I do not understand your issue. You stated you want to remove passwords and then report that passwords are needed. If you access an account with no password, the email provider server sends a response back to Thunderbird that password is required. So, please provide more information on your intent. If passwords are removed, you cannot access any email account.

No you don't understand. UNder settings I have unchecked the box that says use a primary password. When I do that the system acknowledges that the password is not required. Subquently when logging in to my e mail the system won't allow me access without a primary PW which it tols me was not needed.

Did you previously use a primary password? I have never encountered this problem and cannot reproduce it. When you uncheck the box, you must enter your primary password to unset it. When you start Thunderbird, is that box unchecked?