Can't set up new account - thunderbird set up process times out before 2FA code arrives for sign-in

re :AOL requires 2 factor authorisation,

It only requires it because you selected it. If you did not use third party email clients and only accessed AOL via webmail account using a browser then I would advise 2 step verification.

Access the webmail account and switch 2FA off. Depending upon which server you are using to access the AOL account, it requires different password set up.

Are you using the Incoming mail server (IMAP): imap.aol.com server setting ? If yes: Recent changes mean third party apps require you to create/generate a special app password. This is what AOL say on their website. If you use a 3rd-party email app to access your AOL Mail account, you may need a special code to give that app permission to access your AOL account. Please read Info:

• https://help.aol.com/articles/create-and-manage-app-password

Have you logged on to the webmail account and created/generated 'an app password' just to use in Thunderbird? If not, then logon to webmail account, disable/switch off 2FA and then generate the special app password which you can only use in Thunderbird. Use the special generated app password in Thunderbird instead of normal password.

Are you using the Yahoo server to access AOL account ? If yes, then you would be using 'Authentication Method' = Oauth Please read this info:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-and-yahoo

Use the 'normal password' (not an app generated password) when setting up account and granting Thunderbird access to the account which will then create the oauth token and save it in the stored passwords. Thunderbird will use that oauth token to get access.

It only requires it because you selected it. If you did not use third party email clients and only accessed AOL via webmail account using a browser then I would advise 2 step verification.

THanks for your ideas. On 2FA Well, no, I didnt select it, I was told to set it up by AOL one day some time back on the AOL log in screen or I would not be able to acess the account. This happened over a period of days on each of the 3 e-mail addresses I have with AOL There was no option of an opt-out .

The only 3rd party app I use for e-mail is Thunderbird.

Access the webmail account and switch 2FA off. Depending upon which server you are using to access the AOL account, it requires different password set up.

I have looked at settings in AOL and cant see a way to turn 2FA off. If you know where it is please help!

I am trying to set up a new download of Thunderbird with AOL, so the very first page after TB start up shows the auto system selecting appropriate servers. It is auto selecting the same (correct) servers I have been using for years with SSL/TLS security.

Are you using the Incoming mail server (IMAP): imap.aol.com server setting ? If yes: Recent changes mean third party apps require you to create/generate a special app password. This is what AOL say on their website. If you use a 3rd-party email app to access your AOL Mail account, you may need a special code to give that app permission to access your AOL account. Please read Info:

   https://help.aol.com/articles/create-and-manage-app-password 

No I am using pop 3 in this application. Again it hasnt changed in years, but I would say on pressing OK submit (accepting the TB auto-select) server settings at this first page it then brings up the standard AOL log in page wanting the existing normal password. It is accepting that - as it then asks to send a 2FA code. I understand the extra app passwords (which AOL has used for access like this on pop3 in the past) but thats not why I am stuck where I am.

It is simply the rapid timeout of the TB opening settings page - which is way too short to have a code arrive and be entered on the AOL page which results from pressing submit

Have you logged on to the webmail account and created/generated 'an app password' just to use in Thunderbird? If not, then logon to webmail account, disable/switch off 2FA and then generate the special app password which you can only use in Thunderbird. Use the special generated app password in Thunderbird instead of normal password.

As above, it is acceptnig the existing password OK, but timeout prevents me getting to any further stage to find out if an app password is needed or not. I cant see any 2FA Disable facility. Are you using the Yahoo server to access AOL account ? If yes, then you would be using 'Authentication Method' = Oauth Please read this info:

   https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-and-yahoo 

No not using Yahoo. Auto set up is selecting Oauth 2 which is what I was using OK until my old computer died.

Use the 'normal password' (not an app generated password) when setting up account and granting Thunderbird access to the account which will then create the oauth token and save it in the stored passwords. Thunderbird will use that oauth token to get access.

Again as above I am using normal password as far as it goes, but I cant get beyond the auto setup page to look at password settings because of the timeout. Dont understand why it needs to be so short (less than 20 secs at the last check)

Any more ideas welcome

re : 2 step verification - add or remove: https://help.aol.com/articles/2-step-verification-stronger-than-your-password-alone

Select the option Disable 2-step verification on your account to see drop down showing full information.

re :Are you using the Incoming mail server (IMAP): imap.aol.com server setting ? If yes: Recent changes mean third party apps require you to create/generate a special app password. This is what AOL say on their website. If you use a 3rd-party email app to access your AOL Mail account, you may need a special code to give that app permission to access your AOL account. Please read Info: https://help.aol.com/articles/create-and-manage-app-password

No I am using pop 3 in this application.

I was really talking about whether you are using the aol server or the yahoo server which provides aol access. If using the aol server settings eg: 'imap.aol.com' or 'pop.aol.com'

The point is this - it does not matter if using imap or pop. If you use that aol server and you have set 'Authentication Method: Normal Password': You are using a third party email client and you are using the aol server. You still need to create that app specific password and use it instead of the password you use to access the webmail account. You may discover Thunderbird by default will look for IMAP protocol server settings, so make sure you then select the POP protocol. You cannot have IMAP protocol selected and alter it to use pop server settings.

However, you mention: Auto set up is selecting Oauth 2 which is what I was using OK

In which case, you would use the normal password and the oauth token would get created.

Can you confirm: Firewall Your Firewall has the Thunderbird Program set up as allowed.

VPN You have checked computer including the Anti-virus and there are no VPN enabled.

In Thunderbird You need to make sure the cookies are allowed and there are no previously stored passwords from earlier installations

• Settings > Privacy & Security
• Web Content
• Select 'Accept cookies from sites'
• Accept third party cookies 'Always'

• Scroll down to Passwords section
• Click on 'Saved Passwords'
• check to see if there is any mention of the username = email address you are trying to add.
• You might see more than one line eg:
• Pop accounts use : mailbox://account.....
• smtp will use : smtp://accounts....
• oauth wil use: oauth://account.....
• Remove all lines you find that mention the account you are trying to add.
• Click on Close,.

re:Have got a replacement computer,

Is there any reason why you are not copying your original Thunderbird profile on old computer and pasting it into the correct location on new computer ?

If Windows OS:

On old computer

• Exit Thunderbird
• In windows search type: %Appdata%
• select %Appdata% file folder
• Click on 'Roaming' folder
• Copy the 'Thunderbird' folder to an external device/disk/usb etc

On NEW computer Assuming you got download from the Thunderbird website: https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/all/ download, install and let run to create the Thunderbird profile in default location.

• Exit Thunderbird
• In windows search type: %Appdata%
• select %Appdata% file folder
• Click on 'Roaming' folder
• Delete the default created 'Thunderbird' folder
• Paste the copied 'Thunderbird' folder into the 'Roaming' folder

Start Thunderbird.

With AOL (and Yahoo as well) using text messages or email as second factor sucks. I'd therefore suggest to use an Authenticator app instead as second factor. It's way more reliable than text message. You'd need to install an authenticator app of your choice on your phone (e.g. like Google Authenticator), and adjust your 2-step authentication method in your AOL account settings. You'll have to login to your AOL account via web browser for this.

2FA with phone text and/or e-mail has worked qute well over a period of years , but it does take some time to send on occasions. The real issue here is because the set up screen for the latest TB does not stay up long enough to get a code into the AOL screen that comes up for authorisation before the set up details can be submitted. We are on a destop with this problem and already have an authenticator installed (WinAuth). I looked in AOL settings the other day and coud not find a way to turn 2FA off (or modify it in any way) apart from changing e-mail addresses or phone numbers. I will go back in and have another look round.

Hello Toad Hall. Thanks so much for your efforts . Going through the points in reverse order

The previous computer had a big failure of the hard drive, I have not been able to recover anything worthwhile from it. The Thunderbird that is causing the issue is a new download. (157.0.1) When you open it there is no available access to anything apart from the auto setup screen or manual setup selection. I would thus assume that it starts up with default settings everywhere else. I have not tried opening it with the internet disconnected. Auto setup is quickly and correctly finding all the relevant settings for the first (of 3) AOL e-mail accounts which results from entering it's address in the opening screen. The server settings found are identical to those in use on the previous computer. These are all direct into AOL servers, Yahoo is not involved.

There is no VPN and the firewall is allowing TB. There cant be any previously stored passwords as its a new copy of TB on a different computer. I haven't set 'Authentication Method: Normal Password' (or otherwise) as I cant get to that stage due to the screen timeout issue. All the settings that currently exist have been generated and forwarded by the auto setup page. The AOL password challenge page which appears on pressing submit with these settings suggests it is accepting normal password at that point because when I put that in, AOL moves to the next page to send a phone code, but I cant get any further because TB setup times out and takes the AOL page with it, so the phone code never gets sent (or arrives after the time out).

Creating an app specific password and using it instead of the normal password may be necessary as you say, but (as above) I can't get that far to find out.

2 step verification - add or remove: https://help.aol.com/articles/2-step-verification-stronger-than-your-password-alone I have read this but the listings in AOL Settings on the e-mail address in question do not tally with this write up. There does not appear to be a "Disable 2-step verification" selection . I will spend some more time on this today both in AOL help and in settings on that account and have a good look round. If I can find a way to stop 2FA that will be all thats needed to make useful progress. Thanks again for your help.

2 step verification - add or remove link: https://help.aol.com/articles/2-step-verification-stronger-than-your-password-alone

scroll down a bit and it offers this: Disable 2-step verification on your account 1. Sign in to your Account Security page. 2. Next to "2-Step Verification," click Manage. 3. Click Turn off. Image of webpage below. If you need to see it larger - in this forum question click on the thumbnail image

Whilst in webmail account, create the app specific password. I advise you do this now whilst in webmail because aol may say you have to reset the 2 step to get access again.

But I'm advising you set up Authentication Method as Normal Password and use the app password instead of Oauth.

Then try to create the mail account. Enter name and email address and click on Click on 'Manual Configuration' Choose the POP protocol option Enter the pop server settings.

• server name: pop.aol.com
• port: 995
• Connection Security: SSL/TLS
• Set 'Authentication Method' to 'Normal Password'
• The password you use will be the app specific generated password.

Smtp

• Server server: smtp.aol.com
• port: 465
• Connection Security: SSL/TLS
• Set 'Authentication Method' to 'Normal Password'
• The password you use will be the app specific generated password.

I have spent more time on this problem today, and as I said previously the settings page sections and wording on the account I am working on does not line up with the AOL write-up at https://help.aol.com/articles/2-step-verification-stronger-than-your-password-alone I suspect that page relates to newer issues of the AOL software than is in use for the account I am working on.

Pages available under security as below are Overview, Personal info, Security, Recent activity and Privacy controls. The only one with anything technical on it is Security. Here there are various selections, of which the only ones with relevance to this discussion are as follows

Security Did you know there's more than one way to access your account? Let's take a look and pick what's best for you. ACCOUNT HEALTH CHECK Your account is good, but it could be better Enable 2-step verification to ensure that nobody but you is signing in to your account Review account health Account access How you sign in to AOL Find your current sign-in method or discover other ways to access your account. This is how you sign in now Password Last changed XXXXXXXXXXX Change password 2-step verification Prevent others from accessing your account by adding a second step to the sign-in process. Turn on

There are no manage or disable buttons on this page at all.

You might think from "turn on " and "enable 2-step verification" which are in in blue hyperlinks in the text as above that 2FA is currently turned off - but I promise you its not. It is active and has been for years (as I know only too well as it frequently comes up in normal attempts to log in directly, and it is also exactly what is stopping me from getting any further).

Pressing "Turn on" here brings up a box with a choice of adding more phone numbers, e mail addresses or an authenticator to those already listed. (which cannot be deleted) The box does not include anything to turn 2 FA off, or indeed any other content or switches at all.

So far as I can tell, there does not appear to be anything in this security section to allow 2FA to be switched off. I have been through all the switchable options to confirm what they do.

In the Security section there is the option available to create/add app passwords, which seems straightforward enough but I don't really see any point in doing so until TB can get past the 2FA challenge screen and actually submit the connection details it has automatically found. At that point the next required steps should be pretty obvious and I can deal with them accordungly.

Still a bit stuck!

Problem now solved... though there does not seem to be any method to delete 2FA directly through settimgs on this particular AOL account (which has been in existence for more than 10 years) there is a way to get round the timeout problem.

Simply add an AOL e-mail address to receive 2FA codes as well as a phone number, and use that. The phone number takes variable amounts of time to receive a code (up to 50 seconds on experimentation today) but as long as the receiving e-mail address entered is an AOL one it takes very little time to arrive, leaving enough time to put the code into the AOL challenge screen which appears in the TB auto set up procedure - before it all times out. However it takes a lot longer if you specify a non-AOL e-mail address.

After the challenge screen is completed and passed, the TB auto set up worked really well all on its own. I did not need to manually enter an app password, and the whole set up process was complete, with access to the working account operational in TB in under 30 seconds.

Thanks to everyone for their help and advice.

Many thanks for your feedback on getting around the 2FA situation. Good to hear al is now ok.

Is there any particular reason you picked the less secure 2FA method via email, and not the more secure one using an Authenticator app? It's not like the Authenticator method hasn't been suggested.