can you access your mail using your browser?

Hi Matt, sorry it took so long. No issue with accessing the program except I can't do anything with it because of the log-in requirement

Hi Thunderbird will be asking you for the password you use to access your email account. Matt was asking whether you can successfully log in to your email online - that is, on the Internet through webmail, not using Thunderbird. If you can - then simply use the same password in Thunderbird as you use online, and Thunderbird should remember it in future. Agnes

Thank you Agnes and Matt for responding. You must excuse my ignorance here but I don't know how to access webmail. Been researching but can't seem to nail it down. Philip

Hi Well, the webmail site depends on who your email service provider is. For example, for Yahoo email, users go to Yahoo's website and choose Mail. Your email provider probably has a website, and a way to log in to email there. However - if you have never done that, and you always used Thunderbird, and someone else set it up for you, or it's so long ago you don't have a record of the settings and original password ... then trying to log in on webmail may not work (or not immediately). You can ask Thunderbird what password it has been using to download email. Tools > Options > Security > Passwords tab > Saved Passwords. You should see a line that has your email provider name in the "saved logins" list. Click Show Passwords below the list, to see what Thunderbird remembers as your email password. Then, you can test that password by going to your provider's online webmail and using it to log in there. That would prove whether the password is correct for that email account (Matt's intention earlier). If that fails, you may need to reset your email password. First change the password for your online email, and then change Thunderbird to match. If you can log in online, but you still can't log in with Thunderbird using exactly the same password, then there may be another problem, perhaps with authentication settings. The best option for you would be to contact your email provider - support, technical help line, someone who can help you test and if necessary reset your password in person. If that's not possible, then your email provider email login page should have a way to 'reset password'. However that often requires an alternate email to send the reset code to - and I guess you don't have an alternate email account, or a phone number, previously assigned for that purpose, so that may not work for you. Again, if you can talk to someone at the email company, that would be best. Good luck, Agnes

Thanks again Agnes. I fixed it, not really sure what I did but it worked, so thanks

So glad you have it working! Now - please do use my notes on how to find out what password Thunderbird is using, and make a note of it somewhere. If you ever need to check it again, or use webmail, that would be good to know. Agnes

I have the same problem as "Bloke" - Never had to use a password before even when I set Thunderbird up (around 2006). Now I get an error that states login failed. Unable to send/receive. Sometime last summer, a Windows 10 update ran over night and when I came back to the computer in the morning, NOTHING was there. Fortunately Microsoft/Windows was able to restore all programs and files, except for Thunderbird! Not able to access my address book with 100's of names and addresses built up over the years. ARRGGGHHH!

I can access all my various email accounts either directly or through MS Outlook, but I need my address book from Thunderbird!

Searched unsuccessfully for a long time for a "Contact" button somewhere on Thunderbird, but no luck. Just this afternoon stumbled on a way into Tools for Thunderbird, and eventually followed the trail to get here.

So the big question is how can I get my password (or reset it) so I can access Thunderbird?