Panic Button issue with pinned web apps in Firefox for Windows

Firefox 143 introduced the ability to pin a website to the taskbar on Windows. Clicking on the taskbar button opens the website in its own web app window, which is essentially a simplified browser window. More information on this feature, which is available on Windows only, can be found in the Firefox Help site.

If you're using Panic Button, you should know that when hiding web app windows by invoking the Hide and Replace action, they will be restored as normal browser windows when clicking the Panic Button toolbar button again, or pressing the keyboard shortcut a second time.

This is a known issue and there is currently no fix. For now, change the Panic Button action to Minimize All Windows to work around it.

Clippings 7.1.3 released!

Another minor update for Clippings, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that lets you save frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Clippings 7.1 is compatible with Firefox 140 and newer. 

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Minor fixes and improvements

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• While Clippings works on the vast majority of web sites, some are now preventing pasting into text boxes. If pasting doesn't work, copy the clipping from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Clipping Text. You can then paste the clipping into the web page by selecting Paste from the browser context menu.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Check Links: Review the web addresses of all links in a draft message

Check Links is the new extension for the Thunderbird email client that lets you review the web addresses (URLs) of all hyperlinks in a draft email message before sending. Never send an email with broken or incorrect links again!

 

Get started by clicking the toolbar button in the compose window.

 

 

Review the links in your draft message and modify their URLs if desired.

Features 

• Choose how you want to review the links in your draft message. Use Message View to review the links one by one in a message preview. Or select Table View where you can review all of them at a glance.
• Check Links can also detect link placeholders in your message, allowing you to replace them with a proper hyperlink.

Version 1.0 Now Available!

Check Links 1.0 is now available for download and installation from Add-ons for Thunderbird and the AE Creations website. Check Links requires Thunderbird 128 or newer.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Check Links should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

If you find a bug or have an idea for an enhancement, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Translators Wanted!

Help make Check Links understood for a global user base. If you're fluent in English and another world language and would like to help, consider contributing a translation on SimpleLocalize.

Read Next 1.5.3 released!

Another minor update for Read Next, the reading list extension for Firefox from AE Creations, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Read Next 1.5 is compatible with Firefox 128 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Read Next installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Read Next in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Updated Ukrainian localization

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Read Next should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Crowdin contributor Каріна Крушельницька (karinkakrushel) for updating the Ukrainian localization of Read Next!

If you're fluent in English and another world language and would like to help update or add a new translation, consider contributing a translation in Crowdin. Localizations in other languages are always welcome, and will be added in future releases.

Sync Clippings Helper 2.0.1 beta 2 released!

A beta release of an upcoming update to the Sync Clippings Helper application is now available for testers and early adopters who want to try out a much-awaited fix for Windows. Read on to learn more about how to get it, things you should know about, and how to report a bug.

(If you've just stumbled upon this blog post and don't know what Sync Clippings is, you can learn more about this feature of the Clippings add-on for Firefox and Thunderbird on the AE Creations website.)

What's New

• Bug fix: On Windows, Sync Clippings Helper isn't correctly initialized for Firefox and Thunderbird for all users on the same PC

With this fix, the Sync Clippings Helper app will only need to be installed once, and all users on the same PC will be able to use Sync Clippings, even if they aren't Administrators. 

Things You Should Know About

This version is for Windows only, and is compatible with Windows 7 and newer. Sync Clippings Helper 2.0 is the latest version for macOS and Linux.

As this is a beta release, system administrators should limit installs to dedicated test machines. Deploying this beta release to PCs in the rest of the organization isn't recommended.

Some readers may be wondering what happened to 2.0.1 beta 1. The first beta release was for internal testing only and wasn't published.

How to Get It

Get the Sync Clippings Helper setup program for Windows from the Sync Clippings Helper 2.0.1 beta 2 page on GitHub.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Sync Clippings Helper should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

If you find a bug with the Sync Clippings Helper app or its installers, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Monthly update: October 2025

This month, I'm working on Windows-specific improvements to Sync Clippings Helper, the companion app for the Clippings extension for Firefox and Thunderbird. I fixed a long-standing bug where it wasn't installed correctly for multiple users on the same PC. Currently, all users on the same PC who wanted to use Sync Clippings had to be Administrators, and each of them had to run the setup program, created using NSIS, to correctly set up their per-user settings. But this didn't work at all if users were Standard Users, even when entering an Administrator's credentials to allow the installation to proceed.

I was able to find the cause of the bug after realizing that Sync Clippings Helper wasn't correctly registered for Firefox and Thunderbird for all users on the PC. Fixing this bug also involved fixing the Sync Clippings Helper app so that it creates the per-user settings file, syncClippings.ini, during first run. This fix will get rid of the need for each user on the PC to run the setup program.

A beta release of an update to Sync Clippings Helper for Windows will be released soon for testers and early adopters. Users on macOS and Linux aren't affected by this issue, and can continue using Sync Clippings Helper 2.0.

While working on these fixes, I came up with some ideas for improving the installation experience of Sync Clippings Helper on Windows for IT-managed environments such as schools, libraries, businesses and other large organizations. These ideas will be considered for a future release.

The other priority for this month is to release the first public version of Check Links, the new Thunderbird extension that lets you review the web addresses of all links in a draft message before sending. Keep an eye on this blog for the release announcement!

An Update on Read Next

In a previous blog post, I had planned on working on a new version of Read Next, the reading list extension for Firefox from AE Creations. Due to low user numbers, I've decided to abandon this effort. Minor updates for Read Next with bug fixes and improvements to keep pace with Firefox will continue to be released as needed.

Read Next 1.5.2 released!

Another minor update for Read Next, the reading list extension for Firefox from AE Creations, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Read Next 1.5 is compatible with Firefox 128 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Read Next installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Read Next in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Now available in German

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Read Next should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Crowdin contributor private-lock for translating Read Next into German!

If you're fluent in English and another world language and would like to help update or add a new translation, consider contributing a translation in Crowdin. Localizations in other languages are always welcome, and will be added in future releases.

Panic Button 5.1.2 released!

Another minor update to Panic Button, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that quickly hides your browser windows from curious eyes with a click of a button, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Panic Button 5.1 is compatible with Firefox 139 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Panic Button installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Panic Button in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: On Windows, the replacement window for the "Minimize All Windows" action is shrunk down in size (issue #102)

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Panic Button should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings for Thunderbird 7.1.2 released!

Another minor update to Clippings for Thunderbird, the extension that saves frequently-entered text for later pasting into email messages, has been released and is now available from Add-ons for Thunderbird and the AE Creations website. Compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.

If you already have an older version of Clippings for Thunderbird installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Thunderbird menu, click Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings for Thunderbird in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates. 

What's New

• Updated German localization 

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings for Thunderbird should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Crowdin contributors Tobias Bannert and Pierre-de-la-Verre for updating the German localization!

If you're fluent in English and another world language and would like to help update or add a new translation, consider contributing a translation in Crowdin. Localizations in other languages are always welcome, and will be added in future releases.

Monthly update: September 2025

Just in time for back to school or work after the summer holidays in the northern hemisphere, an update to Clippings has been released for Firefox, with an update for Clippings for Thunderbird coming shortly. This release contains a much-awaited update to the German localization.

Check Links 1.0, the first public release of the new Thunderbird extension that lets you review the links in a draft message before sending, is also coming soon. For now, a preview release is available for testers, early adopters, and translators.

I'm also planning to spend some time on some maintenance work on the Sync Clippings Helper installer for Windows.

Clippings 7.1.2 released!

Another minor update for Clippings, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that lets you save frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Clippings 7.1 is compatible with Firefox 140 and newer. 

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Firefox menu, select "Extensions and Themes"), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

•  Updated German localization

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird 140 and newer.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• While Clippings works on the vast majority of web sites, some are now preventing pasting into text boxes. If pasting doesn't work, copy the clipping from Clippings Manager or Clippings Sidebar by right-clicking on it and selecting Copy Clipping Text. You can then paste the clipping into the web page by selecting Paste from the browser context menu.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Crowdin contributors Tobias Bannert and Pierre-de-la-Verre for updating the German localization!

If you're fluent in English and another world language and would like to help update or add a new translation, consider contributing a translation in Crowdin. Localizations in other languages are always welcome, and will be added in future releases.

Check Links 0.99 released!

A preview release of Check Links, the new Thunderbird extension from AE Creations that lets you review the web addresses of all links in a draft message before sending, is now available for testers, early adopters and translators. This preview release is very close to what you'll find in the upcoming first public release.

Keep reading to learn more about Check Links, and how to get this preview release!

Features

• Choose how you want to review the links in your draft message. Use Message View to review the links one by one in a message preview. Or select Table View where you can review all of them at a glance. 
• Check Links can also detect link placeholders in your message, allowing you to replace them with a proper hyperlink. 

How to Get It

To install this preview release, head over to the Check Links page on the AE Creations website, where instructions on how to add it to Thunderbird are provided. Please note that it's not yet available on the Add-ons for Thunderbird website.

If you've installed any of the previous beta releases, you'll be automatically updated to this release if automatic extension updates are turned on. 

Check Links is compatible with Thunderbird 128 and newer. 

Report a Bug

An up-to-date list of known issues can be found in the Check Links project on GitHub.

If you find a bug or have an idea for an enhancement, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Check Links should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Translators Wanted!

Help make Check Links understood for a global user base. If you're fluent in English and another world language and would like to help, consider contributing a translation on SimpleLocalize.

Check Links 0.9.3 released!

This is the sixth beta release of Check Links, the new Thunderbird extension from AE Creations that lets you review the web addresses (URLs) of all hyperlinks in a draft email message before sending. It contains a few important bug fixes, and is a must-have for all beta testers.

Read on to learn what's new in this release, and how to get it!

What's New

• Bug fix: Unresponsive composer toolbar button (issue #17)
• Bug fix: After updating Check Links, the composer context menu item disappears (issue #18)

How to Get It

To install this beta release, head over to the Check Links page on the AE Creations website, where instructions on how to add it to Thunderbird are provided. Please note that it's not yet available on the Add-ons for Thunderbird website.

If you've installed the previous beta release, you'll be automatically updated to this release if automatic extension updates are turned on. 

Check Links is compatible with Thunderbird 128 and newer. 

Report a Bug

An up-to-date list of known issues can be found in the Check Links project on GitHub.

If you find a bug or have an idea for an enhancement, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Check Links should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Translators Wanted!

Help make Check Links understood for a global user base. If you're fluent in English and another world language, consider contributing a translation! Learn more about how to get started.

Check Links 0.9.2 released!

This is the fifth beta release of Check Links, the new Thunderbird extension from AE Creations that lets you review the web addresses (URLs) of all hyperlinks in a draft email message before sending. It's now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and while this is the most stable beta release yet, expect to run into the occasional bug.

Read on to learn what's new in this release, and how to get it!

What's New

• Fixed Linux-specific UI bugs 

How to Get It

To install this beta release, head over to the Check Links page on the AE Creations website, where instructions on how to add it to Thunderbird are provided. Please note that it's not yet available on the Add-ons for Thunderbird website.

If you've installed the previous beta release, you'll be automatically updated to this release if automatic extension updates are turned on. 

Check Links is compatible with Thunderbird 128 and newer. 

Report a Bug

An up-to-date list of known issues can be found in the Check Links project on GitHub.

If you find a bug or have an idea for an enhancement, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Check Links should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Translators Wanted!

Help make Check Links understood for a global user base. If you're fluent in English and another world language, consider contributing a translation! Learn more about how to get started.

Check Links 0.9.1 released!

This is the fourth beta release of Check Links, the new Thunderbird extension from AE Creations that lets you review the web addresses (URLs) of all hyperlinks in a draft email message before sending. It's now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and while this is the most stable beta release yet, expect to run into the occasional bug.

Read on to learn what's new in this release, and how to get it!

What's New

• Added support for dark mode
• Improvements to keyboard navigation 

How to Get It

To install this beta release, head over to the Check Links page on the AE Creations website, where instructions on how to add it to Thunderbird are provided. Please note that it's not yet available on the Add-ons for Thunderbird website.

If you've installed the previous beta release, you'll be automatically updated to this release if automatic extension updates are turned on. 

Check Links is compatible with Thunderbird 128 and newer. 

Report a Bug

An up-to-date list of known issues can be found in the Check Links project on GitHub.

If you find a bug or have an idea for an enhancement, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Check Links should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.

Check Links 0.9 released!

This is the third beta release of Check Links, the new Thunderbird extension from AE Creations that lets you review the web addresses (URLs) of all hyperlinks in a draft email message before sending. It's now available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few bugs.

Read on to learn what's new in this release, and how to get it!

What's New

• Added a menu item in the compose context menu
• User interface improvements in the Message View and Table View dialogs, including addition of user help

How to Get It

To install this beta release, head over to the Check Links page on the AE Creations website, where instructions on how to install into Thunderbird are provided. Please note that it's not yet available on the Add-ons for Thunderbird website.

If you've installed the previous beta release, you'll be automatically updated to this release if automatic extension updates are turned on. 

Check Links is compatible with Thunderbird 128 and newer. 

Report a Bug

An up-to-date list of known issues can be found in the Check Links project on GitHub.

If you find a bug or have an idea for an enhancement, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Check Links should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, hosted on Groups.io.