Just installed the TB3 beta on my flash drive in the default location (\PortableApps\ThunderbirdPortableTest) and it keeps asking to make itself the default client on startup, regardless of whether that option is on or off in the preferences.
Operating system is Windows 7 Ultimate final (7600), TB version is 3.0b4, although I had this issue with 3.0b3 as well. Drive is a 16GB JumpDrive FireFly; while I don't think that matters (all mass storage devices are the same to the operating system), might as well be thorough, right? 
I finally got the prompt to go away by unchecking all the options (except for Feeds, which it won't let me deselect--why is it forcing that association, that's not very nice behavior) and clicking OK. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that Win7 doesn't include any email client and therefore Thunderbird is prompting automatically because it doesn't think it's stepping on any toes, so to speak ("Well, this machine doesn't have an email client at all, so might as well take over.").
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As you should know, you should not bump. It appears that no-one knows about it.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
I try not to bump, but I figured after almost two months the topic went unnoticed (you know, at least it'd have been polite for someone to acknowledge it if they did see it). We're told not to post another topic for a question that already exists ("Search the forums!"), but the only alternative if you want the issue seen and the question hasn't been answered is to bump the existing topic. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, I guess...
Can you try this with Tbird 3 RC1 that John released and see if it's still an issue?
If it is, this is something that John will have to fix before Tbird 3 goes final. So please try it and post back letting us know what the results are.
I didn't see this thread when you originally posted it, and I did try the beta, but as it doesn't include a calendar and Lightning doesn't work with it, so I can't recall if this was an issue for me as well.
-Gizmokid2005
It's still an issue in RC1. I actually already said that, but Chris deleted the post. That was the whole reason I bumped the thread in the first place, because the issue had gone without a response and hadn't been fixed in the new version. It was especially jarring not to see a response because John specifically told me to post the issue here in the first place, after I mentioned it on the TB3 Beta 4 release page. So I at least expected him to reply at some point to say whether or not he could reproduce it...
But like I said, I think it has something to do with the fact that Win7 doesn't include an email client at all, so Thunderbird sees there's no default and decides it's therefore free to take over. Obviously that's not the case, and it gets rather frustrating to have to cancel the prompt every time I run TB.
What about RC2?
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
Try again in RC2 with a fresh install. And if it does make you repeatedly say no and then you unselect all and then it works, please send me your prefs.js file so I can see the settings to be sure.
It may be a Win7 only thing (and it sounds like a bug in TB itself), in which case it makes sense that others aren't seeing it... this is a release candidate, so it has far less users than stable, and Win7 is only at 4%.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Just tried it, same result. Unchecking all except Feeds (for which TB is apparently forcing the association and won't let me uncheck--seems rather obnoxious) stops the prompt from coming up.
Here's my prefs.js after finally getting the prompt to go away:
[link removed by mod JTH. you should delete it from stashbox as well]
I've got the file. I'd suggest deleting it since it has your email address in it.
Could you try a local TB install to see if the same occurs? Installing and then uninstalling would be fine. You can then delete C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Thunderbird and C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird to remove the final traces if any.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Same issue with local Thunderbird. However, I did some research of my own, and it appears the relevant setting is mail.winsearch.firstRunDone, which is "true" once I click OK on the prompt. Deleting the setting from prefs.js causes the prompt to come back.
I thought that might be it, but the issue is I think that is used for other things including prefs migration. Which would mean we can't set it ahead of time for upgrade users (which will be most users when it goes 3.0 final).
There's no documentation on that setting anywhere other than one page in Google cache.
Are you using an upgraded 2.0 profile for Thunderbird Portable? Could you try starting with it fresh, installing the TBP 3.0 RC 2 over it (it supports upgrades now) but don't run it yet. Then manually updating your prefs.js to add the following at the end:
user_pref("mail.shell.checkDefaultClient", false);
user_pref("mail.winsearch.firstRunDone", true);
user_pref("mail.winsearch.enable", false);
Then fire it up on Windows 7. In theory, this should not ask you about setting it as default or enabling winsearch and it will hopefully still present you with the migration assistant.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
It's a new profile I'm using. I've tried at least three times, and TB3 wouldn't run at all (thunderbird.exe starts and then immediately terminates) when I upgraded from TB2. So I'll try this, but no promises on the results.
RC2 fixes the issue with some TB2 files left behind in the components directory that was causing upgrade failures in TBP3 betas and RC1. Any failures with RC2 may be due to something in the profile itself (possibly and extension). I know it handled my 1.6GB profile with 8 extensions in it going from TBP2 to TBP3 RC 2.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
No default client/winsearch prompt, and I indeed got the migration assistant--two of them, in fact. The exact tabs that appeared after starting up the upgrade TB3 were: Inbox, Migration Assistant, Welcome page, Migration Assistant. I'm going to assume the twin migration assistants is a bug in TB itself...
Was it those exact steps and those 3 lines I suggested adding? Does everything else appear to work properly? If so, I'll post a quick test launcher with those changes and we'll see if that's working properly for everyone.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I did exactly what you told me to do:
1. Installed TBP 2
2. Ran it and set up a profile
3. Upgraded to TBP 3, but didn't run it
4. Added your three lines to prefs.js
5. Ran TBP 3
TBP 3 shows all the mail TBP 2 downloaded, the messages appear intact, everything seems fine to me.
I've posted a new launcher that should alleviate this here:
https://portableapps.com/node/21780
Please try it and post your findings to that thread, thanks.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!