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Can't connect to Gmail

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Please help me. I've spent all day trying to connect Thunderbird to Gmail. I've followed the advice on here (disable two-step verification, enable apps with less security), I've uninstalled and reinstalled Thunderbird, I've even changed my Gmail password but none of it works. I've got Thunderbird on my other computer and it works fine. The server settings I am using on both computers are the same. Can you please tell me what I'm doing wrong before I give up completely? Please use very simple language as I'm not an IT expert. Many thanks


 Application Basics
   Name: Thunderbird
   Version: 38.7.0
   User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:38.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/38.7.0
   Profile Folder: Show Folder
             (Local drive)
   Application Build ID: 20160310150025
   Enabled Plugins: about:plugins
   Build Configuration: about:buildconfig
   Memory Use: about:memory
 Mail and News Accounts
   account2:
     INCOMING: account2, , (none) Local Folders, plain, passwordCleartext
   account7:
     INCOMING: account7, , (imap) imap.gmail.com:993, SSL, OAuth2
     OUTGOING: smtp.gmail.com:465, SSL, OAuth2, true
 Crash Reports
   http://crash-stats.mozilla.com/report/index/bp-f861e649-012a-4272-b114-ec6ff2150821 (21/08/2015)
 Extensions
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     print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_data: 9
     print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_height: 11.00
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 Graphics
     Adapter Description: Radeon X1650 Series (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM)
     Vendor ID: 0x1002
     Device ID: 0x71c6
     Adapter RAM: Unknown
     Adapter Drivers: atiumdag atiumdva atiumd64 atiumd6a atitmm64
     Driver Version: 8.56.1.16
     Driver Date: 4-25-2009
     Direct2D Enabled: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer.
     DirectWrite Enabled: false (6.2.9200.17568)
     ClearType Parameters: ClearType parameters not found
     WebGL Renderer: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer.
     GPU Accelerated Windows: 0. Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer.
     AzureCanvasBackend: skia
     AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0
     AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo
     AzureContentBackend: cairo
 JavaScript
 Incremental GC: 1
 Accessibility
   Activated: 0
   Prevent Accessibility: 0
 Library Versions
     Expected minimum version
     Version in use
     NSPR
     4.10.10
     4.10.10
     NSS
     3.19.2.3 Basic ECC
     3.19.2.3 Basic ECC
     NSS Util
     3.19.2.3
     3.19.2.3
     NSS SSL
     3.19.2.3 Basic ECC
     3.19.2.3 Basic ECC
     NSS S/MIME
     3.19.2.3 Basic ECC
     3.19.2.3 Basic ECC
Please help me. I've spent all day trying to connect Thunderbird to Gmail. I've followed the advice on here (disable two-step verification, enable apps with less security), I've uninstalled and reinstalled Thunderbird, I've even changed my Gmail password but none of it works. I've got Thunderbird on my other computer and it works fine. The server settings I am using on both computers are the same. Can you please tell me what I'm doing wrong before I give up completely? Please use very simple language as I'm not an IT expert. Many thanks Application Basics Name: Thunderbird Version: 38.7.0 User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:38.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/38.7.0 Profile Folder: Show Folder (Local drive) Application Build ID: 20160310150025 Enabled Plugins: about:plugins Build Configuration: about:buildconfig Memory Use: about:memory Mail and News Accounts account2: INCOMING: account2, , (none) Local Folders, plain, passwordCleartext account7: INCOMING: account7, , (imap) imap.gmail.com:993, SSL, OAuth2 OUTGOING: smtp.gmail.com:465, SSL, OAuth2, true Crash Reports http://crash-stats.mozilla.com/report/index/bp-f861e649-012a-4272-b114-ec6ff2150821 (21/08/2015) Extensions Important Modified Preferences Name: Value accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar: 0 browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false extensions.lastAppVersion: 38.7.0 font.internaluseonly.changed: false font.name.monospace.el: Consolas font.name.monospace.tr: Consolas font.name.monospace.x-baltic: Consolas font.name.monospace.x-central-euro: Consolas font.name.monospace.x-cyrillic: Consolas font.name.monospace.x-unicode: Consolas font.name.monospace.x-western: Consolas font.name.sans-serif.el: Calibri font.name.sans-serif.tr: Calibri font.name.sans-serif.x-baltic: Calibri font.name.sans-serif.x-central-euro: Calibri font.name.sans-serif.x-cyrillic: Calibri font.name.sans-serif.x-unicode: Calibri font.name.sans-serif.x-western: Calibri font.name.serif.el: Cambria font.name.serif.tr: Cambria font.name.serif.x-baltic: Cambria font.name.serif.x-central-euro: Cambria font.name.serif.x-cyrillic: Cambria font.name.serif.x-unicode: Cambria font.name.serif.x-western: Cambria font.size.fixed.el: 14 font.size.fixed.tr: 14 font.size.fixed.x-baltic: 14 font.size.fixed.x-central-euro: 14 font.size.fixed.x-cyrillic: 14 font.size.fixed.x-unicode: 14 font.size.fixed.x-western: 14 font.size.variable.el: 17 font.size.variable.tr: 17 font.size.variable.x-baltic: 17 font.size.variable.x-central-euro: 17 font.size.variable.x-cyrillic: 17 font.size.variable.x-unicode: 17 font.size.variable.x-western: 17 mail.openMessageBehavior.version: 1 mail.winsearch.firstRunDone: true mailnews.database.global.datastore.id: bac80c30-c96e-4bc1-98b1-eb210de2ea1 mailnews.database.global.views.conversation.columns: {"threadCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"1"},"flaggedCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"3"},"attachmentCol":{"visible":false… mailnews.database.global.views.global.columns: {"threadCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"1"},"flaggedCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"3"},"attachmentCol":{"visible":false… network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true network.predictor.cleaned-up: true places.database.lastMaintenance: 1458212062 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 104858 plugin.importedState: true print.print_printer: Brother HL-2030 series print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_bgcolor: false print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_bgimages: false print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_colorspace: print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_command: print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_downloadfonts: false print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_duplex: 1515870810 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_edge_bottom: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_edge_left: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_edge_right: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_edge_top: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_evenpages: true print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_footercenter: print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_footerleft: &PT print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_footerright: &D print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_headercenter: print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_headerleft: &T print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_headerright: &U print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_in_color: true print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_margin_bottom: 0.5 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_margin_left: 0.5 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_margin_right: 0.5 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_margin_top: 0.5 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_oddpages: true print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_orientation: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_page_delay: 50 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_pagedelay: 500 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_data: 9 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_height: 11.00 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_name: print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_size_type: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_size_unit: 1 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_paper_width: 8.50 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_plex_name: print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_resolution: 1515870810 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_resolution_name: print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_reversed: false print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_scaling: 1.00 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_shrink_to_fit: true print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_to_file: false print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_unwriteable_margin_left: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_unwriteable_margin_right: 0 print.printer_Brother_HL-2030_series.print_unwriteable_margin_top: 0 Graphics Adapter Description: Radeon X1650 Series (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) Vendor ID: 0x1002 Device ID: 0x71c6 Adapter RAM: Unknown Adapter Drivers: atiumdag atiumdva atiumd64 atiumd6a atitmm64 Driver Version: 8.56.1.16 Driver Date: 4-25-2009 Direct2D Enabled: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer. DirectWrite Enabled: false (6.2.9200.17568) ClearType Parameters: ClearType parameters not found WebGL Renderer: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer. GPU Accelerated Windows: 0. Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer. AzureCanvasBackend: skia AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0 AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo AzureContentBackend: cairo JavaScript Incremental GC: 1 Accessibility Activated: 0 Prevent Accessibility: 0 Library Versions Expected minimum version Version in use NSPR 4.10.10 4.10.10 NSS 3.19.2.3 Basic ECC 3.19.2.3 Basic ECC NSS Util 3.19.2.3 3.19.2.3 NSS SSL 3.19.2.3 Basic ECC 3.19.2.3 Basic ECC NSS S/MIME 3.19.2.3 Basic ECC 3.19.2.3 Basic ECC

Chosen solution

Not meaning to complicate the matter, but the information provided here suggests that 'Allow to let less secure apps' should be enabled.

The article also mentions that if 2-step verification is enabled, then the account can be set up in TB with an app-specific password and SSL/TLS security, instead of OAuth2.

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (7)

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Thanks for your help. I did what you said but unfortunately it still isn't working.

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re :disable two-step verification, enable apps with less security

You are using OAuth2, suggest both 'two-step verification' and 'apps with less security' need to be switched off. I have a gmail address using OAuth2 and both of those options are switched off via webmail.

In my stored password I have: 'mailbox://' password for incoming 'smtp://' password for outgoing oauth:// set up by gmail after confirming.

Do you see all three of these?

When sfhowes suggested you delete passwords, did you delete all three of them ?

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Thank you for your answer. I hope I've understood you correctly.

2 Step verification is switched off and enabled lower security apps is switched on.

There are now no stored passwords as I deleted all of the ones that were there. I'm now trying to add a Gmail account but it just says, 'configuration could not be verified. Is the user name or password wrong'.

The confusing thing is that Thunderbird is working fine on my laptop but I just can't set it up on my desktop. FWIW I tried a different email client (eM) and that didn't work either.

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re :Thank you for your answer. I hope I've understood you correctly. 2 Step verification is switched off and enabled lower security apps is switched on.

No you misunderstood - I said both should be switched off because you are using OAuth2.

After removing all (three) stored passwords. Restart Thunderbird.

Gmail should prompt you to sign in and ask to allow connection to account.

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Thanks. Sorry about that.

So, I've switched off enable lower security apps and two step verification is already switched off.

I've restarted Thunderbird and tried once again to add the account and I get the same error message: 'Configuration could not be verified'. It hasn't taken me to Gmail at all.

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re :I've restarted Thunderbird and tried once again to add the account

What do you mean by 'add the account' ? You had already added the mail account because you posted the troubleshooting information.

Are you asying that you removed the actual account as well ?

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My apologies. I spent the whole of yesterday trying to figure this problem out so I have tried so many things and am even confused myself. At some stage I removed the account and am now trying to add it again. Either way, I think the problem is the same. It won't connect to the Gmail server and tells me that the password or email are wrong.

I've followed all of the information about setting up an email client on the Google pages and also tried everything I could find on various forums but nothing is working. I think I'll just have to give up. I can't spend my whole life on this :-(