Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Seems to check email before master password is entered

  • 8 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Matt

more options

If I start up Thunderbird then do something else for a bit, I have to enter the master password twice and I get an error that my email password didn't work (because it tried to use it before I'd typed in the master password).

This doesn't happen if I type in the master password within seconds.

Please test yourself before providing boilerplate answers, I've already tried all that stuff. I'm using the latest Windows 7 and the latest Thunderbird and the latest everything and I have no special configurations.

If I start up Thunderbird then do something else for a bit, I have to enter the master password twice and I get an error that my email password didn't work (because it tried to use it before I'd typed in the master password). This doesn't happen if I type in the master password within seconds. Please test yourself before providing boilerplate answers, I've already tried all that stuff. I'm using the latest Windows 7 and the latest Thunderbird and the latest everything and I have no special configurations.

All Replies (8)

more options

What is your question?

more options

Bugzilla can be found here. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/

But before you post I suggest you log the process and actually see what is happening. https://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:Logging

With a log you can actually make informed comments in your report as to what is and is not happening. I will not be testing it. I save my passwords and do not use a master password.

more options

christ1 said

What is your question?

Do you not see the problem I'm describing?

I open Thunderbird; I do something else while it loads; I come back a few minutes or whatever later, the master password prompt is there, I type it in, it disappears and a prompt below that says the email authentication didn't work (probably because it wasn't unlocked from the master password yet), I type that in, it disappears and the master password prompt pops up again, and sometimes after that the email auth prompt pops up again.

It's like it's prematurely trying to auth my email with its server BEFORE getting the password from the vault (unlocked by me typing in the master password), and sometimes gets in a limited loop. It needs to NOT check the email server before I type in the master password, so I don't have to sit there and babysit Thunderbird waiting for the prompt so I can type it fast enough.

more options

Do you use an addon extension called 'Master Password Timeout'? Do you only have one mail account or more?

more options

Lets see, Thunderbird looks for a password when it is asked for one by the server. SO I would certainly be expecting the request to occur after the sessions was initialized. I would also expect the server connection to time out in a fairly short time frame, like 60 seconds. That is why I suggested you file a report in Bugzilla. I do not think the program is doing anything but operate as designed. I can see that process repeating for each and every account as the password has not been supplied in a matter of a further short time frame. I would also expect it to crop up in the time frame for checking for new mails if it does not have a master password to run with.

more options

Toad-Hall said

Do you use an addon extension called 'Master Password Timeout'? Do you only have one mail account or more?

No, I don't use any add-ons. I only have one mail account in the app.

Yesterday I opened it, ended up doing something else, came back this morning, and four master password prompt boxes were open and I had to type in the password each time because I wasn't sure which one would work. This means it kept checking mail even though I hadn't unlocked the email password with the master password, causing more mail auth failures and master password prompts to pop up. The logic is backwards here, it needs to wait for me to successfully enter the master password before checking mail.

Can you please try this yourself? Just create a master password, close Thunderbird, open it up again, then do something else for a while, maybe a few hours or overnight. You'll get both the email auth fail prompt (which asks you to type in your email password) and the master password prompt multiple times layered over each other.

It doesn't matter when I actually sit down to read emails, this flawed behavior shouldn't be happening.

more options

Matt said

      • unread BS***

Matt, I've set your reply notifications to go to the trash automatically, so there's no point in replying.

Please stop trying to boost up your ego and insult someone who offended you for pointing out some behavior in your beloved app that may not be as intuitive as it could be to the average user.

I've already reported you and one of your admins has asked me to report any other brash behavior I see from you, so it's best you just avoid replying to me with your snarky abusive pointless retorts.

more options

I am not in the slightest interested in who you are, and I have no intention of starting to read who is posting so I can decide if I will upset your fragile ego with what say. You decision to not accept correct answers is really only a reflection on you.

I will replying to people when they post without regard to their preference not to hear from me as I do not read their names. You can keep reporting. Enjoy it.

The password request from the server is what sparks the prompt for the master password. You don't like it file the bug I suggested at the start. Good day to you.