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Fix Thunderbird Freezes When Downloading Messages Error

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Published By Jamie Kaler
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On June 5th, 2025
Reading Time 7 Minutes Reading

Did you also notice that Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages there? If yes, then this blog is here to bail you out. So, there are a lot of users who recently encountered a weird glitch in their Thunderbird email client, which ultimately led to Thunderbird hangs while downloading emails and obstructing the users’ productivity. Therefore, to let the users be informed about the possible reasons behind this, the multiple manual ways to fix it, and the professional alternative way to overcome the Thunderbird freezing error, read this complete blog to the very end. Hence, by the conclusion, you will surely find a way to resolve this issue and may successfully resume working with Thunderbird data. Swiftly.

Table of Contents Hide
  1. What Does Thunderbird Freezing Look Like?
  2. Reasons Behind Thunderbird Lagging
  3. How to Fix Thunderbird Hangs While Downloading Emails?
  4. 1: Clear the Trash Folder
  5. 2: Free Up The Junk Folder
  6. 3: Check for Thunderbird Update
  7. 4: Update the System Version
  8. 5: Turn Off Troubleshoot Mode
  9. 6: Compact the Thunderbird Folders’ Size
  10. 7: Recreate MSF of Thunderbird
  11. 8: Delete Unauthorized Anti-Virus From Your System
  12. 9: Run Thunderbird in Safe Mode Using PowerShell
  13. 10: Backup Thunderbird Data
  14. Why is the Pro Solution Recommended?
  15. Conclusion

What Does Thunderbird Freezing Look Like? 

In a nutshell, this error can also be said to be Thunderbird hangs, in which this email client basically stops working. Thus, neither the user can see new emails nor can they access them to work. Hence, it is a complete Thunderbird lagging scenario. Still, some limitations occur due to this issue are:

  1. The user can’t send or receive Thunderbird emails.
  2. Existing emails in Thunderbird do not show up. 
  3. Thunderbird hangs after a few minutes. 
  4. The functioning of this platform becomes slow. 
  5. Users cannot install any new add-ons. 
  6. Thunderbird stops working while doing any other task there.

Reasons Behind Thunderbird Freezes When Downloading Messages

There are a lot of reasons that create the situation of Thunderbird hangs while downloading emails, and to get a quick glance at them, read the points below:

  • The primary reason is that you might be using an older or outdated version of Thunderbird. 
  • Apart from this, it is also possible that your Thunderbird mailbox is full, and now your new emails are not downloading due to the same, leading to a Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages situation.
  • In case of any minor to major corruption in the Mail Summary Files (MSF) of Thunderbird, there is a high chance that the user encounters this issue.
  • Also, if there is any damage or malfunction of your system’s hardware, then this error may occur.
  • In addition to that, installing multiple Thunderbird add-ons for extra features can also lead to the error- Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages.
  • Over and above that, not having enough storage space in the hard disk, which stores Thunderbird data, is also a prominent reason behind Thunderbird freezing.
  • Last but not least, Thunderbird shuts down the database every 5 minutes because of the user’s inactive nature, which can also be a reason for Thunderbird hangs while downloading emails.

Read Also: The Easiest Way to Export Thunderbird Files to EML Format

How to Fix Thunderbird Hangs While Downloading Emails?

There are multiple indirect ways that can help a user ultimately solve the Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages issue. Have a quick read of the solutions shared below and try them accordingly for quick results.

1. Clear the Trash Folder

  1. Run Thunderbird on your device.
  2. Open the Trash folder, which has deleted emails.
  3. Select all the emails there by the Ctrl + A shortcut key.
  4. Click on the Delete button to fix the Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages issue.

2. Free Up The Junk Folder

  1. Start Thunderbird on the system.
  2. Search for the Spam folder and right-click there.
  3. Click on the Empty Junk option.
  4. Hit the Yes button to confirm the deletion.

3. Check for Thunderbird Update

  1. Launch Thunderbird and click on the Help tab.
  2. Now, select the About Thunderbird option.
  3. Then, cross-check the Thunderbird current version.
  4. Make sure it is updated.
  5. If not, then select the “Restart to Update Thunderbird” option.
  6. With this, the error that Thundebird freezes when downloading messages may be fixed. 

4. Update the System Version

  1. On your Windows device, open Settings.
  2. Go to the Update & Security option.
  3. Select the Windows Update tab.
  4. Hit the Check for Updates option.
  5. If available, update your device to fix the Thunderbird freezing issue.

Read Also: Learn How to Increase Mailbox Size in Thunderbird?

5. Turn Off Troubleshoot Mode

  1. Launch Thunderbird and go to Help. 
  2. Select Troubleshoot Mode and click on Restart.
  3. Further, either choose “Reset Toolbars and Controls” or “Disable all add-ons”.
  4. Then, click on the Continue Troubleshoot Mode option.
  5. Finally, hit the option “Turn Troubleshoot Mode Off” to resolve the Thunderbird lagging error.

6. Compact the Thunderbird Folders’ Size

  1. Run Thunderbird on your device.
  2. Click on the File tab. 
  3. From the menu bar, select the Compact Folders option. 
  4. Wait for a while so that the Folders get minimized in size. 
  5. Once done, you are one step ahead to fixing Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages errors.
7. Recreate MSF of Thunderbird
  1. Close the running Thunderbird application.
  2. Press the shortcut key Win + R.
  3. Now, in the given field, type “%APPDATA Command%”.
  4. Click on OK so that you get redirected to “App Data/Roaming”.
  5. Next, search for Thunderbird and click on it to open it.
  6. Once done, find the folder named “Profile”.
  7. Now, restore the “Default Release” folder as it contains all the Thunderbird data.
  8. This is also a way to fix Thunderbird hangs while downloading emails.
8. Delete Unauthorized Anti-Virus From Your System
  1. Open the Control Panel of your system.
  2. Click on Uninstall a Program.
  3. Browse and select the anti-virus software.
  4. Click on the Uninstall button, and you may swiftly fix the Thunderbird freezing issue.
9. Run Thunderbird in Safe Mode Using PowerShell
  1. Press the Windows key and search for Windows PowerShell. 
  2. Click on Run as Administrator. 
  3. Now, type the command, Start-Process “thunderbird.exe”-ArgumentList “-safe-mode”.
  4. This will disable all add-ons as well as extra settings and run Thunderbird in a safe mode. 
  5. With this, the error of Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages resolves successfully. 
10. Backup Thunderbird Data

There is no guarantee that the above-mentioned manual methods to indirectly fix the Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages issue will work for your case. Therefore, in such a situation, experts always recommend taking a backup of the Thunderbird data before they are lost permanently. Thus, for this, the best professional tool is the MailsWare Thunderbird Converter Tool, which downloads, converts, transfers, or fixes the selected files with attachments as well. Also, using the tool is very easy, and it has various advanced features that help users to effortlessly bail out of the situation of Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages. The quick steps to use this tool are as follows:

  1. Install the software on your device.
    install the tool
  2. Choose Thunderbird files/folders using the given option.
    choose thunderbird data
  3. From the list of 30+ export options, select the desired one, such as convert Thunderbird to PST.
    choose saving option
  4. Once done, choose the saving location and naming format of the output.
    give saving destination
  5. At last, click on Convert to download the Thunderbird files locally on your device or transfer them directly to another email client.
    thunderbird freezes when downloading messages
Why is the Pro Solution Recommended?
  • It has 30+ saving options such as convert Thunderbird to PDF, EML, MBOX, MSG, etc., or even transfer Thunderbird to Office 365, Gmail, Yahoo, Zimbra, etc.
  • Using multiple data selection modes, users can browse and pick particular Thunderbird files or folders for a decluttered output.
  • It has a free demo version, which has every feature as the licensed one, except the file-size limitations of only 25 files from each folder.
  • This tool supports bulk action and maintains the originality of the files by keeping the attachments and other attributes connected with them.
  • The tool generates 99.9% accurate results with minimal resource consumption and complete data safety.
Conclusion

In this blog post, we highlighted multiple ways to fix Thunderbird freezes when downloading messages errors. Thus, we shared a step-by-step of multiple manual ways that can help in resolving the Thunderbird lagging issue. However, if none of them work, a user can get the professional tool mentioned above and save all the crucial data handy in their system. Also, due to saving the data, user can easily search, share, edit, omit, and import data according to their requirements, which is a little complex otherwise.

Read Next: Quick Guide to Export Thunderbird Address Book to Gmail

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