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Start Mozilla Thunderbird in Safe Mode

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 25, 2020 Tweet Share Email Mozilla Tweet Share Email Email Yahoo! Mail Gmail Is Mozilla Thunderbird refusing to start and showing a cryptic error message—or nothing at all? Don't panic, at least not yet. Chances are a troublesome extension is wreaking havoc. Get rid of the extension and you rid Mozilla Thunderbird of its problems. How, though, can one uninstall an ​add-on without the menus and dialogs in Mozilla Thunderbird that make that possible? Fortunately, Mozilla Thunderbird includes a "safe" mode that disables all extensions before (hopefully) launching the application. You can then uninstall problematic extensions.

Start Mozilla Thunderbird in Safe Mode to Uninstall Broken Extensions

To launch Mozilla Thunderbird in Safe Mode and get rid of extensions that cause problems, first make sure Mozilla Thunderbird is not running. Then, follow the instructions below for your operating system.

For Windows Users

Select Mozilla Thunderbird (Safe Mode) from Start All Programs Mozilla Thunderbird.If you do not have that entry in your Start menu:Press Windows-R.Type thunderbird -safe-mode Click OK.

For Mac OS X Users

Launch Terminal (type terminal in Spotlight search and click Terminal under Applications in the search results). Type thunderbird in the Spotlight menu bar search field. Click Show All. Drag and drop Thunderbird from the Applications category to the Terminal window. Append Contents/­MacOS/­thunderbird-bin -safe-mode to Thunderbird.app/ Make sure you delete the white space character at the end of Thunderbird.app/ before completing the command line. If Mozilla Thunderbird is installed in the default applications directory, the command line will be /Applications/­Thunderbird.app/­Contents/­MacOS/­thunderbird-bin -safe-mode Press Enter.

For Linux Users

Type [path to Mozilla Thunderbird]/thunderbird -safe-mode at a command line. You can find the full path to Mozilla Thunderbird by typing which thunderbird at a command prompt followed by Enter. Press Enter. Select Tools Add-ons from the menu in Mozilla Thunderbird. Go to the Extensions category. Highlight the troubling extension. Click Uninstall. Click Uninstall again. Shut down Mozilla Thunderbird. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Get Rid of a Virus on an Android Tablet How to Start Windows Vista in Safe Mode How to Start Windows 8 or 8.1 in Safe Mode How to Turn Safe Mode On and Off on Android How to View Full Message Headers in Mozilla Thunderbird Safe Mode: What It Is and How to Use It How Do I Start Windows in Safe Mode? How to Start Windows XP in Safe Mode How to Delete a File in Terminal on Your Mac How to Delete Temporary Files in Windows How to Open Outlook in Safe Mode How to Delete Streamlabs on Mac How to Start System Restore From the Command Prompt How to Install, Manage, and Delete Safari Extensions How to Remove Safe Finder From Mac How to Uninstall Skype Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies