Thunderbird says "login failed" when trying to send an email

Your ISP is the problem not the client. Thunderbird only can act as a portal to your email server. Contact your ISP and tell them you're having problems with the login server. Spectrum/Charter has been having issues for over a year they are big time lamers. They expect people to use web-based email through the browser instead of using a pop/smtp server..

Thank you for the very quick reply. I was absolutely not expecting that.

I don't understand exactly what that means.

I have Verizon Fios. The person there said all she could do is reset the router and I could restart my computer. Does that make sense to you, or do you have more of an explanation of what I could be asking them?

Thank you again,

Dana

Verizon officially transitioned all of its webmail service to AOL Mail several years ago, so original Verizon email servers no longer handle active traffic. If you are having trouble signing into your Verizon email, try logging in directly through the AOL Mail page or check your email client's IMAP and SMTP settings to ensure they are pointing to AOL's servers.

The incoming IMAP server is imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS. For outgoing mail, use the SMTP server smtp.aol.com on port 465. Keep in mind you'll need to use your full email address and generate a specific app password from your AOL security settings rather than your standard account password.

Hope this helps

You are trying so hard. I'm sorry my information has been incomplete.

Verizon is my ISP. I'm trying to log into Outlook. In case it matters, it's from a PC (Windows 11). My settings are Outlook.com (Microsoft) smtp-mail.outlook.com 587 STARTTLS OAuth2

In trying to work with Geek Squad for help they changed the addess to something like smtp.Office365.com.

They also changed it to have me enter the password manually.

I don't have the help article handy, but I changed it to whatever it said.

All have failed.

I hope that's all of it.

Thank you again.

Your mail is then being handled by Microsoft servers and port 587 is encrypted. Make sure you are not encrypting your password.... In the Thunderbird settings. The mail server will not recognise it.

All my searches say I cannot unencrypt my password in Outlook. Does Thunderbird just not work with Outlook?

I really like how everything looks in Thunderbird....

I meant to say don't encrypt your password in thunderbird. Port 587 is already encrypted.

I looked up how to unencrypt a password in Thunderbird. It said make sure "Use a Primary Password" is unchecked. It is. When I looked at the password it was a huge mess. I changed it to my password and that's how it shows now.

I still get login failed.

when I click the button to enter my password, the browser flashes, but leaves me on the current page. When working with Geek Squad, the first rep did something (reset something) and then the password page appeared. I didn't get to ask him what he was doing before I had to go. I'm trying a bunch of things, but I can't get to that password page...

Well if it used to work and now it doesn't and you are certain youade no changes then it's not on your end . Better check the outlook settings and verify you can check mail directly on their website as well.

Do you know if Thunderbird works with Outlook anywhere?

I so appreciate your help, but everything I see on the web doesn't work, Geek Squad has no idea and now nothing you are suggesting works.

I know I'm not very technically savvy, but either I'm missing something, or it just doesn't work and I have no idea how to get with someone.

Do you have any other suggestions, or do you know another path for support? I'd be happy to pay if I had a place to go.

And I can't stress enough how grateful I am for your efforts.

I'm not really understanding now so this never worked for you before and this is your first attempt to use Thunderbird for your client on your computer? Like I said either the IMAP server SMTP server POP3 server on the other end is failing if you used to receive mail and now you are not and never made any changes.

If this is an initial setup you've never used Thunderbird before you need to find out from your ISP Verizon . As I had stated earlier I looked into it and Verizon no longer supports email it's been pushed to AOL. Now you're mentioning Outlook from Microsoft if Microsoft is your email provider and you can check mail on Hotmail web-based pages or some other Microsoft Office 365 mail client but you can't with Thunderbird and your credentials are 100% correct then maybe it is not permitted to log in with the third party client. I'm not sure I don't use Microsoft for email at home I did at work and never had a problem but I didn't use Thunderbird at work I used Office 365 mail.

Outlook works fine. I just started trying Thunderbird last night. It has never worked.

I talked to Verizon. She said there shouldn't be an issue and I should try resetting my router and restarting my computer. I will try that in the morning so I don't disturb anyone.

I just did another search. It says it is possible. It says I have to enable IMAP access in Outlook.com. I try. It says it will send me an email to verify. It doesn't. I ask it to send me a text. It doesn't.

I think this makes Verizon's thoughts useless.

Without someplace to go and physcially have someone work with me, I don't think I can do this. The only place I can think of is Geek Squad, and they were useless. Do you know any place? This is so beyond frustrating...

Restarting your equipment and rebooting your computer is always a good step. Modem router pc. The setting and Outlook allowing IMAP sounds good. You can receive mail in Outlook good.

Hope everything works out. Circle back if you find the allow IMAP setting in outlook. Go to your Outlook.com web settings under Mail, then Forwarding and IMAP, and toggle on "Let devices and apps use IMAP. That setting is required for sure to use 3rd party apps such as thunderbird through outlook. Of course I don't know if you're using a standalone version on your computer or online but this should point you in the right direction hopefully.

I was right there for the IMAP. It just won't let me go past that step. It won't email me, nor send me a text. I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe THAT is something Geek Squad can help with...

I REALLY appreciate your time. I'll let you know if finally get it going.

Dana

That sounds great. You are on the right track now. You may or may not need to do a repair on the client. Your browser settings. I don't know if something's being blocked. But at least you are moving in the right direction now. Good luck