How to Run Mozilla Thunderbird 24/7 as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp

Thunderbird is a popular, free, open-source email client created by the Mozilla Foundation.

Note: Mozilla, Thunderbird and the Thunderbird logo are trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation in the U.S. and other countries.

To install Thunderbird as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp:

1. Download and install Thunderbird if necessary:

   

   By default, Thunderbird installs to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird and we'll use that folder in the steps below.

2. Download and install AlwaysUp, if necessary.

3. Start AlwaysUp.

4. Select Application > Add to open the Add Application window:

   

5. On the General tab:

   • In the Application field, enter the full path to the Thunderbird executable, thunderbird.exe. If you installed Thunderbird in the default directory, that will be:

     C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe

   • In the Name field, enter the name that you will call the application in AlwaysUp. We used Thunderbird but you can specify virtually anything you like.

   

6. Move to the Logon tab and enter the user name and password of the account where you installed and configured email with Thunderbird:

   

7. Click over to the Startup tab and check the Ensure that the Windows Networking components have started box. This informs AlwaysUp that Thunderbird needs the TCP/IP networking stack to operate:

   

8. Click the Save button. In a couple of seconds, an application called Thunderbird will show up in the AlwaysUp window. It's not yet running though and the state will be "Stopped":

   

9. To start Thunderbird, choose Application > Start "Thunderbird". The state will change to "Running" and will be running in the background (in the isolated Session 0):

   

10. That's it! Next time your computer boots, Thunderbird will start up immediately, before anyone logs on.

    We encourage you to edit Thunderbird in AlwaysUp and check out the many other settings that may be appropriate for your environment.

Thunderbird not working properly as a Windows Service?

• Consult the AlwaysUp Troubleshooter — our online tool that can help you resolve the most common problems encountered when running an application as a Windows Service.

• From AlwaysUp, select Application > Report Activity > Today to bring up an HTML report detailing the interaction between AlwaysUp and Thunderbird. The AlwaysUp Event Log Messages page explains the more obscure messages.

• Browse the AlwaysUp FAQ for answers to commonly asked questions and troubleshooting tips.

• Contact us and we will be happy to help!