You have to create a secure mail key on the AT&T site and use that in TB in place of the account password.

https://www.att.com/support/article/dsl-high-speed/KM1010523/

I did the mail key number and it did not work. Now it has gotten worse; my mail boxes have been replace by symbols and long strings of A. I have posted about this on security. Please read it, I used your help a few years ago. Thanks

re :I did the mail key number

OK so you used the information supplied to create an app specific password which att call 'a secure mail key' https://www.att.com/support/article/email-support/KM1240308/

Did you then do this: In Thunderbird

• Settings > Privacy & Security
• Scroll down to Passwords section
• click on 'Saved Passwords'
• Click on 'Show Passwords'

At this point you may get asked for a password. If the pop up windows says 'Windows Security' ....when you start up computer it asks you to logon to your user accounts - that is the password you need to enter. If you have created a 'Primary Password' in Thunderbird which is designed to hide your passwords from prying eyes, then it requires that unique primary password.

Now you can see all accounts and passwords. You should see two lines for the account, incoming and outgoing smtp, you need to alter the password on both.

• Right click on relevant line and select 'Edit Password'
• completely clear all contents and then enter the 'secure mail key' which you recently created.

When both incoming and smtp lines now have the secure mail key' - click on 'Close'

Restart Thunderbird.

It would be useful if you could post images of your server settings. So we can check all looks ok.

'Account Settings' > 'Server Settings' for the Att account Upload an image that shows the data on the right side - you can obscure your username which should be your full email address.

Server windows plus corrupt Thunderbird in box.

I hope this is in good order, I appreciated the answer which told me a bit about how this process worhttps://assets-prod.sumo.prod.webservices.mozgcp.net/media/uploads/images/2025-08-12-12-57-41-1d9c5d.pngks.

If you're using Bitdefender antivirus, try this:

- open Bitdefender

- go to Protection > Online Threat Prevention > Encrypted web scan > toggle it to Off

- restart Thunderbird

Thank you for your attention but I'm not using Bitdefender.

Certainly not the first ATT/sbcglobal problem.

What next?

The problem grows more complicated. I went back to enter yet another new mail key and at saved logins found "no saved log ins" I may have done something with my incessant opening and closing of windows and programs. Now I have to get my att material back in. Can someone help me? I will repost my settings pages below.

I have included a picture of my inbox with these strange folders. The only hopeful thing I can say is that my 30 years of folders are at the bottom of this list and my address book seems ti be intact. Sorry there are two issues here 1) making my Thunderbird functional again and 2) trashing all those peculiar folders.

Note which might be relevant: I have to sign in to ATT-Yahoo to get mail. I have been refused most days of the last few with "It's not you, it's us. Try later." And later just repeats the same until at some odd time one gets through. I was getting the same run around trying to access my profile with some amusing variations. Weird.

re : I have to sign in to ATT-Yahoo to get mail.

Your current AT&T pop mail account in Thunderbird is using the AT&T server settings not yahoo server settings. Where did you create the app specific password/ secure mail key - in ATTyahoo login or in AT&T login?

Apparently att.net is now currently.com https://currently.att.yahoo.com/

Are you using that link to logon ? Did you create the app specific password /secure mail key after logging onto that particular login ?

If there are no saved passwords then after restarting Thunderbird you should get prompted to enter password and at that point you: 1. enter the 'secure mail key' you created - not your normal password. 2. select the checkbox to remember password 3. click on OK.

Data should now be stored in Settings > Privacy & security > Saved Passwords

REgarding the pop account folders... Access Profile using following info and post image of what you see: In Thunderbird

• Help > Troubleshoot Information
• Under 'Application Basics' - half way - 'Profile Folder' - click on 'Open Folder' button

A new window opens showing contents of your profile name folder.

• click on 'Mail' folder
• post an image showing contents of 'Mail' folder.
• Select the pop mail account folder to see contents
• Post image(s) showing all the contents of the pop account folders.

I have tried to fulfill the ideas given me .

I'll begin with the logins: Several years ago Att add the tabloid "currently" to its email. It looks like an attempt to make subscribers want this for their home page. I still use my long ago retired from university as my home page. Within the last two or three days, Att has added Currently to the log in page with" log into your att and currently accounts. " One ends up at the same log in page no matter which permutation you use. (I have just been trying to log into our different att accounts which started with a land line some 60 years ago)

I must note that att log in is still erratic to impossible. Is my thunder bird attempting to log in getting the same thing? Yesterday the att telephone help line told me that the server I am on is being repaired and it will take until into next week.

I wish this were not so. It seems to stymie everything .

I will attach those pages you asked for from Thunderbird so perhaps I can learn how to fill in the blanks. Thank you for your consideration and for your wisdom,

Dear Toad Hall, I missed transcribing some of my notes. I made mail key with the att instructions at the profile page for my account when I could access it a few days ago. I pasted it into the request for passwords outgoing and incoming then, This afternoon I typed it in every time I was asked for a password to get into TB or to do anything in TB . And I checked remember me every time I could. But saved passwords remained empty. The screen for accounts is empty, no provider, user name, etc. I hope I have everything in now! Thanks, "mskinsey"

re : Yesterday the att telephone help line told me that the server I am on is being repaired and it will take until into next week.

Not funny. Thunderbird is still pointing to the server which you know is down, so nothing will work.

Have you tried to use the yahoo server settings ?

In Account SEttings > Server Settings for Pop account Try editing the Pop account server settings - you should only need to edit the server name as pop uses same port data etc. Yahoo can use Oauth, but I think it has been found to be awkward for ATT, so keep 'Authentication MEthod' as Normal Password, but when prompted for password use the app generated password.

Incoming Mail (POP) Server

• Server name: pop.mail.yahoo.com
• Port: 995
• Connection SEcurity: SSL/TLS
• User name : full email addess
• Authentication Method: Normal Password

Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server

• Server - smtp.mail.yahoo.com
• Port: 587
• Connection SEcurity: STARTTLS
• User name : full email addess
• Authentication Method: Normal Password

Restart Thunderbird after altering the server names. When prompted for password - enter the app generated password, select to remember and ok it

Report back on results.

REgarding trying to logon via browser - some people reported the following caused issues and disabling fixed issue: AdBlock Plus & DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials

Suggest clear cookies and cache - page refresh. Just in case it's got some older cache reference.

I have tried to follow your instructions precisely but I doubt that I did because nothing has changed. I keep being asked to provide my primary password but I never made one. Without that I see only the empty space for entities and passwords. Sorry, I've kept going in circles trying to erase and fill in spaces, close and reopen, but nothing seems to budge.

I have tried to follow your instructions precisely but I doubt that I did because nothing has changed. I keep being asked to provide my primary password but I never made one. Without that I see only the empty space for entities and passwords. Sorry, I've kept going in circles trying to erase and fill in spaces, close and reopen, but nothing seems to budge.

If it's specifically asking for a 'Primary Password' then one must have been created.

In Thunderbird

   Settings > Privacy & Security
   Scroll down to Passwords section

Is this checkbox selected ? : 'Use a Pimary Password' If yes then at some point someone created it. A Primary Password is designed to stop prying eyes looking at saved passwords. This Primary Password is usually set up when a computer is shared by more than one person AND they have access to your computer User Account as they know the User Account password. That Primary Password should be unique and never a mail account password.

If you cannot recall that Primary Password then you would need to remove it. Please note if you remove a Primary Password it will auto remove all stored passwords for obvious safety reasons.

How to remove a Primary Password: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/protect-your-thunderbird-passwords-primary-password#w_remove-your-primary-password

Open the 'Error Console' via Menu Bar or Menu app icon

• Tools > Developer Tools > Error Console

Clear the error console by clicking on the 'Bin' icon. Copy all of the following line

• openDialog("chrome://pippki/content/resetpassword.xhtml")

Paste into error console where you see the >> chevrons Press the 'Enter/Return' key At prompt select the 'Reset' option.

I have provided some images below that may help you. Remember if you cannot see image properly - in this forum question click on the thumbnail image and it will be shown much larger.

Now Exit Thunderbird - wait a few moments then restart Thunderbird.

The Primary Password option should now be removed and so will all your stored passwords. So when Thunderbird prompts for mail account password:

1. enter the secure mail key
2. select checkbox to remember password
3. click on OK

I have "reset" so there is no primary password and have entered my secure mail key, checked the box and clicked ok, The password and yahoo mail are under saved,

I still get log into server///failed.

I'm not sure I see all of your message at once but I have copied the contents of mail and popmail which I will upload now.

On opening TB now there are no curious folders in the inbox but my in box is missing several hundred messages including most of the recent ones. I had emptied cache as best I could a day or so ago. I guess that's all for now. Thank you

Dear Toad Hall, Might it help to re-enter my old server settings for ATT? I'd experiment with this but I'm not sure I can remember them accurately. I guess they should be in the screen shots. Does this sound worth trying? Gratefully, mskinsey

re :I still get log into server///failed.

Useful if you could post an image of error, as it would confirm which server name failed. Before you alter anything please check out all the following.

VPN Some Anti-virus software now offer VPN and I've discovered that sometimes they auto enable it. Switch off VPN. Please confirm you do not have any VPN switched on.

FIREWALL Access the Firewall - I presume you have not installed any Anti-Virus so will be using Windows Defender. Please Confirm - Thunderbird is set up as an allowed program.

Webmail account You use Pop - how many old emails are still stored on the server - seen when you access att webmail account via a browser? I know that gmail can get very awkward when people use pop accounts that store too many emails on server, maybe the yahoo servers are being awkward as well. Logon to webmail account via a browser and I suggest you delete all the old emails eg: anything pre 2025

Perform checks in Thunderbird: Empty the cache and set up to allow cookies.

• Settings >General
• scroll down to 'Network & Disk Space'
• For 'Connection'
• click on 'Settings' button
• Select 'Use system proxy settings'
• click on 'OK'

• Under 'Disk Space' section
• Click on 'Clear now'

• Settings > Privacy & Security
• Web content
• select 'Accept cookies from sites'

Then Exit Thunderbird - wait a few moments and then restart Thunderbird.

Lets' try to get the yahoo operating first before going back to use old server.

re: old server settings for ATT?

AT&T server Settings: https://www.att.com/support/article/email-support/KM1010523/

You really only need to change the server name for incoming and outgoing as port, connection security, username etc will be the same. Please make sure you use to use the ones for POP. I did locate a previous question you asked and it contained images of server settings that were correct. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1450362#answer-1660199

Remember you would have to remove stored passwords and then restart Thunderbird and enter all the passwords again.

I have tried to follow your detailed instructions and am ready to report and post the error screen that I get. The only problem that I had in following your list of what to look at in Thunderbird was when in came to clearing cache which was listed as about 1000mb. it would move one mb when I hit clear cache. (nothing happened when I checked clear cache on close) so I checked the box where it says "use up to ////mb for cache. When I checked the box that number came into focus. I lowered it from around 1000 to 500 (doing this manually was getting boring), closed and opened to find the cache cut in the appropriate way. (Still no mail) Should I cut the rest of the cache? The rest of the items you said to select were already selected. As to ATT through the web browser, when I have reached it twice lately, there are only the couple hundred messages left in the inbox which correspond to the number left in the TB in box now that all the strange folders have disappeared . (I would like my mail for the last several months back since there are still things I need to answer but that may be life) In the meantime on TB the sent messages are at about 2000 so I have been manually deleting those that do not need some examination. Thanks for your patience.