Prevent Thunderbird Taskbar Icon from Changing

Introduction

Mozilla Thunderbird is a popular open-source email client, used by many individuals and organizations worldwide. However, some users have reported an issue where the Thunderbird taskbar icon changes when a child window is opened. This can result in two icons being displayed in the taskbar, which can be confusing and undesirable. In this article, we will explore the reasons behind this behavior and discuss methods to prevent it.

Why Does the Thunderbird Taskbar Icon Change?

When Thunderbird creates a new window, such as a compose window or a search window, it does so by using a new process. This new process, by default, will use the default application icon (in this case, the Thunderbird icon) as its process icon. However, if the new window is not a top-level window (i.e., it is a child window), it will be grouped with the parent window (i.e., the main Thunderbird window) in the taskbar. The taskbar will then display the process icon of the new window, resulting in the Thunderbird taskbar icon changing.

What Is a Taskbar Icon?

In modern operating systems, taskbars are used to display icons that represent running applications. The icon associated with a running application is typically referred to as a taskbar icon. These icons serve the purpose of allowing users to quickly and easily switch between running applications and to access the functionality of those applications.

What Causes the Thunderbird Taskbar Icon to Change?

The Thunderbird taskbar icon changes when a child window of Thunderbird is created and the process icon of the new window differs from the taskbar icon. When a new child window is created, the taskbar icon will change to reflect the process icon of the new window. This is because taskbars display the process icon of the foreground window in a group, rather than the taskbar icon for the entire application.

How to Prevent the Thunderbird Taskbar Icon from Changing

Luckily, there are ways to prevent the Thunderbird taskbar icon from changing when child windows are opened. These methods include:

1. Disabling Window Grouping: This method involves disabling the grouping of application windows in the taskbar. Doing so will ensure that the Thunderbird taskbar icon does not change, even when child windows are opened. However, this method also means that all windows, regardless of their relationship to one another, will be displayed as individual icons in the taskbar.

   How to Disable Window Grouping

   To disable window grouping in Windows, follow these steps:

   1. Right-click on the taskbar
   2. Select 'Taskbar settings'
   3. In the 'Taskbar settings' window, scroll down to the 'Combine taskbar buttons' section
   4. Select 'Never'

   In macOS, window grouping is not possible. All windows will always be displayed as individual icons in the Dock.

2. Modifying the Thunderbird Icon: Modifying the Thunderbird icon so that it is used as the process icon for child windows will prevent the taskbar icon from changing. This method will ensure that the taskbar icon remains the same, regardless of the number of child windows that are opened.

   How to Modify the Thunderbird Icon

   Modifying the Thunderbird icon involves creating a new icon that will be used as the process icon for child windows. This can be done using a third-party application such as Resource Hacker. Follow these steps:

   1. Download Resource Hacker from https://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
   2. Install Resource Hacker and launch it
   3. Open the Thunderbird executable file (thunderbird.exe) in Resource Hacker
   4. Expand the 'Icon' group and select the icon you want to modify (usually the first icon)
   5. Right-click the selected icon and select 'Replace icon'
   6. In the 'Open file' dialog, select the new icon you have created
   7. Click 'Replace' to replace the existing icon with the new icon
   8. Save the modified Thunderbird executable file

   Once the Thunderbird executable file has been modified, the new icon will be used as the process icon for child windows, preventing the taskbar icon from changing.

Summary and References

In this article, we have discussed the reasons behind the changing of the Thunderbird taskbar icon when child windows are opened. We have also presented two methods for preventing the taskbar icon from changing: disabling window grouping and modifying the Thunderbird icon. These methods provide a way for users to maintain a consistent taskbar icon, even when child windows are opened.

References

• Mozilla Thunderbird
• Disable Window Grouping in Windows 7
• Resource Hacker