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How do I re-instate an email address that I had to delete because of computer issues?

  • 15 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

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I've tried opening Thunderbird and selecting Tools:Account Settings:Account Actions:Add Mail Account, then filling-in the (former) username and password and tapping DONE, but this always results in the message "Configuration could not be verified - is the username or password wrong?"

I've tried opening Thunderbird and selecting Tools:Account Settings:Account Actions:Add Mail Account, then filling-in the (former) username and password and tapping DONE, but this always results in the message "Configuration could not be verified - is the username or password wrong?"

All Replies (15)

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What anti virus are you using?

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That error message means: either the User name is incorrect or password or both OR if all of those are correct then they are not correct for the server settings that have been used.

If you have managed to create the mail account even though it is not working, please post the following: In Thunderbird Help > Troubleshooting Information Do NOT select checkbox 'Include account name' click on 'Copy text to clipboard' button

In this forum question, right click in a 'Post a Reply' text abox and select 'Paste. Edit/Remove all info on fonts and printers., but nothing else.

If you have not managed to create anone working mail account, do the following.

Menu icon > New Message > Existing Mail account Enter name Enter email address Enter password same one used to access wemail click on 'Continue' button Thunderbird will attempt to look up settings. Has the correct Type been selected POP or IMAP? click on 'Manual Config' button

Post image of window showing server settings.

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I have now got headings in my Thunderbird window for "Mommut2" and "Mommut3" but neither work.

Here's the screenshot that Toad Hall requested-

 Application Basics
   Name: Thunderbird
   Version: 52.5.2
   User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:52.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/52.5.2
   Profile Folder: Open Folder
             (Local drive)
   Application Build ID: 20171221110448
   Enabled Plugins: about:plugins
   Build Configuration: about:buildconfig
   Memory Use: about:memory
   Profiles: about:profiles
 Mail and News Accounts
   account1:
     INCOMING: account1, , (imap) mail.internode.on.net:993, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: , mail.internode.on.net:465, SSL, passwordCleartext, true
   account2:
     INCOMING: account2, , (none) Local Folders, plain, passwordCleartext
   account3:
     INCOMING: account3, , (pop3) mail.internode.on.net:995, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: , mail.internode.on.net:465, SSL, passwordCleartext, true
   account4:
     INCOMING: account4, , (imap) mail.internode.on.net:993, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: , mail.internode.on.net:465, SSL, passwordCleartext, true
 Crash Reports
 Extensions
   Lightning, 5.4.5.2, true, {e2fda1a4-762b-4020-b5ad-a41df1933103}
 Important Modified Preferences
   Name: Value
     browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400
     browser.cache.disk.filesystem_reported: 1
     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: 52.5.2
     font.name.monospace.el: 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.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.x-cyrillic: Cambria
     font.name.serif.x-unicode: Cambria
     font.name.serif.x-western: Cambria
     font.size.fixed.el: 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.x-cyrillic: 17
     font.size.variable.x-unicode: 17
     font.size.variable.x-western: 17
     mail.openMessageBehavior.version: 1
     mail.winsearch.firstRunDone: true
     mailnews.database.global.datastore.id: c274d336-0aeb-48f9-ad15-b49920998e9
     media.gmp.storage.version.observed: 1
     network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true
     network.predictor.cleaned-up: true
     places.database.lastMaintenance: 1516247324
     places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 122334
     plugin.importedState: true
     security.sandbox.content.tempDirSuffix: {2a41554c-d88f-4004-9c63-1e2f0381f9c9}
 Graphics
     GPU #1
     Description: Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000
     Vendor ID: 0x8086
     Device ID: 0x0126
     RAM: Unknown
     Drivers: igdumd64 igd10umd64 igd10umd64 igdumd32 igd10umd32 igd10umd32
     Driver Version: 9.17.10.2963
     Driver Date: 1-16-2013
     Features
     Direct2D: false
     DirectWrite: true (6.2.9200.22164)
     WebGL Renderer: Google Inc. -- ANGLE (Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000 Direct3D9Ex vs_3_0 ps_3_0) -- OpenGL ES 2.0 (ANGLE 2.1.0.2a250c8a0e15)
     AzureCanvasBackend: skia
     AzureCanvasAccelerated: 0
     AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo
     AzureContentBackend: skia
 JavaScript
 Incremental GC: 1
 Accessibility
   Activated: 0
   Prevent Accessibility: 0
 Library Versions
     Expected minimum version
     Version in use
     NSPR
     4.13.1
     4.13.1
     NSS
     3.28.6
     3.28.6
     NSS Util
     3.28.6
     3.28.6
     NSS SSL
     3.28.6
     3.28.6
     NSS S/MIME
     3.28.6
     3.28.6
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Server Settings look correct.

Please check 'User name' Most servers use the full email address as User Name, but the info on website says otherwise. Info on website says: Do not include @internode.on.net with your username. note: your password is cAsE-SensitivE.

Right click on pop mail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings'. Select 'Server Settings' User Name: Remove everything and retype only the first part of email address - everything before the @.

If the pop mail account also has an imap mail account set up to access same email address as an imap mail account, check the settings in the pop account - make sure 'Leave messages on server' is selected.

Do the same for the imap account resetting the 'User name'.

Bottom left Pane. Click on 'Outgoing Server (SMTP)' Select each outgoing server click on 'Edit' User Name: Remove everything and retype only the first part of email address - everything before the @. click on OK click on OK

Q: Did you have the full email address as User name?


Check the saved User Name and passwords:

  • 'Menu icon' > 'Options' > 'Options' > 'Security' > 'Passwords' tab
  • click on 'Saved Passwords' button
  • click on 'Show Passwords' button

Check: Is the 'User Name' correct? - Shows only the part before the @ of email addess. If no: Right click on the appropriate account lines and select 'Edit Username'. User Name: Remove everything and retype only the first part of email address - everything before the @.

Is the password correct? Remember it is case sensitive and should be the same as the one you use to access webmail. Right click on the appropriate account lines and select 'Edit Password'. Remove everything and retype. click on 'close' click on OK.

Exit Thunderbird, wait a few moments for background processes to complete and restart Thunderbird.

Please report back on results.

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Thank you for your further advice.

When I click on Folder>View Settings For This Account>Server Settings, the User Name seemed to be OK, but to be sure I deleted it and re-typed the user name only (nothing after the @).

I could find no facility to Edit:User Name, nor to view an Outgoing Server.

In Menu icon>Options>Security>Passwords, the User Name field for the one active account contains the full address, i.e. username@internode.on.net, for both IMAP and POP. Both are set to “leave messages on server” and both appear to work OK in any country I visit.

I have tried to set up a UserName2 account which shows the correct User Name only (nothing after the @). It shows up in the Security>Passwords field with the correct User Name only.

I have also tried to set up a UserName3 account. That shows in the list of accounts, and I can open its server settings, but it does not show in the Security>Passwords fields.

As an aside, my main account, which “sort-of” works OK, no longer shows the source of incoming messages. That is not a good thing in these days of spam, phishing etc.

I have tried various versions of Thunderbird, but the above problems persist in all of them.

Regrettably I have not been able to get your recommendations to work.

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UPDATED as I forgot to add a second image.

re: User Name field for the one active account contains the full address, i.e. username@internode.on.net, Thanks for this info. Interesting that the User Name = full email address works despite their recommendations. So it would seem all of those email accounts should work with full email address for the User Name.

With this info, I've had a further look on website and there is conflicting advice. So kind of them!! These pages says UserName - only the part before the @ sign. https://www.internode.on.net/support/guides/general_settings/ https://www.internode.on.net/support/guides/email/secure_email/

However, under another page specifically for Thunderbird setup, it says: Username: your Internode username, implying only the part prior to @ sign. But in the image on that webpage under step 4, it clearly shows UserName = full email address: https://www.internode.on.net/support/guides/email/setup_guides/windows/mozilla_thunderbird/

As your working account has UserName as full email address, on reflection, it may be best to have the full email address as UserName. Sorry to be a pain, but put all those mail account 'Server Setting' User Names back to full email address.


Under In Menu icon>Options> Options>Security>Passwords, re :UserName2 account which shows the correct User Name only (nothing after the @). It shows up in the Security>Passwords field with the correct User Name only. By 'only' do you mean there is no save password showing? clicking on 'Saved Passwords' button will show all the accounts that have a saved password, but will not show the actual passwords until you click on 'Show Passwords' button? Q: Have you clicked on 'Show Passwords' button? If no, click on it and then check the saved passwords are the correct ones, for those User Names = full email address. see second image.

re: UserName3 account. That shows in the list of accounts, and I can open its server settings, but it does not show in the Security>Passwords fields. This means you did not select the checkbox for Password Manager to store the password when you were creating the mail account.

When you select that account in the Folder Pane and click on 'Get Messages' Thunderbird should prompt for the password. Enter password and select the checkbox to remember it. click on OK


re : I could find no facility to Edit:User Name, nor to view an Outgoing Server. 'Outgoing Server (SMTP)' is in Account Settings at the bottom of the left pane. See image below. It is an image I used to show how the 'Description' field can help identify which account is which when you have several using the same server settings, but with different usernames and passwords. But it also shows how you select an outgoing server and use 'Edit' to modify settings. This setting would not affect incoming mail, so you could leave this for now and only fix if there is an issue when sending.

Modified by Toad-Hall

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Thank you again. Interesting about the conflicting instructions in the Thunderbird website regarding user name setup. No problem I will change back to the full address version.

Regarding Menu icon>Options> Options>Security>Passwords, yes I did click on the “Show Passwords” button --- apologies for omitting to mention this.

Re the Username3 account, no, I had not selected the checkbox for Password Manager to store the password as I thought there is no point storing a password if the system comes back immediately with the message “Sending of password for user Mommut3@internode.on.net did not succeed. Mail server mail.internode.on.net responded: User: Mommut3 Domain: internode.on.net, -ERR mommut3 No such user”. If I click on that message, it disappears and is replaced by a window stating “Login to server mail.internode.on.net failed, with options to Retry, Enter new Password, or Cancel”. That is, I keep going around in circles and coming back to the initial problem..

FYI, re my attempted Username2, it’s SERVER SETTINGS come up as IMAP and do not have an option for KEEP MESSAGES ON SERVER, whereas for the attempted Username3 account it’s SERVER SETTINGS come up as POP and I can select to “keep messages on server until I delete them”. Question: Can I change the UserName 2 account to POP and thus get to to “keep messages on server until I delete them”?

So in summary • all three account addresses are listed in full in Server Settings and elsewhere, • all three passwords have been saved correctly and appear correctly in Options ---- Show Passwords, • nothing has changed as regards the FAIL messages I get when attempting to log in to the Username 2 or Username3 accounts,

If this wasn’t such a challenge, and it wasn’t for all your help, I would be sorely tempted to switch to Hotmail or GMail for the secondary accounts!!

Thanks & regards

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To change an account from IMAP to POP or vice versa, the recommended route is to simply delete the original account (in Thunderbird) and set it up again, this time choosing the alternative protocol. This is problematic when changing an established account from POP to IMAP because your store of messages in the POP-connected account is likely your only copy of these messages and you won't want to delete them. So we suggest you move all the stuff you want to keep into the Local Folders account before deleting the POP-connected account. But I don't think this is a concern in your case.

What advantage do you see with POP? I always think that anyone looking for the "leave messages on server option" would usually be best served by IMAP, since with IMAP, everything is stored on the server by default.

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Thank you, Zenos, for your comments on POP versus IMAP. I will have a think before I make any changes

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Please confirm: Logon to webmail account for new User Name 2 (whatever that new email addess is) using a browser. (Not the primary original account)

Do you need to select to use IMAP or is this auto enabled? Do you need to select what folders are made available for imap?

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Hi Toad-Hall. Tried logging-in to my UserName2 (with Firefox 46.0.1, which I use because it supports multirow bookmarks toolbar). Always got response "Error: Login Failed - Username or Password Incorrect".

I don't mind whether this mailbox uses IMAP or POP (if it ever gets to work).

Thanks again ----

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This proves that something is not correct. If you cannot logon to to that account via webmail using the Username and Password you believe correct, then Thunderbird will not be able to do it.

I suggest you logon to your main account via webmail and check the additional email addresses you have created. Double check the spelling of the additional email addresses. If this is where you can check/modify the password, then try setting a new password for those new additional email addresses. Check to see if you can allow imap for those accounts. Check to see if there are any other proceedures you need to select so you can start accessing that account in webmail.

You need to establish access via webmail first for those new email addresses.

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Problems solved, but not quite sure how or why.

I opened the Thunderbird support site direct from Firefox and got to the section that gives options to set-up up to 4 additional mailboxes (2 of which had already been set up), and also options to change passwords or delete mailboxes.

Following your advice on passwords (saving them, checking that they had been saved etc.), I re-typed or confirmed everything as the website menus requested. At the end of that exercise the UserName2 mailbox worked normally to receive and send mail. The only slightly frustrating thing is that I don't know what was wrong in the first place!

So thank you very much for your patience and help in leading me through to a solution of the problem.

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Good to hear all is now up and running :)