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What has happened to Thunderbird??

Russell Pond
Russell Pond

I have been using T-bird for years successfully until lately. We have multiple email addresses in Comcast and Gmail, but lately our passwords that we have been using and know are correct because they are written on paper and Keypass, are being changed somehow so that they will no longer work. When we look at the saved passwords in Thunderbird we see some have been changed on a certain date that we did not do, and the password listed now must be about 200 characters long. Then when we go to change the password, it may be listed as changed. Then when we try to send a message with that email address, we get an error message saying, for example, smtp.googlemail.com and a wrong username/address completely. I can find no way to correct the username email in any settings in Thunderbird. I have searched the Thunderbird HELP files many times, but am unable to find any of this addressed anywhere. After trying to fix these problems for most of 3 days now, I have get rid of Thunderbird for an email client that works correctly!!!

I have been using T-bird for years successfully until lately. We have multiple email addresses in Comcast and Gmail, but lately our passwords that we have been using and know are correct because they are written on paper and Keypass, are being changed somehow so that they will no longer work. When we look at the saved passwords in Thunderbird we see some have been changed on a certain date that we did not do, and the password listed now must be about 200 characters long. Then when we go to change the password, it may be listed as changed. Then when we try to send a message with that email address, we get an error message saying, for example, smtp.googlemail.com and a wrong username/address completely. I can find no way to correct the username email in any settings in Thunderbird. I have searched the Thunderbird HELP files many times, but am unable to find any of this addressed anywhere. After trying to fix these problems for most of 3 days now, I have get rid of Thunderbird for an email client that works correctly!!!

All Replies (4)

Matt
Matt
  • Top 10 Contributor

Let me be very very clear on this. Thunderbird doers not use or store you password to connect to gmail or more recently comcast with it's offer to upgrade to yahoo for better service. It uses an oauth token for access this is a random looking collection of numbers and letters. Changing the token manually to something else is a guarantee that things will fail.

It does sound to me like you need to back up some and start by deleting all passwords in Thunderbird password manager so you can go though the authentication process anew and get new tokens. This process normally look like a web page asking for your user name and password. Google make their logo clear on their pages, yahoo do not, many mistake their login page for a popup because it is full of advertising.

BTW SMTP.googlemail.com has not been Google recommended server for outgoing mail for a very long time it should be SMTP.gmail.com

So perhaps a review of all of your account settings is in order; Please go to the troubleshooting information on the help menu. Scroll down to the "Mail and New accounts" section and using your mouse to highlight everything in that section. Right click and select copy. In a reply on this topic, paste in your account settings.

This process does not include any personal information, only the generic parts of your account settings.

Russell Pond
Russell Pond Mwenye swali

Thanks for your response & education. I had no idea about a "oauth token" and did not see anything in my Help searches. Is the following what you asked for? Mail and News Accounts ID Incoming server Outgoing servers Name Connection security Authentication method Name Connection security Authentication method Default? account2 (none) Local Folders None Normal password account10 (imap) imap.gmail.com:993 SSL/TLS OAuth2 smtp.gmail.com:465 SSL/TLS OAuth2 true account11 (imap) imap.comcast.net:993 SSL/TLS Normal password smtp.comcast.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true account12 (imap) imap.comcast.net:993 SSL/TLS OAuth2 smtp.comcast.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true account13 (imap) imap.gmail.com:993 SSL/TLS OAuth2 smtp.gmail.com:465 SSL/TLS OAuth2 true account14 (imap) imap.comcast.net:993 SSL/TLS Normal password smtp.comcast.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true account15 (imap) imap.gmail.com:993 SSL/TLS OAuth2 smtp.googlemail.com:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
  • Moderator

As per your Troubleshooting Information yo do have three Gmail accounts. Two of them (account10, and account13) have the correct settings for the outgoing server: smtp.gmail.com:465 SSL/TLS OAuth2

The outgoing server for account15 differs from the above. smtp.googlemail.com:465 SSL/TLS Normal password

So you'd have to adjust the settings for that outgoing server.

At the top right of the Thunderbird window, click the menu button ≡ > Account Settings

In the left pane, scroll down to Outgoing Server - SMTP.

Select the outgoing server to be adjusted > Edit

Use the following settings: Server Name: smtp.gmail.com Authentication method: OAuth2 Leave everything else as is.

Russell Pond
Russell Pond Mwenye swali

OK, But I cannot find what email account is ID "account 12" or whichever number.

Uliza swali

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