Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Reply opens with indent and vertical lines. How to avoid them for good.

  • 5 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 8 views
  • Last reply by Matt

more options

In TB when I click reply, a message that I am replying to opens with vertical blue lines on the left and right (indent vertical lines) and with a heading like this:

On 05/12/14 11:21 AM, 222ddd@mail.com wrote:


Is there an easy setup to avoid getting the lines forever and always get senders' headers in my replies like this:

From:

To:

Sent:

Subject:


I honestly spent almost 3 hrs but found some rather complicated and uncertain solutions. In my mind it should be as simple as putting or removing a check mark in some set up tabs.

if you can help, pls give detailed step-by-step info so even I can manage to do it.

thx a lot

In TB when I click reply, a message that I am replying to opens with vertical blue lines on the left and right (indent vertical lines) and with a heading like this: On 05/12/14 11:21 AM, 222ddd@mail.com wrote: ------------------- Is there an easy setup to avoid getting the lines forever and always get senders' headers in my replies like this: From: To: Sent: Subject: ------------- I honestly spent almost 3 hrs but found some rather complicated and uncertain solutions. In my mind it should be as simple as putting or removing a check mark in some set up tabs. if you can help, pls give detailed step-by-step info so even I can manage to do it. thx a lot

Modified by electrohelp

All Replies (5)

more options

you know those vertical lines disappear when you send the mail don't you?

Try pressing reply and inserting your email address to see exactly what does and does not appear.

more options

Matt. thank you

you are right, those vertical lines have disappeared but I got

> > > instead.

Is there an easy setup to avoid getting the lines and/or > > on each line of recipient email forever and always get full senders' headers in my replies like this:

From:

To:

Sent:

Subject:

I was a happy user of outlook express, but now I got a new PC with windows 8 which does not support OE.

I am a Thunderbird newbie and it is extremely strange and frustrating.

Why not to offer all possible choices, options, and settings to make it adaptable and easy for each user with particular needs or preferences?

I would gladly pay $50 or $100 instead of wasting 20 or 30 hours trying to find a way to bypass weird (to me) restrictions or missing settings.

If OE resolved the problems, it should be possible to resolve for Thunderbird creators too.

I am grateful anyway for the free app but I may need to waste even more days experimenting with other email clients.

Trying to solve the problems I found that other Thunderbird users have been looking for the same solutions on the internet for over 8 years or so!!!

Another huge problem of the TB is difficulty of getting a full HTML source, editing it and easily switching to text mode back and forth.

And finally why not make every piece of text in any spot of the entire TB copy-able (let us copy any words or text anywhere in the TB and then paste it to a message). For example I can set up and see all headers ( view ... headers..... all ) but I can not copy/paste them into the message from which they were removed (why?).

If Thunderbird creators ever read this, here is an offer or kind request. Pls create a better Thunderbird version with features and options given above, consult other users, search the Internet to accommodate a few wishes of many others. And offer a paid version of the Thunderbird. I think hundreds of thousands of unhappy users would buy a better mousetrap, or in this case, a better Thunderbird. The news will spread like a thunder all over ....

It is a win-win-win opportunity to make everybody happy, cut wasted time, improve experience and satisfaction, and make $$$$$$$ at the same time!

Modified by electrohelp

more options

Microsoft still sells Outlook. Just saying if you are so willing to pay instead of using free software.

more options

QuoteAndComposeManager add-on removes the lines and angle brackets. Change Quote and Reply Format add-on fixes the headers.

You just download these add-ons (Hopefully Thunderbird still has QuoteAndComposeManager 03.28.1 on their add-ons page because the author's web site has closed), save, then click tools>add-0ns, click the cog at the top, click install add-on from file, then customise away!

Thunderbird contributors (unlike the ones above) have created many add-ons which will do everything OE did and much more. The two add-ons above have been around for years and I am wondering why the sarcastic replies to your questions, I have seen similar unhelpful responses from these 2 particular "top 10 contributors" to many other questions which have been posted. Sad.

Modified by hifromnz

more options

Not closed, just moved.

See https://freeshell.de//~kaosmos/index-en.html