re :if you wake the computer from sleep using the mouse, the next unread message will probably get marked as read - because the pop up thought you hit confirm.

To wake from sleep I would advise.... Either move the mouse sideways - do not click any buttons OR press space bar on keyboard

There is no way your computer can determine whether the mouse click was not supposed to be a mouse click and there is no way you can know the position of your hidden mouse cursor pointer. So it is not a good idea to use a mouse click which invokes an action if you do not want it to perform a mouse click action.

Thanks for that, Toad-Hall - but question was why do I get the "advance to next unread" pop up at all. I don't want it. And sometimes just waking the monitors is taken as "confirm" even if I use the space bar. Also how is it that the mouse pointer is in exactly the right place when I touch the mouse? I'm generally not even working on the monitor displaying Thunderbird. Cheers David (I love computers really)

re :advance to next unread message If Thunderbird was viewing a selected message: pressing 'n' on keyboard (intentionally or otherwise) is the shortcut key to go to next unread message.

If the next unread message is in a different folder then you get the pop up window and message you are seeing.

It is possible to stop being able to use 'n' to show next unread message which is in another folder and also the window pop up, but it will not stop being able to select next unread message in the same folder. So pressing 'n' can still move to a new unread message marking it read.

To switch off the pop up and move to next unread message in a different folder do this:

'Tools' > 'Options' > 'Advanced' > 'General' tab click on 'Config editor' button

in top search type: nav_cr look for this line : mailnews.nav_crosses_folders; The value will say: 1 double click on that line to open a small window. Remove the number 1 and type number 0 click on OK

Close window - top right X click on OK

Thanks again Toad-Hall. I hope it does the trick. I guess I'll know in a day or two. David

Hi. No it didn't work. Pressing 'n' still takes me to the next unread message, even if it's in a different folder. And then marks it as read. I reckon I've be catching the 'n' when I hit the space bar, which I do when I pass by in the morning clutching a cup of coffee with my eyes half shut. I have not seen the pop up - but then, I've had no new mails. Cheers David

Hi Toad Hall No - now - it's just hitting the space bar that's the problem. I haven't seen the pop up recently (even though we had a flood of mails) but I have missed a few mails because they were wrongly marked as read, so I'll undo your fix and see what happens. Cheers David

OK. A little more research, a little more information. I've reset things to how they were. If I'm looking at a folder that has no unread messages and I press the space bar, I either get the pop up or it displays the first mail as if I'd read it through - so I only get to see the last line, if that. Press again and it jumps me to another mail box and we start again. If I look at a folder that has unread mail and I press the space bar, it jumps to the first unread mail in the list and marks it as read. It's becoming irritating, because we are all missing mail. Please tell me you can fix it . . .

Why is 'space bar' getting the pop up after renabling the pop up message?

When an email has already been selected and it is showing in the Message Pane, pressing the spacebar will move the scroll bar down, allowing you to view the next section. If the last spacebar has reached the bottom, it will trigger the pop up asking if you want to go to the next message.

If focus is on a folder, then it will also do the same.

Info on shortcut keys: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts section: Moving between messages.

One way of making sure no messages or folder have focus is to move away from them prior to allowing computer to go to sleep, such as selecting the mail account name in the Folder Pane.

Shortcut keys are necessary to allow movement around Thunderbird without using the mouse. Very useful in helping to prevent Repetitve Stress Disorder or great for those people who cannot use a mouse or as I discovered, very useful if your mouse suddenly fails and you need access to read mail etc. Shortcut keys can also speed up work processes once the person has learnt to use them or some of them.

So the bottom line is do not leave thunderbird running and focused on folders or emails when you intend to leave the computer for the length of time which would induce a sleep/hibernation mode. Getting into that habit is not a big deal, but it will save you a lot of headache.

I understand shortcut keys. I still don't understand why the space bar moves to the next message when only the monitors have dozed off. At present, my machine is on all the time. What I really do not comprehend is the idea of leaving not leaving thunderbird "focused on folders or emails". How on earth do I "unfocus" it?

I might be away from the machine for ten minutes or ten hours - why should that make a difference? I need to get mail at any time of the day or night.

Hey - I'm not getting cross and I do appreciate your help. It's just a bit frustrating. But then - it's a computer! Regards D

I have just looked at the link posted by Toad Hall, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts

I started a previous thread quite a long time ago about how dictating using a dictation system while you were accidentally in the Thunderbird window wreaks havoc... in that post Toad Hall blamed my dictation system.

A no-brainer solution is to replace all the simple character short cuts with alt + character, (or a combination of control + Alt + shift +character. But NOT shift + character, as dictation systems use capitals as well). That way RSI is saved, but no more disasters.

The Keyconfig add-on mentioned in the article above looks like it allows individual users to spend many hours of fun doing this themselves. Unfortunately, I don't have time to do it and I think a lot of people would be so grateful if the wonderful Mozilla experts (we know you are unpaid) could come up with an update which fixed the default shortcut keys...

To hifromnz re : I started a previous thread quite a long time ago about how dictating using a dictation system while you were accidentally in the Thunderbird window wreaks havoc... in that post Toad Hall blamed my dictation system.

This has absolutely nothing to do with this question. In addition....I've checked and in the two questions you posted there is no mention of me making any comment at all.

In other completely unrelated questions, I have asked you to restart with addons disabled as a test to provide feedback but you chose not to do that. I also responded in other queries totally unrelated and never received any feedback, so assumed the responses were ok.

Addon extension are used at the sole discretion of the user, there is no liability accepted by Thunderbird. The author of any addon extension is solely reponsible for their own programs and they need to ensure their addons work with the various versions of thunderbird. They appreciate donations for their work.

As mentioned the Keyconfig addon can assist in modifying on an individual personal requirement level. There is no need to fix default keys unless you choose otherwise for a specific reason. There are very few keys that only use 'shift' with letter and none when in focus on composing as shift plus letter produces a capital letter.

Do not post any more unrelated issues about your desire to use a different program or expecting volunteers to perform 'personalised' unpaid work specifically for your issues which you will not do yourself.