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I keep getting this error when trying to download email (CenturyLink): The RETR command did not succeed. Error retrieving a message. Mail server pop.centurylink

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  • Last reply by Joehiker

Joehiker
Joehiker
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CenturyLink email throws error when I try to download: The RETR command did not succeed. Error retrieving a message. Mail server pop.centurylink.net responded: system failure: Unable to get content for Message 974. No help from CL support. Have reconfigured my Tbird settings so many times now I don't recall what they were when working (yesterday) - though CL says to use the ones here: http://internethelp.centurylink.com/internethelp/email-setup-in-thunderbird-1.html. Grrr. Webmail to CL works fine (of course) and they say that Tbird is the problem....

CenturyLink email throws error when I try to download: The RETR command did not succeed. Error retrieving a message. Mail server pop.centurylink.net responded: system failure: Unable to get content for Message 974. No help from CL support. Have reconfigured my Tbird settings so many times now I don't recall what they were when working (yesterday) - though CL says to use the ones here: http://internethelp.centurylink.com/internethelp/email-setup-in-thunderbird-1.html. Grrr. Webmail to CL works fine (of course) and they say that Tbird is the problem....

Chosen solution

re : Unable to get content for Message 974 is a message from the server.

You mention you have a POP mail account, so it can only access and download from server Inbox.

Is the problem email in the server Inbox or has it been moved to eg: server Spam folder?

Logon to webmail account via a browser to see where that email is located.

If it is in the webmail 'Spam' folder, either read it and then empty the spam folder or if you want the email, move it back into the Inbox and empty the Spam folder anyway. Then try to Get Messages in Thunderbird.

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Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Chosen Solution

re : Unable to get content for Message 974 is a message from the server.

You mention you have a POP mail account, so it can only access and download from server Inbox.

Is the problem email in the server Inbox or has it been moved to eg: server Spam folder?

Logon to webmail account via a browser to see where that email is located.

If it is in the webmail 'Spam' folder, either read it and then empty the spam folder or if you want the email, move it back into the Inbox and empty the Spam folder anyway. Then try to Get Messages in Thunderbird.

Joehiker
Joehiker Question owner
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Thanks for following up. While I was able to log into the CL server, the mail wasn't even downloading there, which was verified after I sent several tests from a gmail account I use. Once the rep (the third one I had interacted with!) saw that, she finally took ownership of the problem and traced it back to a server issue within the CL network. Problem solved: Don't use CenturyLink. (lol) Easy to say now when I am not trying to convince a CL rep that the problem is on their end.

And yes - Tbird works as smoothly as it always has.

Modified by Joehiker