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My SMTP doesn't follow the predefinition

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by sfhowes

DangerASA
DangerASA

The problem is quite simple (don't know about the solution though).

I have 6 different e-mails in thunderbird (3 older and 3 new because we are changing from a ".com" domain to a ".pt" domain).

When I added the 3 new accounts I changed the SMTP predefinition to the new domain (that can be seen on the screenshoot), but whenever I click on "write new email", it always chooses the older domain.

I also tried to delete the ".com" SMTP definitions, but they keep reappearing. I also went to each account to change the SMTP from predefined to the ".pt" domain, but to no avail.

I don't know if it could be a problem with extras, but I only have 2 and never had a problem before with them.

The problem is quite simple (don't know about the solution though). I have 6 different e-mails in thunderbird (3 older and 3 new because we are changing from a ".com" domain to a ".pt" domain). When I added the 3 new accounts I changed the SMTP predefinition to the new domain (that can be seen on the screenshoot), but whenever I click on "write new email", it always chooses the older domain. I also tried to delete the ".com" SMTP definitions, but they keep reappearing. I also went to each account to change the SMTP from predefined to the ".pt" domain, but to no avail. I don't know if it could be a problem with extras, but I only have 2 and never had a problem before with them.
Attached screenshots

Chosen solution

I'm not sure about the details of your setup, but keep in mind that when you click Write, the From address is applied from the account of the folder that is currently selected. Second, when you select an account in the left pane of Tools/Account Settings, then look at Outgoing Server (SMTP) in the right pane, the selected smtp server should be defined with the same User Name and password as the account in the left pane. Problems often occur when accounts from different domains all have a Default smtp server selected in the Outgoing Server drop-down.

If you have several accounts on the same domain, define separate smtp servers, with distinct Descriptions, so you can set account A to send on smtp A, account B send on smtp B, etc.

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sfhowes
sfhowes
  • Top 25 Contributor

Chosen Solution

I'm not sure about the details of your setup, but keep in mind that when you click Write, the From address is applied from the account of the folder that is currently selected. Second, when you select an account in the left pane of Tools/Account Settings, then look at Outgoing Server (SMTP) in the right pane, the selected smtp server should be defined with the same User Name and password as the account in the left pane. Problems often occur when accounts from different domains all have a Default smtp server selected in the Outgoing Server drop-down.

If you have several accounts on the same domain, define separate smtp servers, with distinct Descriptions, so you can set account A to send on smtp A, account B send on smtp B, etc.

Michael R
Michael R

I'm having a similar problem, I'm using Thunderbird version 68.4.2.

I noticed what appears to be a new feature in the "Tools / Account Settings" that requires that one of the accounts must be "Set as default".

Now whenever I send an outgoing message, thunderbird is using the default SMTP associated with the defaulted account, which means it is using that default SMTP username, even though I selected a different "From" in the droplist to create the email.

For example, let's say you have a work account, "me@work.com", all set up with proper incoming and outgoing server settings. The "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" is set correctly to the SMTP named "Work - smtp.work.com".

I also have a personal account, "me@personal.com", all set up with proper incoming and outgoing server settings. The "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" is set correctly to the SMTP name "Personal - smtp.personal.com".

If I compose a message and choose "me@personal.com" in the FROM box, and hit SEND, it is being received by the recipient as coming from "me@work.com" because it is the default account. I still see "me@personal.com" in my SENT folder, but the recipient is seeing "me@work.com" as who it is coming from.

The only workaround I have is to go into Tools / Account Settings, and make the account the default account before I send the email.

I've been a long time thunderbird user, so maybe something got hosed when the TBird updated from 60.x to 68.x?

I hope others are having this problem too...meaning it is a newly introduced bug in Thunderbird.

sfhowes
sfhowes
  • Top 25 Contributor

If you have the accounts set to send on their corresponding smtp, which you appear to have done, and somehow the settings aren't being applied correctly, it's probably either a problem in your profile, or the mail provider is switching the sender account (if the accounts are withh the same domain). First, I would run in safe mode (Help/Restart with add-ons disabled) to test if you have an add-on causing the switch. If it still happens, I would add the two accounts to a new, clean profile and test. Help/Troubleshooting, about:profiles, to create a new profile; the old profile is unaffected.