The Short
Computers that have never had TBP run on it have all my folders (along the left side) closed, while computers that I have used TBP have all my folders expanded.
The Long
I have been using TBP for a while now, and there is something happening that I cannot explain. I work at a variety of computers at my university, over 30 available to me, and usually never the same one day to day. Every new computer I use TBP in, the left hand column menu always has my folders (along the left side) in the minimized position. When I return to that computer, it remembers that I had the folders expanded. This is true with all the computers I work with, new and used.
Not that it matters, but there are two types of computers at my university: laptop workstations and lab terminals. All the laptops have identical hardware to one another. Likewise, all the lab terminals have identical hardware to one another. I can't imagine TBP storing some unique identifier about each computer I use that it minimizes or expands the folders. How does this happen if not somewhere in the registry?
Thunderbird Portable 2.0.0.21
Portable Apps Menu 1.5.2
Enabled TB Addons
Adblock Plus 1.0.1
Lightning 0.9
MinimizeToTray 0.0.1.200610215+
Provider for Google Calender 0.5.1
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I noticed this aswell. I have so many folders and filters running that it can become a bit irritating.
However I´m not sure it is directly related to which computer I am on because most of the times it works with the accounts expanded. I am starting to suspect that it becomes like this if the USB drive hasn´t been ejected properly and thunderbird hasnt been able to close a settings file or something.
In relation to this Thunderbird also starts NOT to mark folders with new emails in them as bold. You have to click on that specific folder, let it build summary file (think it is called something like that) and then it marks it as bold. Which sucks if you have a bunch of folders to go through.
Kinda weird, but I suppose it is because thunderbird just isn´t made for portable.
I´m going to try the U3 version and see if it is less buggy.
I have seen Thunderbird not mark folders as having new messages (bolded) even when I had Thunderbird installed on my computer. While annoying, this isn't much of an issue.
I always properly dismount my USB drive. I manually go through the open programs one by one and tell each to exit and then use the Safely Remove Hardware window. I got into this habit back while I was using TrueCrypt to mount a file container with my portable apps inside.
I stopped using TC a little less than a month ago, once it was explained to me that TC requires Administrative rights to enable the TC driver. Even after stopping this, I still see the same behavior of each new terminal starts with all the folders collapsed.
Limits are for people with no imagination.
How you can say it is not an issue that it does not bold folders with new mail in it is beyond my. Try having 60+ filters pointing to 60+ folders and you have an issue. Try to find the new mail in those. Clicking through them all every time is not very effective.
Why anyone would have 60+ folders is beyond me.
I am not looking for an argument, it just isn't the issue in my OP. I have seen this behavior in regular TB.
My OP is about the real possibility that TBP leaves information stored in a local machine's registry. Something happens that makes TBP collapse folders on never used machines, while expand all folders on computers I have previously visited. To anyone paranoid, this would be a definite reason not to use this.
I wish a PA developer would just lie to me and tell me it is all right.
Limits are for people with no imagination.
It doesn't store things locally. You can use a tool like regshot to confirm it. You do a snapshot of the registry before running it on a new PC. Then use it and close it. Then run it again. You'll see some registry entries change as Windows does other things like initialize security components and may contain traces that Thunderbird ran (anyone claiming that any app you run leaves no trace on Windows is lying... or clueless) but doesn't store anything personal or leave other bits behind like your folder names.
As to why this is happening, I couldn't reproduce it, but it may be related to the drive letter changing. If anyone can verify, please do.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I am not sure how changing drive letters would make a difference.
All the lab terminals and most the laptops have the F drive free first, and my USB is mounted as F. Some laptop workstations have E free first, so the USB becomes E. I noticed this happening between lab terminals, and each time it was F.
Limits are for people with no imagination.