Not for all folders, only sub folders of the one you are specifying the layout for. under the apply columns to menu item.

I take it, then, that the default set of columns for new folders *cannot* be changed by the user? I recall with an earlier version of Thunderbird new subfolders would be set up with the column layout I wanted (probably based on the layout of the containing folder), but this doesn't happen with the current version.

If this is indeed the case, I would like to suggest to the developers that they provide an option where newly-created folders would have the column layout of the containing folder.

If top folder is called AAA and all columns are set up. You add subfolders, but columns are default - not desired. Select folder AAA Click on the far right column header choice icon In drop down select 'Apply columns to > 'Folder and its children' Select mail account and folder AAA All sub folders get same column headers as parent folder.

Yes, I understand that. As I said in my original posting, "I can go through the process each time of highlighting a folder with the correct columns and applying them to the new folder, but it would be much easier if I could specify the default set of columns for all new folders." This procedure requires:

• Select a folder to use as the template
• Click on the columns icon
• Hover over "Apply columns to..."
• Hover over "Folder and its children..."
• Hover over "Local"
• Hover over subfolder
• Hover over sub-subfolder
• .
• .
• .
• Click on sub-sub-....sub-folder
• Click on "OK" to "Apply Changes?" box

It would be much easier to just have the correct columns in the first place.

There is an add-on that is supposed to do this in TB 60 and lower:

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/set-default-columns/

Hmm, so your desire to set a default overrides the default in the archive. That would disappoint most folks when they select folders by years.

You have a clear and simple way to set a default. Arrange your folders in a hierarchy and set the defaults to the parent folder that apply to all child folders. I really don't see the issue. I manually added back the to and from in almost all of my folders because I did not like the correspondents, but I did it once years ago and they continue to create new folders with my chosen headings within the limitation that the folder must be a child.

Hi Matt,

The procedure you describe is exactly what used to work for me as well. I thought the problem I'm experiencing now resulted from a version change. However I just now tried creating a new subfolder on my laptop (which I don't ordinarily do) and it worked as you (& I) described. I'm now thinking that perhaps the software is corrupt on my desktop. I'm traveling and can't check this now but will on my return.

I'm back from traveling and tried again to create a subfolder in Thunderbird on my desktop. Unlike what happened when I did the same thing on my laptop, and like Matt and I both described, the subfolder did *not* keep the same columns as the folder in which it was created.

So either somehow the software on my desktop is corrupt or there's some setting that I'm unaware of that's causing the problem. (I'm running v. 52.9.1 on both computers.) Any ideas? Thanks.