Thunderbird; Zombie Windows Application Installs; iTunes

Thunderbird

I've written a lot of post segments about Mozilla Thunderbird, in large part because it's been my primary desktop email client for more than a decade. I do have a licensed copy of Outlook but am wary of the effort in migrating things like folders and related filters.

There are a number of usability issues I've experienced over the years. One is the problem of pop-ups, e.g., noting a long-running process and providing an option to stop the program. I've generally found the application is in an unusable state when that happens (in fact, the popup itself is often hard to use and can crash the application), so I'll often just restart Thunderbird.

Another usability issue involves defaults, especially in the context of add-ons. I'll give examples of 2 add-ons I have implemented over the past year or so: Enigmail and Send Later. Enigmail enables a user to digital sign and/or encrypt emails using PGP (pretty good privacy). The configuration isn't difficult but beyond the scope of this post (see here for more information). Functionally, you'll generate a key/certificate for a given email address with a passphrase/code. In practice, you'll supply the passphrase in signing an outgoing email. (A digitally signed email can be verified by the recipient as coming from you, using your related public key.) I've so far configured 3 of my external email accounts registered in my Thunderbird client to use with Enigmail, mostly using them to test PGP functionality among accounts.

The problem I have in using Enigmail is almost no one I correspond with (including my family/siblings) is set up with their own public/private key pairs for email encryption. Basically I don't really want to enable emails for default digital signing or encryption. There are ways of setting up the email compose (send-attach) toolbar with encryption and digital sign icons/toggle switches (right click/customize) if necessary in conjunction with Account Settings/Open PGP Security settings for relevant email accounts. (Note: there is also a "protect subject line" toggle-switch icon you can drag/drop into the toolbar.) So if I want to encrypt and/or sign individual emails, I can click default(s) off (red x), which should then show green checks.

This is just to set up the anomaly I experienced. I'm not sure when it started happening, maybe after Thunderbird and/or add-on updates, but all of a sudden I started getting queries for passcodes in trying to open up existing email drafts, e.g., to my mother. It wasn't clear why this was happening; I hadn't set up the emails for encryption or signing, and I wasn't getting prompted for passcodes on quick emails to Mom. Long story short, there was a (default?) checked parameter to encrypt email drafts on saving in Account Settings/Open PGP Security.

The second nonintuitive setting on the Send Later add-on. (I misunderstood the purpose of the add-on; I thought it might be a scheduling function (e.g., send this birthday email to my relative at the scheduled time).) Actually this works similar in nature to drafts, except the message is stored in my local outbox (and if I want to edit before sending, I have to right-click, edit (as a new message)). The add-on, however, does not set up the compose email with a "send later" button. As described above for the PGP icons, you have to right-click on the (send-attach) toolbar, and select the customize option, then drag/drop the send later icon to the toolbar

Zombie Windows Installs

To provide context, every once in a while I'll scan Control Panel/Programs on my workhorse PC to scan for unused programs or odd quirks like multiple versions. This recently was motivated by a software update scan, which suggested that I had an old version of Thunderbird. Familiar readers may recall I ran into Thunderbird 68 version update issues, and one thing that I became aware of is a 64-bit version alternative to my legacy 32-bit version. In the process of installing the former, I forgot to check if the legacy version was still installed. But my 64-bit install is patch-current.

So at any rate, my software update software said my x-86 Thunderbird 68.3.1 needed updating. So I went to Control Panel/Programs to right-click/uninstall the relevant client when it became clear it wanted to uninstall from the path of my 64-bit install. HELL NO! I went to Program Files X-86 and noticed, sure enough, the old client was still installed. I manually located and executed the uninstall binary, later clearing away residual traces. But whatever the uninstall binary did, did not affect the relevant listing in Programs. What the hell? As I wrote this segment, I did a regedit and located/deleted any residual references to Thunderbird 68.3.1; I subsequently refreshed Control Panel/Programs and this time the old listing is gone, and my software updater no longer flags it. Generally speaking, though, I don't like having to regedit to maintain programs.

iTunes

Familiar readers may recall a couple of quirks I've referenced in terms of iTunes. One is during the update process where it can't find a target MSI file in the user AppData hierarchy; the other is somewhere after  October, I suddenly found my backlogs for most podcasts suddenly disappeared after the most recent 3 episodes and continued to roll-off the oldest episode when downloading the most recent. This didn't happen for 2 or 3 of my feeds, like Cato Institute, but most of them. I couldn't see a podcast setting where this was being set.

So I just updated to iTunes 12.10.4. Easier said than done: it seemed to hang looking for the MSI file again. I clicked the cancel button and assumed it would rollback its changes, like in the past. But at some point I got a message the update completed and I needed to reboot. Say what? Sure enough, when I later relaunch iTunes and check for updates, it tells me I have the latest release installed. I'm not sure what that stutter step was all about, but I shouldn't have to manually cancel that MSI step.

But now when I right-click on my podcast feeds, I notice a podcast settings option. And sure enough, there's a limit episodes parameter, set to a default of 3 episodes. I quickly turned off that parameter for my podcasts and noted that I should now be able to redownload unheard episodes that rotated out.

Minor Annoyances

There are various issues that I routinely encounter with usability considerations; a small sample follows:

The Latest Thunderbird Update

[Reader note: I started to draft this segment and others several days back. Parts of this first segment may have been similarly posted elsewhere in one of my blogs.]

I've gone through innumerable Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird updates through the years. Normally the upgrades have maintained existing configurations although I did notice a few weeks back I had to reconfigure my browser settings (menu and bookmark bars, reset my bookmarks, download my prior add-ons, etc.)

But every once in while I run into issues (often with the iTunes Win update) where an update fails and I'm advised to download the full product. So this happened with Thunderbird over the past day, and I downloaded the full product--only to find out when I restarted, it was totally unconfigured and blank, wanting me to configure a first email account. DAMN! I know instantly what happened--it created and linked to a new profile. There are some nuances to my configuration, include locating mail storage under a cloud backup directory. So a short-term fix was to archive the new profile and replace its contents with those of my old profile.

I then discovered an unexpected new problem: the newly-installed software wasn't updated--and deja vu I ran into another update issue. This time I noticed there was a 64-bit version at the website and downloaded it. Interestingly, it seemed to want to install in Program Files X86 vs Program Files by default. That seemed odd, but I allowed the default to continue, including any necessary 'cleaning up the bird cage'. It seemed to complete as expected but within a day or two, I saw a notice that an update was needed again--and to be astonishment I was not only running the same version--but the 32-bit version. What the devil happened--did the 64-bit installation fail and/or restore the old 32-bit version?

So this time I went to the custom installation option and  pointed the application to a Program Files folder and made sure a desktop link was generated. This time I could confirm the 64-bit version and software version (via About Thunderbird). However, two recent add-ons I had recently installed (Provider for Google Calendar and Quick Folders (tabbed)) were missing and I installed/configured again without issue.

This is a new update to this segment. I have software version checkers, and one came back and told me Thunderbird needed to be updated. Say what? Usually the Thunderbird interface lets me know of a new version and/or automatically updates it (e.g., I get a notice on startup that Thunderbird is first applying the latest update). So I connect to the update channel via About Thunderbird, and sure enough it identifies an update, downloads and installs it. A subsequent reboot of Thunderbird and version check--what the devil? No change in version; once again, it's downloaded and  applied. This time on restart I get the pop-up bar saying it's applying the update; I get into Thunderbird, check the version (yup, as expected) and the update channel says I have the latest version.

I'm not going to report all the usability issues here, but the initial failed update, having to do updates and add-on installs multiple times, the 64-bit installation path issue, and having to copy over my old profile files to the new profile were all unexpected.

My Infuriating Voice (Tree) Mail Loops

The ISP/Cable Provider Incident

One of my pet peeves deals with service interruptions with power and cable/internet services. I, especially as an IT consultant, do realize crap happens, not to mention occasionally some maintenance interruptions are necessary that are difficult to work around. But in the business world we normally schedule maintenance activities to minimize user inconvenience--like evening, weekend, or holiday times; if and when it cuts into business hours,  we typically promote service interruption schedules days in advance. 

I have dealt with numerous ISP interruptions (over and beyond power interruptions) to the point I know to power cycle the router/disconnect power cables for several seconds during the process. Occasionally they need to send a reset signal from their end.

Cable TV issues occur less frequently. So when both my Internet and cable went out shortly after midnight, no storms in the area, etc. I immediately suspected maintenance was at play. But I got looped into automated voice mail hell. There was no option to bypass to customer service; the system simply said in effect, "We are having trouble getting to your box; let's send a signal to your box; check if you still have a problem in 10 minutes..."  It was clear after 2 or 3 iterations, there was a more general issue, but no reference to outages in my area. After calling back multiple additional times over the coming hour, I finally got a message there was maintenance in my area being done and an expected time for service resumption. You would think that would have been pushed out sooner than later, instead of this absurd "let's test sending a signal to your box" loop; what I really wanted was closure on a time for maintenance completion; I had been convinced about the fact of maintenance being done before I called the first time.

My Utility Auto-Payment Problem

For some routine recurring expenses, there is often an option to auto-pay, e.g., through one's checking account and/or credit card, such as rent, storage rentals, car payments, auto or health insurance payments, cable bills, credit card bills, and utility payments, among other things. I do regularly audit the payments for accuracy and to ensure things like no fraudulent charges. In part, this is to ensure I don't accidentally forget to make a payment. (I have come close on a few occasions, e.g., forgetting to press a payment submit button being interrupted or distracted by phone calls or other things or not getting or overseeing a payment notification.) But I don't really think I should have to double-check auto-payments, which should be highly automated.

So I did a double-take when I got an email for my upcoming utility payment and saw an existing balance line item. Say what? Never mind a late-penalty fee. How the hell did  this happen? I remember contacting customer service; I think at some point I got a general email notification of some sort of systems hiccup affecting some customer accounts and late-payment fees being waived.

When In Doubt, Reboot

The familiar reader knows I currently have 5 PC's (4 notebooks) and a Chromebook. (It's a long story, but my desktop, a backup, was hidden in storage while I lived in West Virginia about 6 years back, and I lost two notebooks (disabled by freak incidents) when I moved to Arizona nearly 4 years back. I bought a new one (with touchscreen and 360 degree display rotation) maybe a year plus back from a Sam's Club, but I haven't transitioned to it yet, mostly because I haven't taken the time to migrate all my applications to the new PC yet. Long story short, I somehow resurrected the 3 dead PC's back to life and they serve as backup or alternative devices. My Arizona PC remains my workhorse, and my WV PC, which replaced a notebook with a failing hard drive, is my go-to backup; it's still a sick puppy with a dead battery which I haven't replaced.

Of course, maintaining 5 PC's takes time (for example, I haven't applied the latest Microsoft patches yet to two of them). What do I do with them? Sometimes I'm doing maintenance on the workhorse PC; in other cases, I might use the backups as de facto second monitors or virtual televisions (e.g., I once had an issue with my cable TV connection)

So the context for the problem is I had booted up my go-to backup intending to use it for Internet purposes--when it gradually dawned on me I didn't have a usual WIFI connection. Not only that, but I couldn't get it to connect from the router or by manually resetting the correct password; I could see the network available, but I simply couldn't connect to it. I had two other PC's connected by WIFI, neither experiencing a functional issue.

It wasn't immediately obvious what the problem was. I did some surfing on the issue; maybe I had a hardware issue involving networking, maybe I had an obsolete driver issue, etc. I tried rebooting the PC. Could I still connect by tethering a 24' patch cable from the router to the PC? Yes, but that was small comfort. I really didn't want to reorganize the apartment to accommodate the patch cable.

At some point, I started running into connection problems with my workhorse PC. This led me to consider that maybe the issue was the router itself. So I rebooted the router. Bingo! I was now able to connect (after any usual setup) from either PC on WIFI. I can only speculate that maybe some patching had happened on the router which required a reboot.

Google Nest and Other Encounters

Google Nest

A few weeks back my apartment complex installed Google Nest thermostats. There was no training or documentation; I was in fact present during the install. It was a basic test of usability because I had to figure out how to switch from cool to heat; long story short, the bottom button  serves to display a settings mode and you use a dial to navigate options and a combination of dial and button to set various options, like target temperature. Still, the thermostat has an annoying tendency to down set your temperature target to "energy-savings" mode like 64 degrees (F). Personally the apartment feels cooler than the temperature suggests. You can reset the target by dial, but it's usually a temporary reset, say for overnight.

Actually my utility provider, even before the thermostat change, has reported for a majority or plurality of months that I'm the most (or occasionally the second) most efficient among my neighbors anyway.

I ran into an unexpected problem TWICE over the recent weekend--a filled white house icon, with the button and dial seeming unresponsive. A Google search and various Youtube videos really didn't provide much usable help except to suggest, as I suspected, the unit needed to be rebooted. I eventually discovered you could set up a chat session with a Nest support analyst. One of the parameters to set a thermostat (e.g., type of model) needed for the chat session wasn't obvious, and the first analyst wanted a serial number, which wasn't present on the back of the device. There was something in illegibly small print; the analyst finally told me to connect the thermostat via USB to my PC; I found an XML file which I loaded into Notepad and found a long serial number, definitely not the tiny print value on the back of the device. Somehow during the process my browser crashed, ending my chat session. I had to wait in another queue, maybe another 40 users. The second analyst was even less helpful if that's possible. (When I finally got past the white house icon, I suspected the smaller white number was the temperature, although it seemed a lot cooler than that, and he wanted a picture of the dial. I lost interest in the chat session with that. I had other issues with my cell phone.)

The reboot process isn't that obvious or maybe is time-consuming  with limited status  readings. I read or heard somewhere you had to hold the button for 30 seconds, but it was some time before I saw some dialogue appear on the dial. Then you have to navigate through about 7 or so parameter phases, including an optional setup for connecting to my WIFI, which I wasn't interested in setting up. I finally got to the expected temperature display.

Then I found another white house icon this morning and muddled  through another setup. Hopefully this isn't part of an ongoing pattern. I have heard the heat cut on once or twice, so it does seem functional but still cooler than expected.

Thunderbird

One of the issues in using the Thunderbird email client is that add-ons may not keep up with host application upgrades. I've deployed a number of add-ons over the years, including sync tools with Google products (gmail, contacts, calendar), dedupping messages, email archiving and import, etc.

I've built up an elaborate set of email folders and filters over the years. But of course I get new emails all the time (e.g., from tech recruiters, new websites I run across, etc.), not to mention I'll sometimes create new folders and filters, e.g., bills related to a recent hospital stay, my purchase of a new auto a few months back and a recent holiday trip or if I'm negotiating with a new client or prospective employer. So, for example, I might get up to a dozen or more unsolicited job descriptions. Many of these are unacceptable, e.g., an undesirable location (overseas or the Left Coast, IL, or the Northeast),  a job description that is sent by multiple recruiters or clearly doesn't fit my background, say I worked with a certain software product 12 years ago on a project, but the client wants 5 years of recent experience; I delete these. Others I might put in my "hot leads" folder or in a more general folder, say, a lower-rate position or something not really a DBA position but focusing on more ancillary skills, like a developer position.

So at any rate, I used an add-on called Nostalgy, which allowed me to select and quick type move downloaded unfiltered messages to target folders. But for whatever reason, Nostalgy has not been upgraded to the latest new, more secure release of Thunderbird and no real discussion of an imminent upgrade I could find. I found a new Quick Folder Move (tabbed interface) (sic) add-on, which similarly allows me to drag-and-drop messages to a folder dragged to a special toolbar above the messages window.

In a similar fashion, during recent upgrades, somehow my integrated Google calendars (including sports schedules like the Minnesota Vikings and Twins and college alma mater football or basketball games) were broken. (I can always access my calendars through the portal or an extension, but since I spend so much time on my email client, it's fairly easy to scan events at the right side of the client without additional effort. I believe the add-on is called something like Provider for Google Calendar and is extremely easy to set up, signing into Google and then checking which calendars you want to access in Thunderbird.

I can't leave this discussion without writing about a truly bizarre upgrade situation. My 32-bit software repeatedly failed to upgrade correctly; the software seemed to point to the general product download page which apparently reflected the base but not the troublesome update because after reinstall I was still getting a message that the step upgrade was failing.

At some point I went to Mozilla's version download page and noticed Thunderbird had a 64-bit release. I downloaded that, but soon ran into an anomaly. Thunderbird wanted to install by default into the (32-bit) Program Files x86 folder. (It didn't have an option for me to change, say, to the 64-bit Program Files folder; I would later find I could do that by choosing a prior customization option. So I assumed when it said it was "cleaning up the birdcage", that it had deleted relevant files in the existing folder, etc. It seemed to conclude normally, but a few days later I noticed that I was running into the step upgrade failure again; I checked "About Thunderbird"  and noticed I was still running on the 32-bit base release. What the hell?

So this time I chose the custom option and pointed installation to Program Files. I watched it conclude, made sure the shortcut referenced the 64-bit path and launched. I double-checked the version number and checked the upgrade channel. I think I may have had to reinstall the above 2 add-ons.

To be honest, if I had been aware there was a 64-bit version available, I would have upgraded to it some time back. The bigger issue is the fact that, in my experience, the 32-bit version repeatedly failed to upgrade on its own, something I don't recall happening, at least in newer updates and upgrades.

Is that the end of my usability issues with Thunderbird? I wish it were. I'll sometimes get a popup to the effect that some long-running script is causing a problem and offers a button to kill it. Let's just say trying to work with or around the popup is all but impossible and usually results in Thunderbird crashing. At some point, I'll be sufficiently annoyed to find/implement a fix.

iTunes

I've had a lot of usability issues over the years with iTunes, especially in doing upgrades, but the latest issue took me completely by surprise. These days I'm mostly using iTunes for playing podcasts. I subscribe principally to a few network Sunday talk soup streams (ABC, NBC, FNC), Cato Institute, Tom Woods, Brion McClanahan, and EconTalk. I often get so bogged with other things that episodes are downloaded and backlogged for months or longer. An example is I'm a fairly new McClanahan listener and decided to download all his episodes.

Well, I suddenly became aware that iTunes seemed to be deleting all except, say, the latest 3 weeks of episodes. (Fortunately, I had an October backup and could restore most of the old episodes.) It's ongoing; I often use ROBOCOPY to backup my Music folder, e.g., ROBOCOPY C:...\MUSIC G:\MUSIC /MIR, so old files on G: no longer on the source are identified as "extra" and dropped. So I'm seeing episodes I haven't watched yet being dropped off the backup. (Now obviously I could tweak my backup command to avoid dropping files and I could play the dropped files from the backup, but as I write, I haven't found where the episode drops are being configured. A general usability principle is to make something destructive more difficult to do, e.g., traditional MS-DOS prompt to check if you really mean "erase *.*" (all files). So I'm somewhat stunned that iTunes for some reason dropped hundreds of EconTalk, Woods and McClanahan episodes without my explicit knowledge and consent. Presumably I could go to some podcast portal and download dropped episodes again, so no damage really done, but it's inconvenient. I suppose someone could argue if I really wanted the podcast I should have listened to it by now, but that should be my decision. When I subscribed to Hulu, I sometimes would engage in binge viewing, and I often do the same thing with podcasts.