Using Mozilla Thunderbird Portable version 2.0.0.23 (20090812)
on a the user account of a locked-down company computer.
When I attempt to send a message or save it as draft,
I get the following error in a modal dialog box :
"Unable to save your message as draft
Error writing temporary file"
Some other threads as suggested that the error might be caused
by the Antivirus (Symantec in my case) blocking the write attempt,
but I suspect it might be a case of insufficient permissions.
Support threads elsewhere have hinted that on Windows,
Thunderbird uses the system's temporary directory.
For my user, the variables that set the temporary directories are :
TEMP : %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temp
TMP : %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temp
Globally on this system, they are :
TEMP : C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
TMP : C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
I suspect that Thunderbird uses the globally set
temporary directory instead of the one defined for my user.
And moreover, to remain portable, shouldn't it stick to
somewhere inside the local PortableApps hierarchy ?
I have found no way to set which temporary directory
Thunderbird uses, not even in the advanced configuration editor.
No hint about that on the Web either.
Does anyone here have a clue about this problem ?
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After a quick look at the launcher source, I didn't find it setting a temp variable at all. So I think it should use the users temp folder.
But i think his should be checked by someone with more knowledge of Thunderbird Portable...
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
Tanstaafl on the Thunderbird support forum led me to the solution : setting the temporary directories in a batch file that then executes Thunderbird. Here is the .bat :
SET TEMP=D:\Docume~1\LDCG14~1\Mesdoc~1\Applic~1\Portab~1\Thunde~1\Temp
SET TMP=D:\Docume~1\LDCG14~1\Mesdoc~1\Applic~1\Portab~1\Thunde~1\Temp
ThunderbirdPortable.exe
I used my "My Documents" directory, but it would work the same on a removable drive, though lack of a stable drive letter would require editing the script each time the mount point changes.
The funny thing is that either setting TEMP or setting TMP works... I put both for good measure, but only one is required.
Now Thunderbird is really portable !
somehow I thought the TEMP and TMP when defined will also be used.
If you are logged as user and give SET in the cmd, then it should show you what is now valid. At least this would be logical so far. And this posistion should be then used by any app wanting use TEMP for some reason.
But clearly defining all once more directly will make things clear. But this should not be needed.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
in current windows os, the setting of the env variables remains valid only for the duration of the instance creating it. So the bat file might run and close again, the setting it did is gone at that moment again and SET will return the variables given by the system again.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland