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Thunderbird quit accessing 1 of 2 email accounts on 17 or 18 Mar 2021

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by sfhowes

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Web mail continues to work OK. On 17 or 18 Mar 2021, Thunderbird quit working for 1 of 2 email accounts. Removing and re-establishing the email account (on Thunderbird) doesn't work ("re-test" does OK but "done" bombs out; says there is a config or pw problem (taskbar indicates its trying to access "inbound"). Verified the config prior to removing/re-establishing the T-bird acct. The other acc't continues to work OK in T-bird. Both accounts using same Pop3 & SMTP ports. T-bird ver: 78.8.1 build ID 20210304234616, updated 20 Mar 2021 (note this is after the problem started) (updates occur automatically) prev version 78.7.1 on 17 Feb 21.

Web mail continues to work OK. On 17 or 18 Mar 2021, Thunderbird quit working for 1 of 2 email accounts. Removing and re-establishing the email account (on Thunderbird) doesn't work ("re-test" does OK but "done" bombs out; says there is a config or pw problem (taskbar indicates its trying to access "inbound"). Verified the config prior to removing/re-establishing the T-bird acct. The other acc't continues to work OK in T-bird. Both accounts using same Pop3 & SMTP ports. T-bird ver: 78.8.1 build ID 20210304234616, updated 20 Mar 2021 (note this is after the problem started) (updates occur automatically) prev version 78.7.1 on 17 Feb 21.

Chosen solution

If you change a password now or add an account to TB, a new secure mail key must be created at AT&T, the old passwords removed from Saved Passwords in Options, TB restarted, and the key(s) entered when prompted for a password. Regular passwords might work if they've been established for a while, but if the passwords are changed, they will no longer work - use a key.

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All Replies (6)

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Yes it is, as is the other acc't that works. From what I can determine in both T-bird settings and web email settings, the settings are the same between the acct's (except name & pw). SSL/TLS is set in the one that works and I set the same for the one I'm trying to re-establish. Maybe I'm not looking at the right things??? to determine the action to take. (Looked at T-bird "server settings" and web mail "settings" which took me to att page, where it has a place to add a security key; but showed the same - no entry- for the acc't that works OK either.)

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Chosen Solution

If you change a password now or add an account to TB, a new secure mail key must be created at AT&T, the old passwords removed from Saved Passwords in Options, TB restarted, and the key(s) entered when prompted for a password. Regular passwords might work if they've been established for a while, but if the passwords are changed, they will no longer work - use a key.

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I am having the exact same issue for the past 3 days.

Please be more specific if you can as to how I solve the problem.

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See sfhowe's helpful reply of 3/26 7:59 Pm: problem solved by removing the account from Thunderbird (you might want to save off some stuff first). Then going to the webmail/settings and getting a key assigned. There was a button to copy the key to my clipboard, or "cntl c" should work. Then go to T-bird and set up new account, using the key as the "normal password". (at the dialog box for the password, paste from the clipboard - I used "cntl v" to do that.) Be sure to have Password Manager save your "password", or you'll be entering it again (assuming you don't lose it by restarting or shutting down your computer)

As sfhowe stated, if you change a password (In my case I don't know how that happened; but its moot), or set up a new T-bird email acc't, you need to use a key.

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Just to remind that instead of going to the trouble of removing and re-adding the account, it's sufficient to remove the password, restart TB, enter the key at the next connection. That way, there's no interruption of the existing mail folders.