Have been getting intermittent error "An error occurred while sending mail: The mail server sent an incorrect greeting: 4.4.5 Server busy, try again later"
I have been using Thunderbird in conjunction with a paid Gmail account for 10+ years. In the last few weeks a situation has developed when sending emails , about 10-20% of the time we get the error message "An error occurred while sending mail: The mail server sent an incorrect greeting: 4.4.5 Server busy, try again later". When this occurs the mail is not sent and is not in the outbox either, it is just gone and we have to start over and compose the message again.
It does not seem to be dependent on time of day, it just happens randomly, but often enough that I have to copy every email to a clipboard in case it fails so I can paste it into a new email and try again. Very frustrating.
Nothing else has changed - same computer, same network, same internet connection. No changes to Thunderbird setup or Gmail account, no new software installed, etc. Windows did force an update on me about a week or so ago but I think this error started before that but I can't be positive.
I'm hoping someone else has been in this situation and found a solution. Any input is appreciated!
모든 댓글 (8)
It could just be that Google have a problem with load balancing. Have you contacted them at all?
I have not contacted Google. When it first occurred I thought perhaps Google was having an issue, but when it persisted for days and then weeks I figured probably not.
I will try reaching out to Google I guess if you think based on the error message it is on Google's end.
Thank you for your suggestion.
Yes I do think it is at Googles end, but please keep this thread updated with your progress, or a link to any support posting with Google.
If it does not appear to be google please come back and I will have another go. but that is where I think the issue is.
Is this account POP or IMAP? Are you using OAuth2 authentication for the incoming and outgoing servers? If it's currently authentication = normal password, changing to OAuth (for IMAP and SMTP) might help. Although you say nothing has changed since this issue arose, is it possible you have a security app that performed a silent upgrade, (especially if it scans outgoing mail)? Is there anything common between the 'random' failures, e.g. it fails when messages have an attachment?
Thank you for your suggestions. We are using IMAP, I think just standard password authentication. I will look into the OAuth2 and any possible security scans interfering. As for the 'random' failures, it does appear to be random, no connection between time of day, email size, attachments, recipients, etc.
I too just started having this issue. I can understand that Google's servers may be busy at certain times, but what I don't understand is that the mail ends up in my Sent box, when it hasn't been delivered. I have to go into my Sent box, Edit as New Message, and then resend. This is a problem on Thunderbird's end.
I am using SMTP and have the problem with both Oauth2 and Normal Password.
글쓴이 Geoff Schultz 수정일시
Geoff Schultz said
I too just started having this issue. I can understand that Google's servers may be busy at certain times, but what I don't understand is that the mail ends up in my Sent box, when it hasn't been delivered. I have to go into my Sent box, Edit as New Message, and then resend. This is a problem on Thunderbird's end. I am using SMTP and have the problem with both Oauth2 and Normal Password.
The OAuth issue will be fixed in 68.2.1, due in days, or you can apply the workaround described here.
TB 68.2.1: https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/68.2.1/releasenotes/
글쓴이 sfhowes 수정일시
Geoff Schultz said
I too just started having this issue. I can understand that Google's servers may be busy at certain times, but what I don't understand is that the mail ends up in my Sent box, when it hasn't been delivered. I have to go into my Sent box, Edit as New Message, and then resend. This is a problem on Thunderbird's end. I am using SMTP and have the problem with both Oauth2 and Normal Password.
Thanks for your comments. Interesting that it ends up in the sent box for you, in my case there is nothing in the sent box when the error occurs. Message not sent, not in outbox, not in sent mail, just gone. That's a real bummer because can't go into sent mail, edit as new message and resend.