaded by POP3.

Change the old one to IMAP, there's no advantage in it being POP3.

[Slarti]

Change the old one to IMAP, there's no advantage in it being POP3.

Other than having the emails available offline and the backups under your own control.

Slarti

[mc2fool]

Change the old one to IMAP, there's no advantage in it being POP3.

Other than having the emails available offline and the backups under your own control.

Which you can do with most IMAP clients, including Thunderbird, which will download messages and have them available for use offline. In fact Thunderbird has quite sophisticated control over which accounts/folders/messages it'll download and keep locally, including by age and size, but I go for the simple option: download everything. It also has a "Work Offline" feature for ad hoc (rather than automatic) options.

As everything/whatever you want is downloaded into local files they'll get included in your system backups, and if you want Thunderbird also has an archive feature.

[Gersemi]

Thank you everybody for your replies. It seems all my problems stem from it being an IMAP account. To be honest I'd rather have the POP one, but after a miserable day trying to change various passwords and getting locked at of accounts I can't face trying to make any more changes.

As you can tell I'm a complete tech duffer and I hate change, but in the tech world nothing stands still does it?

[torata]

Thank you everybody for your replies. It seems all my problems stem from it being an IMAP account. To be honest I'd rather have the POP one, but after a miserable day trying to change various passwords and getting locked at of accounts I can't face trying to make any more changes.

As you can tell I'm a complete tech duffer and I hate change, but in the tech world nothing stands still does it?

Personally I prefer POP as well, but (from memory) if you are using POP on the same account with multiple PCs, you need to be careful that the first POP download doesn't then wipe the email from the server. Make sure the settings are to never delete the email from the server, or if you don't have limitless mailbox size, then make it several days/weeks/months later (also useful if you don't have 'always-on' backup)

torata

[Infrasonic]

Which you can do with most IMAP clients, including Thunderbird, which will download messages and have them available for use offline. In fact Thunderbird has quite sophisticated control over which accounts/folders/messages it'll download and keep locally, including by age and size, but I go for the simple option: download everything. It also has a "Work Offline" feature for ad hoc (rather than automatic) options.

As everything/whatever you want is downloaded into local files they'll get included in your system backups, and if you want Thunderbird also has an archive feature.

That's good to know.
I've tinkered with Thunderbird in the past on Linux but never really taken the time to learn it properly, having been an Outlook PIM user for years on Windows, now using Mail (which is a bit feature limited TBH).
I'll have to have another look.