Have you updated the stored password in Thunderbird?

• 'Menu icon' > 'Options' > 'Options' > 'Security' > 'Passwords' tab
• click on 'Saved Passwords' button
• click on 'Show Passwords' button
• This should show you the imap and smtp for that mail account.
• Right click on appropriate line to see options to edit the password.
• Remove old password and retype the new one.
• click on Close
• Click on OK

• Exit Thunderbird
• Start Thunderbird.

This doesn't work. Just to make sure I got my password absolutely right, I changed it on Gmail. Changing it there deactivated access on my phone. I updated the password on the phone it it now works there....so I know i have the password correct. I changed the password on the list of password. However, when I try to download my mail on Thunderbird, it says "login to server imap.gmail.com failed." I click on the button to enter my new password. When I do that, it again says "login to server imap.gmail.com filed.

just hit the "solved the problem" button by mistake. this did NOT solve my problem

by the way the instructions you give to "click on close" and "click on ok" don't exist. I am on a MAC if that makes any difference. When I go back and look at the list of Thunderbird passwords, it appears to have been changed correctly. I have tried to get on so many times, now I appear to be "locked out" of the gmail server.

ok I was able to fix it my changing the authentication method

"'Menu icon' > 'Options' > 'Options' > 'Security' > 'Passwords' tab "

I can't see a "menu" icon- Tell me where it is please.

I changed my gmail account with google. it works there and on my phone. Thunderbird doesn't recognize it though and won't allow access.

cedale said:

"ok I was able to fix it my changing the authentication method"

What did you change it to?

Menu icon is a button with 3 horizontal lines

gmail imap accounts usually use 'Authentication Method': 'OAuth2'. When you first access, gmail will open browser and ask you for password to be sure it is you, then an OAuth2 pasword is setup automatically in Thunderbird.

gmail pop accounts usually use 'Authentication Method' : 'Normal Password' but make sure you have selected to use either 'less secure apps' to ue normal password or '2 step verification' (if you have a phone) and then you would use the generated application specific password.