Thunderbird won't use IMAP for gmail unless I "allow less secure operations" - help!
I've been using T'bird for years, so the question is how to update an old account to IMAP. Maybe I need to uninstall and reinstall T'bird?? I certainly hope not! Maybe delete the Gmail account from T'bird and reinstall?
Using Windows7, planning to migrate to Windows 8 soon but not immediately.
Thanks for any help. I've searched existing threads - if my answer is there, I was unable to find it! I do find some indication that this is simply the way it is - but in other places indication that it can be done. Verizon (which apparently does NOT use IMAP) is my default client in T'bird and I would like to keep it that way. Is THAT the problem?
被選擇的解決方法
christ1, I know it's all the same Gmail account - but the article you referred me to was quite helpful. Thanks for taking the time to stay with me on this - I'm sorry to be unclear, but....I'm really out of my depth here! There's a lot about the way computers and the internet work that is quite a mystery to me, though OTOH I can usually bend them to my will, even if I don't understand how they work!
I think you've put your finger on something important for me. I actually use Gmail BOTH as a POP3 account (via T'bird), and (more rarely) online, as webmail - when I'm not at my main computer. And I want to keep it that way, so it sounds as if I need to keep things as they are. I have told Google to allow IMAP, but I also continue to use T'bird (POP).
"Security" - well, if Gmail has to have me "allow less secure connections", then there must be SOMETHING less secure about POP....dunno more about it than that, though.
Let's consider this "solved for now", and thanks again.
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the question is how to update an old account to IMAP.
Update from what? Are you trying to create a new IMAP account? You cannot change an existing (POP) account to IMAP.
Thunderbird won't use IMAP for gmail unless I "allow less secure operations"
"Allow less secure apps" is a Google requirement and not related to IMAP. For IMAP accounts it's recommended to set the 'Authentication type' to 'OAuth2' to avoid the "Allow less secure apps" hassle.
christ1 said
the question is how to update an old account to IMAP.Update from what? Are you trying to create a new IMAP account? You cannot change an existing (POP) account to IMAP.
Thunderbird won't use IMAP for gmail unless I "allow less secure operations""Allow less secure apps" is a Google requirement and not related to IMAP. For IMAP accounts it's recommended to set the 'Authentication type' to 'OAuth2' to avoid the "Allow less secure apps" hassle.
Yes, christ1, I thought I could turn my existing gmail accounts on Thunderbird into IMAP accounts. So, does your answer mean I need to delete my Gmail accounts from Thunderbird and make new ones? I just want to be sure of what I'm doing before I get into another mess!
I've been reading help files and I see some other issues. 1. I want my folders to be kept in THUNDERBIRD (NOT on google). In Google I told my account to "allow IMAP"; but in T'bird I find that the instructions for setting up an IMAP account (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/switch-pop-imap-account) show a screen offering a choice between "IMAP (remote folders)" and "POP3 (keep mail on your computer". I would like to use IMAP, because of its security, but keep my mail on my own home computer. Is this impossible?
2. Even more scary - I found this post: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1074873 - which talks about creating an IMAP account and then "deleting the POP3 account" - but seems to entail starting up a whole new email address! That - of ALL the possible solutions, is the one that I categorically do NOT want to do!
Maybe I'm mixing apples and oranges here, but I can't tell! If you reply again (and I hope someone does), please be very specific about the difference between doing something in Gmail, and doing something (with an existing email account) in THUNDERBIRD.
I thought I could turn my existing gmail accounts on Thunderbird into IMAP accounts.
So what type are your existing Gmail accounts today? POP? Just webmail?
I want my folders to be kept in THUNDERBIRD (NOT on google).
Then IMAP isn't for you. With IMAP all mail is managed on the server. even though you can manually move messages off of the server, this would totally defeat the point of using IMAP.
I would like to use IMAP, because of its security
What security exactly are you talking about?
please be very specific about the difference between doing something in Gmail, and doing something (with an existing email account) in THUNDERBIRD.
Again, I'm not sure what you're talking about. Whatever you do with your account, you always do it with the very same Gmail account, regardless of how you do access the account. I.e. via webmail, POP, or IMAP.
Also see http://www.howtogeek.com/99423/email-whats-the-difference-in-pop3-imap-and-exchange/
選擇的解決方法
christ1, I know it's all the same Gmail account - but the article you referred me to was quite helpful. Thanks for taking the time to stay with me on this - I'm sorry to be unclear, but....I'm really out of my depth here! There's a lot about the way computers and the internet work that is quite a mystery to me, though OTOH I can usually bend them to my will, even if I don't understand how they work!
I think you've put your finger on something important for me. I actually use Gmail BOTH as a POP3 account (via T'bird), and (more rarely) online, as webmail - when I'm not at my main computer. And I want to keep it that way, so it sounds as if I need to keep things as they are. I have told Google to allow IMAP, but I also continue to use T'bird (POP).
"Security" - well, if Gmail has to have me "allow less secure connections", then there must be SOMETHING less secure about POP....dunno more about it than that, though.
Let's consider this "solved for now", and thanks again.
I use IMAP. Turning on OAuth2 solved the problem for a while, but now the problem is back even with OAuth2 set. That is, I must allow access for less secure apps on Google to use Thunderbird.
Mmmmmmm you started a new thread with your problem. There is no need to hijack a 3 month old, solved thread.
Sounds good. Now read the "solution." She gives up frustrated and says, "Let's considered this solved for now."