Hello,

Just follow these steps:

• Automatic Account Configuration

Thanks, but when I do the automatic link it then gives me the message that thunderbird failed to find the settings for my account. The next problem I have is that when I try to enter the info provided by my email provider, it keep changing the port number from 587 for smtp to 465 when I chose SSL/TLS and I don't know if this is the problem - can you override it?

It is changing because the server is set up by Microsoft trained people is my guess. They just don't get standards. They specify a non SSL port for SSL.

So specify the SSL then manually edit the port number.

if it is an exchange server you can always use the exequilla add-on for exchange. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/exquilla-exchange-web-services

The problem is that when I specify the SSL port number, it changes the SSL choice box back to auto detect and greys out the done box in the right-hand corner and won't let me then proceed! Catch-22! Is there another way to manually select the port number?

Many thanks

see the attachment, that is after I click the re test button. Clearly it will not work for me, I have no account.

Really appreciate your help, but now it is coming up with the following even though I know the username and password are correct because I can login with them online (see the error message attached)!. Assuming that the username =email minus the @nhs.net. Also, in the guidance it states to select TLS for SMTP and I'm selecting STARTTLS as you suggested in order to get the 587 port - is that the same as TLS - why is this so difficult!?

My guess is that error will be your anti virus "helping" Rebooting your computer in safe mode will disable the anti virus assistance so you can set up your account, or you can trawl through the settings in the AV and start by disabling any email scanner, and ensuring it's firewall allows full access.