Windows 10 reached EOS (end of support) on October 14, 2025. If you are on Windows 10, see this article.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

കൂടുതലറിയുക
This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.
Solved Archived

Overwriting account settings for new host doesn't work.

Thunderbird Installation and updates
simond replied 11 years ago
simond
simond

I would be grateful if someone could help me, my provider has changed email hosting company but my two email addresses remain the same. Overwriting my two POP3 accounts with the new server settings does not work. I have checked directly with the new host that the settings are correct but they suggest that this problem is probably down to Thunderbird and the way profiles work and is outside their support remit. My provider is stumped, but to be honest I only have a small amount of ability here. I need to keep all my old emails and their folder structure and get the connection to the new host servers working. Anybody willing to help?

Thanks, Simon

I would be grateful if someone could help me, my provider has changed email hosting company but my two email addresses remain the same. Overwriting my two POP3 accounts with the new server settings does not work. I have checked directly with the new host that the settings are correct but they suggest that this problem is probably down to Thunderbird and the way profiles work and is outside their support remit. My provider is stumped, but to be honest I only have a small amount of ability here. I need to keep all my old emails and their folder structure and get the connection to the new host servers working. Anybody willing to help? Thanks, Simon
simond
simond Question owner
Read this answer in context

Chosen Solution

I got help from my provider to solve this.

Basically you cannot overwrite an existing account with new settings. The answer is to create a new account and alter the old one so it does not carry the same user name and server settings. I now have to get all my archive of old emails across to the new account but that is documented elsewhere I believe.

എല്ലാ മറുപടികളും (7)

Gnospen
Gnospen

your emailaddress, username and password are the same but the rest has changed? Whats the new thing? open troubleshooting information under help and copy to clipboard [use button] and paste it in here.

simond
simond Question owner

Hi,

The email and username are the same as the old host but the password and server settings have changed for the new host 


 Application Basics

   Name: Thunderbird
   Version: 31.4.0
   User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; WOW64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.4.0
   Profile Folder: Show Folder

             (Local drive)
   Application Build ID: 20150109111741
   Enabled Plugins: about:plugins
   Build Configuration: about:buildconfig
   Memory Use: about:memory

 Mail and News Accounts
   account2:
     INCOMING: account2, , (pop3) secure.emailsrvr.com:995, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: secure.emailsrvr.com:465, SSL, passwordCleartext, true

   account3:
     INCOMING: account3, , (none) Local Folders, plain, passwordCleartext

   account4:
     INCOMING: account4, , (pop3) secure.emailsrvr.com:995, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: secure.emailsrvr.com:465, SSL, passwordCleartext, true

   account5:
     INCOMING: account5, , (im) prpl-msn, plain, 0

 Crash Reports

 Extensions
   British English Dictionary, 1.19.1, true, en-GB@dictionaries.addons.mozilla.org
   Mail Merge, 3.9.1, true, mailmerge@example.net

 Important Modified Preferences

   Name: Value

     accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar: 0
     browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value: 358400
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false
     extensions.lastAppVersion: 31.4.0
     font.name.monospace.el: Consolas
     font.name.monospace.tr: Consolas
     font.name.monospace.x-baltic: Consolas
     font.name.monospace.x-central-euro: Consolas
     font.name.monospace.x-cyrillic: Consolas
     font.name.monospace.x-unicode: Consolas
     font.name.monospace.x-western: Consolas
     font.name.sans-serif.el: Calibri
     font.name.sans-serif.tr: Calibri
     font.name.sans-serif.x-baltic: Calibri
     font.name.sans-serif.x-central-euro: Calibri
     font.name.sans-serif.x-cyrillic: Calibri
     font.name.sans-serif.x-unicode: Calibri
     font.name.sans-serif.x-western: Calibri
     font.name.serif.el: Cambria
     font.name.serif.tr: Cambria
     font.name.serif.x-baltic: Cambria
     font.name.serif.x-central-euro: Cambria
     font.name.serif.x-cyrillic: Cambria
     font.name.serif.x-unicode: Cambria
     font.name.serif.x-western: Calibri
     font.size.fixed.el: 14
     font.size.fixed.tr: 14
     font.size.fixed.x-baltic: 14
     font.size.fixed.x-central-euro: 14
     font.size.fixed.x-cyrillic: 14
     font.size.fixed.x-unicode: 14
     font.size.fixed.x-western: 14
     font.size.variable.el: 17
     font.size.variable.tr: 17
     font.size.variable.x-baltic: 17
     font.size.variable.x-central-euro: 17
     font.size.variable.x-cyrillic: 17
     font.size.variable.x-unicode: 17
     font.size.variable.x-western: 17
     gfx.direct3d.last_used_feature_level_idx: 0
     mail.openMessageBehavior.version: 1
     mail.winsearch.firstRunDone: true
     mailnews.database.global.datastore.id: c8ab7295-fffe-41e1-bcb4-be376921ffe
     mailnews.database.global.views.conversation.columns: {"threadCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"1"},"flaggedCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"3"},"attachmentCol":{"visible":false…
     mailnews.database.global.views.global.columns: {"threadCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"1"},"flaggedCol":{"visible":true,"ordinal":"3"},"attachmentCol":{"visible":false…
     network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true
     places.database.lastMaintenance: 1424768260
     places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 104324
     places.history.expiration.transient_optimal_database_size: 167721368
     plugin.importedState: true
     plugins.prpl.meanwhile.blist_action: 4
     plugins.prpl.oscar.recent_buddies: false
     print.print_printer: Nics HP Color LaserJet CP1510 series PCL6
     print.printer_dhcppc3_(HP_Photosmart_C4500_series).print_bgcolor: false
     print.printer_dhcppc3_(HP_Photosmart_C4500_series).print_bgimages: false
     print.printer_dhcppc3_(HP_Photosmart_C4500_series).print_command:
     print.printer_dhcppc3_(HP_Photosmart_C4500_series).print_downloadfonts: false
     

 Graphics

     Adapter Description: Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000
     Vendor ID: 0x8086
     Device ID: 0x0116
     Adapter RAM: Unknown
     Adapter Drivers: igdumd64 igd10umd64 igd10umd64 igdumd32 igd10umd32 igd10umd32
     Driver Version: 9.17.10.3347
     Driver Date: 1-29-2014
     Adapter Description (GPU #2): NVIDIA GeForce 610M
     Vendor ID (GPU #2): 0x10de
     Device ID (GPU #2): 0x1058
     Adapter RAM (GPU #2): 2048
     Adapter Drivers (GPU #2): nvd3dumx,nvwgf2umx,nvwgf2umx nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
     Driver Version (GPU #2): 9.18.13.3788
     Driver Date (GPU #2): 5-19-2014
     Direct2D Enabled: true
     DirectWrite Enabled: true (6.3.9600.17111)
     ClearType Parameters: ClearType parameters not found
     WebGL Renderer: false
     GPU Accelerated Windows: 3/3 Direct3D 10

     AzureCanvasBackend: direct2d
     AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0
     AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo
     AzureContentBackend: direct2d

 JavaScript

 Incremental GC: 1

 Accessibility

   Activated: 0
   Prevent Accessibility: 0

 Library Versions

     Expected minimum version
     Version in use

     NSPR
     4.10.6
     4.10.6

     NSS
     3.16.2.3 Basic ECC
     3.16.2.3 Basic ECC

     NSS Util
     3.16.2.3
     3.16.2.3

     NSS SSL
     3.16.2.3 Basic ECC
     3.16.2.3 Basic ECC

     NSS S/MIME
     3.16.2.3 Basic ECC
     3.16.2.3 Basic ECC
Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 25 Contributor

The settings look correct:

Check your webmail account to see if 'Pop' has actually been selected. See info under 'Manage Access Rights'

In the Access Rights section, you can grant or restrict access to various services. Each "service" is a different way of accessing email that is stored on the email server. Note: "SSL" and "TLS" indicate that the services incorporate security technology to protect the user’s data. Check the box for each service you want to enable, or uncheck the box for each service you want to restrict/disable:

Modified by Toad-Hall

simond
simond Question owner

Hi Toad Hall

Thanks but as I am not the account holder I only get my webmail screen I can't verify what you ask. I was on the phone to rackspace for 40min, we went through everything and they said my settings are all good. I'll ask my provider to verify.

Gnospen
Gnospen

Just a thought The accounts do they have corresponding inbound and outbound user settings?

simond
simond Question owner

Thanks Gnospen

The outbound and inbound server names are the same as are the User names. The user names are the same as my email addresses.

I overwrote the account server names and ports when attempting to migrate to the new host and created new outgoing server identites. The old outgoing server identities are now deleted.

The new accounts and passwords have been verified by logging in to rackspace so they are valid.

simond
simond Question owner

Chosen Solution

I got help from my provider to solve this.

Basically you cannot overwrite an existing account with new settings. The answer is to create a new account and alter the old one so it does not carry the same user name and server settings. I now have to get all my archive of old emails across to the new account but that is documented elsewhere I believe.