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Thunderbird authentication of Gmail IMAP Account fails

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I'm trying with utter lack of success to configure a Thunderbird install to link to a Gmail account via IMAP.

System Basics: Windows 10 Home, 64bit, fully patched. Antivirus by MalwareBytes 4.30 Premium, fully updated. No fancy firewall, just a regular router.

This account had been installed and working fine until a family member "helpfully" changed the Gmail password, but reauthentication fails. I enter the account details, including password, into the Thunderbird Accounts settings for the account; it pings Google and correctly retrieves all the IMAP settings, and when I click "Done" Thunderbird opens a browser window to Google's two-step authentication with the email address prepopulated. However, when I click the blue "Next" button on that authentication page, rather than advancing to a password screen, the browser simply deletes the email address from the text box and stays on the same screen (see attached image for what I'm talking about).

Things I've tried:

  • Uninstall, reboot, reinstall Thunderbird.
  • Turn off MalwareBytes protection.
  • Uninstall, delete every registry key related to Thunderbird, reboot, reinstall Thunderbird.
  • Clear cache on every browser on the system
  • Change Windows default browser settings to either Chrome (see below) or IE/Edge
  • Install new browser (Chrome wasn't yet on this PC), then change Thunderbird's file handler for https to Chrome (this is MUCH harder than it used to be as T-Bird v. 78.anything doesn't have the old "Preferences" menus)

Incidentally, changing browsers doesn't seem to make a difference in that pop-up browser window, so I suspect Thunderbird is using its own internal browser and not the system browser.

I have, and can send, the support info extract from T-bird to a support technician but am unsure of uploading it here. Nevertheless, I welcome suggestions ... this is driving me nuts!

I'm trying with utter lack of success to configure a Thunderbird install to link to a Gmail account via IMAP. System Basics: Windows 10 Home, 64bit, fully patched. Antivirus by MalwareBytes 4.30 Premium, fully updated. No fancy firewall, just a regular router. This account had been installed and working fine until a family member "helpfully" changed the Gmail password, but reauthentication fails. I enter the account details, including password, into the Thunderbird Accounts settings for the account; it pings Google and correctly retrieves all the IMAP settings, and when I click "Done" Thunderbird opens a browser window to Google's two-step authentication with the email address prepopulated. However, when I click the blue "Next" button on that authentication page, rather than advancing to a password screen, the browser simply deletes the email address from the text box and stays on the same screen (see attached image for what I'm talking about). Things I've tried: * Uninstall, reboot, reinstall Thunderbird. * Turn off MalwareBytes protection. * Uninstall, delete every registry key related to Thunderbird, reboot, reinstall Thunderbird. * Clear cache on every browser on the system * Change Windows default browser settings to either Chrome (see below) or IE/Edge * Install new browser (Chrome wasn't yet on this PC), then change Thunderbird's file handler for https to Chrome (this is MUCH harder than it used to be as T-Bird v. 78.anything doesn't have the old "Preferences" menus) Incidentally, changing browsers doesn't seem to make a difference in that pop-up browser window, so I suspect Thunderbird is using its own internal browser and not the system browser. I have, and can send, the support info extract from T-bird to a support technician but am unsure of uploading it here. Nevertheless, I welcome suggestions ... this is driving me nuts!
Ama-screenshot ananyekiwe

Isisombululo esikhethiwe

Open TB Options/Privacy & Security, check the box to accept cookies (so OAuth authentication can complete), remove the passwords from Saved Passwords, restart TB, enter the account password in the OAuth window when prompted. Check also that the authentication on the outgoing gmail server is OAuth2.

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All Replies (7)

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Isisombululo Esikhethiwe

Open TB Options/Privacy & Security, check the box to accept cookies (so OAuth authentication can complete), remove the passwords from Saved Passwords, restart TB, enter the account password in the OAuth window when prompted. Check also that the authentication on the outgoing gmail server is OAuth2.

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Yeah, that was it. OAuth was already set, but the option to accept cookies was unset. Thanks so much for your help!

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I am having the same issue as of yesterday evening. I already had Cookies checked and OAUTH2 set as the invocation method. I also checked my Google Security settings and Thunderbird is listed as having Account access. Thunderbird is at 78.10.1 and it up to date according to its Help box.

Anybody else have any other ideas than was offered above?

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Update: I turned off my Avast Antivirus temporarily, and TB started working for my Google accounts. Avast version is 21.3.2459 (build 21.3.6164.657), but I don't think the program was updated recently. I turned Avast back on, and I'll see what happens now.

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tsobbor said

Update: I turned off my Avast Antivirus temporarily, and TB started working for my Google accounts. Avast version is 21.3.2459 (build 21.3.6164.657), but I don't think the program was updated recently. I turned Avast back on, and I'll see what happens now.

Keep the Avast real-time background scanner, but turn off Mail Shield.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1312718

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Same problem - not connecting to gmail imap folders mac0S 10.13.6 Thunderbird v78.11.0 AVG v19.9

Turned off mail shield - all working again

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I'm having this issue as well -- I don't use Avast, and OAuth2 and cookies are set properly. It seems to be intermittent -- usually when I'm trying to access a sub-folder, or when it's trying to save a copy into the SENT folder. But then 10 minutes later it's OK. But it's gotten a lot more frequent lately.