How to Remove Signature Dashes in Thunderbird

Manually remove signature dashes with the backspace key.

When you add a signature file or signature text to your Thunderbird email account settings, the signature is set off by two dashes followed by a space to separate it from the body of the email. This "dash-dash-space" entry marks everything that comes after it as signature text that can be stripped away or color-coded by certain mail and feed reader programs. Remove these dashes manually by simply deleting them as you would any other type. You can also change the configuration settings to append a signature without the dashes.

Instructions

1. Open Mozilla Thunderbird.

2. Open the "Tools" menu.

3. Select "Options," then select "Advanced."

4. Select "Config Editor." A popup will appear warning you that making changes may void your warranty or affect the "security, stability and performance of this application." Click the "I'll be careful, I promise!" button to continue.

5. Find the "mail.identity.default.suppress_signature_separator" entry and double-click it. This will change the entry from "false" to "true" and change the entry to boldface type.

Tips & Warnings

• You can change the settings to include signature dashes by double-clicking on the entry to change it to "false." When you do so, the line will lose its boldface designation.

• Making changes to the configuration files can cause problems. Avoid changing any of the other entries while you are editing the signature settings.

References

• MozillaZine: Modify Thunderbird settings
• Mozilla Thunderbird: Signatures