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I don't see a new email notification in the taskbar when I received new email. I do have the Thunderbird icon in the taskbar but it never changes.

  • 6 replies
  • 11 have this problem
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  • Last reply by RDriftwood

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I don't see a new email notification in the taskbar when I receive new email. I do have the Thunderbird icon in the taskbar but it never changes when I receive new email.

Is there a way to see a notification in the taskbar when a new and/or unread email is received? (New user here.)

Windows 10 with Creators update (64 bit) + Thunderbird 52.0.1 (32 bit) at May 1, 2017. Also tried it on a Windows 7 PC (32 bit) and there are no taskbar notifications on that system either.

I have spent a lot of time trying to find info on the net regarding this issue. Have searched through Thunderbird and Windows settings changing taskbar and notifications settings as previously suggested for this question. Nothing has worked on either PC.

I don't see a new email notification in the taskbar when I receive new email. I do have the Thunderbird icon in the taskbar but it never changes when I receive new email. Is there a way to see a notification in the taskbar when a new and/or unread email is received? (New user here.) Windows 10 with Creators update (64 bit) + Thunderbird 52.0.1 (32 bit) at May 1, 2017. Also tried it on a Windows 7 PC (32 bit) and there are no taskbar notifications on that system either. I have spent a lot of time trying to find info on the net regarding this issue. Have searched through Thunderbird and Windows settings changing taskbar and notifications settings as previously suggested for this question. Nothing has worked on either PC.

Chosen solution

Messages are not being read first on a phone. However, before Thunderbird, I had tried Outlook from MS Office 2013. Before that, I was using Windows Live Mail. I'm confident that Windows Live Mail was completely uninstalled - but I'm not certain that Outlook was completely disabled - as it can't be uninstalled completely - at least not without uninstalling all of MS Office (that's if I understand it correctly). Your message has me wondering if I need to put more effort into making sure Outlook is completely disabled. I will look into that tomorrow.

The Windows 7 PC and hard drive were totally wiped last year and Win7 was reinstalled with no programs - no email - no anything, so there shouldn't be anything preventing taskbar notifications from working on that PC, and yet, no taskbar notifications of new email show up on that PC either. I also checked the same taskbar and notifications settings on that PC that you asked about previously. I installed Thunderbird on that PC tonight just to see if the taskbar notifications would work on that one.

Your input and efforts to help me solve this issue are greatly appreciated.

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All Replies (6)

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Under Settings/Personalization/Taskbar/Notification area, 'Select which icons appear on the taskbar', do you have Thunderbird turned to On?

Plus, 'Show a tray icon' must be checked in Tools/Options/General.

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Under Settings/Personalization/Taskbar/Notification area, 'Select which icons appear on the taskbar', Thunderbird is definitely turned On.

'Show a tray icon' is definitely checked in Tools/Options/General.

Double and triple checked (and more) on both items.

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I can't explain why you're not getting notifications, especially on a new setup with few or no add-ons. If your messages were being read first on another device such as a phone, then you wouldn't get a tray notification, even though the messages would be downloaded to TB.

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Chosen Solution

Messages are not being read first on a phone. However, before Thunderbird, I had tried Outlook from MS Office 2013. Before that, I was using Windows Live Mail. I'm confident that Windows Live Mail was completely uninstalled - but I'm not certain that Outlook was completely disabled - as it can't be uninstalled completely - at least not without uninstalling all of MS Office (that's if I understand it correctly). Your message has me wondering if I need to put more effort into making sure Outlook is completely disabled. I will look into that tomorrow.

The Windows 7 PC and hard drive were totally wiped last year and Win7 was reinstalled with no programs - no email - no anything, so there shouldn't be anything preventing taskbar notifications from working on that PC, and yet, no taskbar notifications of new email show up on that PC either. I also checked the same taskbar and notifications settings on that PC that you asked about previously. I installed Thunderbird on that PC tonight just to see if the taskbar notifications would work on that one.

Your input and efforts to help me solve this issue are greatly appreciated.

Modified by RDriftwood

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The fact it doesn't work on even the Outlook-less W7 PC suggests to me the problem is due to obscure properties of the email server and preferences buried in TB. Here is one report of a setting in TB that might help, and another one that relates in particular to gmail accounts. To change preferences, open Tools/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor.

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I was able to find and delete my profile in Outlook. Now I am receiving the Thunderbird new mail notification in the taskbar.

A big THANK YOU to sfhowes for pointing me in the right direction to solve this problem. Much appreciated and best regards.

Modified by RDriftwood