Comments on: Thunderbird on the Mac: delete key doesn't work!

By: niall

niall — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:45:23 +0000

fn backspace doesn’t work on my imac!
help!
the more i think about not being able to deleate on keystroke the madder i get!
i only use the keyboard to do most of my work and i hate using the mouse because the time it takes you to do something with a mouse will always remain the same while keystrokes will always improve!

anyone got a soloution yet?

By: butter

butter — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:14:28 +0000

I echo Marlene in every syllable. Thanks, 5ymptom!

By: Marlene

Marlene — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:08:31 +0000

The FN+Delete works perfectly! I run Fusion on my MacBook Pro so I can check the apps/sites we work on on both platforms and it’s been driving me crazy to not have that Delete functionality without hooking up my PC keyboard. 2 years later and your post/solution is still relevant! Thanks:D

By: Janne

Janne — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:33:31 +0000

Chad, download and install KeyConfig extension to Thunderbird. Then open its preferences using Tools->Keyconfig, click Add a new key, name it as key_delete, add “goDoCommand(‘cmd_delete’)” to the big box, check Global checkbox and click OK. Then select the newly created key, highlight the text box on the left of Apply button, push Delete key and finally click Apply and Close.

Now delete should work as backspace.

By: 5ymptom

5ymptom — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 16:54:26 +0000

I just switched to mac and this the missing delete key in thunderbird drove me batty, but i found the following on a conspiracy site:

FN+Backspace and that works as a traditional ‘Delete’ key

on my windoze keyboard, the Shift+Backspace becomes Delete for Thunderbird’s purposes and deletes mail with 1-1/2 click (because so far apart)