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Can't receive email, need help with error: "The server does not support the selected authentication method..."

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  • 99 views
  • Last reply by SuMo Bot

SuMo Bot
SuMo Bot

This morning I opened Thunderbird to check my email. I saw a page announcing the latest version (I think it was 102), followed closely by an error message that read, "The server does not support the selected authentication method. Please change the 'Authentication method' in the 'Account Settings | Server settings'." I cannot receive emails. Every time I click the "Get messages" button, I receive the same error message. I had not changed any email settings in years.

I went to the Server Settings and found that the Authentication Method was set to “Encrypted Password”. I tried changing it to “Kerberos / GSSAPI”, “NTLM”, and “OAuth2”. None of those corrected the problem. The only remaining option is “Password, transmitted insecurely”, which sounds like a bad idea, so I haven't tried that yet.

My Thunderbird version is 102.2.0 (32-bit). It says it is up to date.

My computer is a PC, running Windows 10 Home.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

This morning I opened Thunderbird to check my email. I saw a page announcing the latest version (I think it was 102), followed closely by an error message that read, "The server does not support the selected authentication method. Please change the 'Authentication method' in the 'Account Settings | Server settings'." I cannot receive emails. Every time I click the "Get messages" button, I receive the same error message. I had not changed any email settings in years. I went to the Server Settings and found that the Authentication Method was set to “Encrypted Password”. I tried changing it to “Kerberos / GSSAPI”, “NTLM”, and “OAuth2”. None of those corrected the problem. The only remaining option is “Password, transmitted insecurely”, which sounds like a bad idea, so I haven't tried that yet. My Thunderbird version is 102.2.0 (32-bit). It says it is up to date. My computer is a PC, running Windows 10 Home. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Chosen solution

Check the settings for the account. 'Connection security' should be set to 'SSL/TLS'. That goes for both, the incoming and outgoing server. For the outgoing server it may also be set to 'STARTTLS'. It depends on the actual email provider. If in doubt check with your email provider.

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All Replies (5)

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
The only remaining option is “Password, transmitted insecurely”, which sounds like a bad idea, so I haven't tried that yet.

Unless your account is Yahoo/AOL based (may include Verizon and AT&T) or a Gmail one, Normal Password authentication is the way to go. It is by no means insecure, assuming you're a using a secure connection to the server (SSL/TLS). If your email provider doesn't provide a secure connection to their servers, find a new email provider.

SuMo Bot
SuMo Bot Question owner

Thanks so much for responding. My email provider is Earthlink. How can I tell if they are providing a secure connection to their servers? (Bear with me, I'm not an IT person.)

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor

Chosen Solution

Check the settings for the account. 'Connection security' should be set to 'SSL/TLS'. That goes for both, the incoming and outgoing server. For the outgoing server it may also be set to 'STARTTLS'. It depends on the actual email provider. If in doubt check with your email provider.

SuMo Bot
SuMo Bot Question owner

It's fixed, thank you!! Connection security set to 'SSL/TLS' and 'Normal Password' did the trick. Thanks for taking the time to help me, I really appreciate it.

SuMo Bot
SuMo Bot Question owner

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