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How to Fix Thunderbird Stuck on Sending Message Issue?

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Published By Jamie Kaler
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On June 21st, 2025
Reading Time 5 Minutes Reading
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Have you also experienced the Thunderbird stuck on sending message error while trying to send something to anyone? If yes, then this is the blog post created especially for you. Thus, in this scenario, users try to draft a mail and, like always, share it with the intended email address, but unfortunately, due to some technical errors, they lose productivity and feel stuck. Therefore, to learn the possible reasons behind this Thunderbird not sending emails issue and the different ways to fix it, including manual and professional, read this complete blog to the very end. So, without much delay, let’s dive into the main body.

Reasons Behind Thunderbird Stuck on Sending Message

There are multiple reasons that led to Thunderbird sending of the message failed, and some of the most common ones among them are as follows:

  • The primary one can be that the SMTP server settings are blocked by an antivirus.
  • Also, if there is any corrupt Outbox folder with unsent messages can also cause Thunderbird stuck on sending message.
  • In addition to that, if the user has oversized attachments intact to the mail, then also sending of the message failed Thunderbird.
  • Apart from this, there are some Thunderbird extensions or add-ons that conflict together and obstruct the email-sending process.
  • Plus, another prominent reason behind Thunderbird not sending emails is that the Thunderbird profile might be corrupted.
  • Over and above that, network issues or weak connections also make the user experience Thunderbird stuck on sending message.

How to Manually Fix Thunderbird Not Sending Emails Error?

There are multiple solutions that help the user understand and resolve the issue, Thunderbird stuck on sending message. And, thus, to know about them in detail, read and follow the below-shared conventional as well as expert-approved solutions.

1. Fix the SMTP Settings

  1. Run Thunderbird on your device.
  2. Click on Tools from the menu bar.
  3. Select Account Settings there.
  4. Navigate to the Outgoing Server (SMTP). 
  5. Make sure that the settings are correct. It includes Server Name, Port, Authentication, Username, etc. 
  6. Once done, click on the OK button and try to send an email via Thunderbird.

2. Repair the Outbox Folder

  1. First of all, close Thunderbird from your system.
  2. Once done, open File Explorer and navigate to the location “%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\[your-profile]\Mail\Local Folders\”.
  3. After this, rename the files “Unsent Messages” and “Unsent Messages.msf”.
  4. Further, restart Thunderbird and draft a message to check Thunderbird stuck on sending message is fixed or not.

3. Run Thunderbird in Safe Mode

  1. Close the running Thunderbird.
  2. Once done, press the keys Windows + R.
  3. There, type the command thunderbird.exe -safe-mode and hit the Enter button.
  4. This will disable all the add-ons, and you can effortlessly fix Thunderbird not sending emails error.

Pro Tip: Reduce the email attachment size to 25 MB only or you can ZIP that or share the drive links for swifter email sending. Apart from this, check the blacklist of firewall or antivirus active on your device and make sure that Thunderbird is not listed there. Apart from this also check the internet connection of your system.

Read Also: Expert Guide to Resolve Thunderbird Not Working After Update

Drawbacks of The Conventional Way

  • Lengthy and complex to follow for non-tech users.
  • There is no such guarantee that it will work to fix Thunderbird stuck on sending message.
  • Also, there is no data security with these conventional methods.
  • Plus, it is completely manual and indirect, which is why it is not suggested for bulk actions.
  • Professionals never rely on this solution to resolve Thunderbird not sending emails error, as it consumes a lot of user time and energy.

How to Professionally Fix Thunderbird Stuck on Sending Message Issue?

The most commonly encountered reason behind this Thunderbird sending of the message failed issue is the corruption of Thunderbird profile. Thus, the best way to solve this is by using the MailsWare Thunderbird Converter software. It allows the user to take a backup of files, export them in the desired format, or even transfer them to another email client. Thus, the quick steps to use this tool to fix Thunderbird not sending emails issue are:

  1. Download and run the tool on your system.
    install the tool
  2. Once done, select the Thunderbird profile data using manual or auto-selection modes.
    select thunderbird data
  3. After this, choose MBOX from the export options.
    choose mbox
  4. Give the saving destination location.
    saving location
  5. Further, click on Convert to export Thunderbird files to MBOX format with attachments.
    thunderbird stuck on sending message
  6. Next, press the Windows + R key and type thunderbird.exe -ProfileManager.
  7. Then, click on the Create Profile option and set up the email account details.
  8. Once done, import the backup data into the new Thunderbird profile and try sending messages from there.

Note: You can also use this tool to import Thunderbird emails to Thunderbird directly without any hassle. 

Benefits of The Professional Tool

  • This tool helps in extracting data with its attachments intact in 30+ saving options.
  • It resets the Outbox and resolves any possible errors that cause Thunderbird stuck on sending message issues.
  • Plus, this software backup Thunderbird data without depending on Thunderbird’s launch and fixes the profile corruption by giving clean MBOX files.
  • In addition to that, it allows the user to fix selective Thunderbird folders and export or repair them accordingly.
  • The best thing is that users can swiftly transfer or download Thunderbird data to other email clients or file formats, respectively.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we briefly explained multiple ways to fix the issue related to Thunderbird stuck on sending messages. Therefore, from the manual ways to the professional solution, we shared everything in detail. Thus, the conventional way has a lot of limitations, and that is why experts always suggest using the automated tool. The best thing about the tool mentioned above is that it has a free demo edition, 30+ export options, saving location and naming options, an easy-to-use interface, and so on, which make it a one-stop Thunderbird solution.

Read Next: How to Fix Thunderbird Expand All Threads By Default Option

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