wrote:
On Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:12:16 +0000 (UTC), lid
(Computer Nerd Kev) wrote:

I've never really used Thunderbird, but I believe it uses a similar
configuration system to about:config in firefox. You may be able to
search for the setting where the URL for website-archive.mozilla.org
is specified, then delete it, or replace it with something like:
http://127.0.0.1/

Where in TB would someone enter "about:config". there is no URL bar like
in a browser????

You want Tools:Options and Thunderbird Start Page which is under
the General tab.

That URL is causing Thunderbird to go looking for something
inappropriate for its digestive system. Sometimes Mozilla links
the page on their server, to a new page which doesn't actually
work in that version of Tbird.

https://s26.postimg.org/qpcdcksop/to...start_page.gif

You can experiment with putting other things in there.

I didn't fully test that, and decide on a final value, as that
would require me to shut down Tbird and test it :-)

Just try not to put something in that URL hole, which demands
a lot of downloads. "about:blank" works sometimes, and is
likely to be an appropriate syntax for a Firefox based product,
but YMMV. Once you click a message, the lower right pane should
be replaced with message text, and whatever was in that pane
from initialization is then "lost from view".

Since there is a button to "restore default", you can't lose
the initial value.

Thunderbird has an option in the Config Editor (also in that panel),
which disables HTML rendering for email/news. But (unfortunately),
it doesn't disable the rendering of the crap in that
initialization window. Boo and hiss.

Have fun,
Paul