Try it the Thunderbird way. In compose window, press F9 to have the contacts sidebar present. Then, whenever you want to add a recipient, just click their name and tick the CC box

hi m8, yeah i ended up finding that way to do it, but seems like to much scattered buttons to press, press here press there, where other way is much more practical , just thought the image i posted could be implemented due to it being far easier, quicker.

i have another issue with importing all my bigpond emails from outlook 2007 to TB, hopefully you can help me with that, ill make another separate post for that soon. thanks for you advice.

I think you need to just toss your Outlook desires out and move on. Thunderbird has had a list of outlook parity bugs for twenty years now. Progress on them is glacial.

But I do not get you comment about scattered buttons. F9 turns on permanently an address book pane from which you can select any entry you like a simple double click will add it to the to: field. Right clicking it offer a menu of actions or you can use the button at the bottom of the list to determine where it is to be added. Typing in the address field offers matches from your address book that meet your typing.

The Outlook way You click a button, select an entry by double clicking and I presume the address book closes. The Thunderbird way You select the individual in the list, click the button to send them where ever if you don't desire the To: and the list stays there.

I really do not see one as particularly more efficient that the other, but that is probably why a just start typing because then I can select the one I want after a keystroke or two. Often with a simple press of the enter key.