Thunderbird Freezes on a Mac
Mozilla's Thunderbird email program often freezes and crashes on a Mac if one or more installed add-ons, such as toolbars, are unresponsive and don't perform as expected. Thunderbird closes unexpectedly when it's unable to connect to the email provider's server to retrieve new and saved emails.The program allows you to configure email accounts using server settings such as IMAP and SMTP. Mozilla provides solutions for freezing and crashing problems in Thunderbird.
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Symptoms
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When Thunderbird freezes, it remains unresponsive and closes unexpectedly. When this happens, the Mozilla Crash Reporter launches automatically. This report displays specific information about the crash on a particular computer because causes of crashes vary with different users. Each crash is given an ID number starting with "BP." The report tells what caused the freezing and crashing problem. Depending on the user, the report may mention a problem with the email provider's server settings or an installed plug-in. Posting the crash report ID on Mozilla's forum allows troubleshooters to identify the cause of the crash and provide solutions.
Add-ons
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Add-ons make Thunderbird more interactive; however, damaged or problematic applications cause more harm than good. When you launch Thunderbird, installed add-ons launch along with it. If a particular add-on is missing vital files or is incompatible with the version of Thunderbird installed on the computer, the program freezes and crashes. Holding the "Option" key and launching Thunderbird opens the program in Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, you can disable add-ons and reset toolbars and controls. If you suspect one or more add-ons to be problematic, uninstall them before launching Thunderbird in the normal mode.
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Update
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Thunderbird freezes and crashes if you're using an older version that's incompatible with installed components. By default, Thunderbird searches for updates automatically. If an update is available, the program prompts you to download and install it. If you disabled the automatic updates feature or prefer to install updates manually, click the "About Thunderbird" option from the Thunderbird menu. Updates include system components and fixes to repair bugs that cause loading problems. Installing the latest system updates using Software Update on the Apple menu installs system components, drivers and software updates that can improve Thunderbird's performance.
Tips
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If Thunderbird continues to freeze and crash on your Mac, one or more of the program's files stored inside the profile folder is damaged. Deleting the files and installing a fresh copy of the program can solve problems. To delete the files, open the Library folder in the Finder window. Double-click the "Thunderbird" folder to view files. After dragging the files to the trash, install a new copy of the email client.
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