Changing Password in Thunderbird Email Accounts

[Ross365]

I've spent ages reading stuff on Google about changing passwords on TB, but the directions just don't seem to apply to my system. There are categories (e.g. "preferences") that just don't appear in my drop-down menus. I think much on the stuff you find on Google is old and updates have made it obsolete.

So I'm running a current version (102.5.1) but it is 32 bit but I don't think that should have anything to do with it? I have some legacy 32 bit progs on this desktop PC (W10).

I've just added an old existing email account but I now suspect I added the wrong password so it won't work. Can anyone tell me how to re-set it?I would be soooo grateful .

Alternatively, if someone can point me at some up to date instructions on line, that would be fine.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I've spent ages reading stuff on Google about changing passwords on TB, but the directions just don't seem to apply to my system. There are categories (e.g. "preferences") that just don't appear in my drop-down menus. I think much on the stuff you find on Google is old and updates have made it obsolete.

Just to be clear, Thunderbird needs to know the email account password to operate but you can't change the account password from within Thunderbird.

I assume you want to ensure that Thunderbird has the correct password for your email account stored.

So I'm running a current version (102.5.1) but it is 32 bit but I don't think that should have anything to do with it? I have some legacy 32 bit progs on this desktop PC (W10).

Correct, shouldn't matter.

I've just added an old existing email account but I now suspect I added the wrong password so it won't work. Can anyone tell me how to re-set it?I would be soooo grateful .

If Thunderbird cannot authenticate it will ask for the correct credentials and give you the opportunity to save them.

If the password is not the problem, I'm not aware of a way to change it and it wouldn't make sense to anyway as it's not a problem.

What has changed on a lot of email servers is the security. For example, I used STARTTLS for the SMTP connection security for years and then it just stopped working and Thunderbird couldn't authenticate. I had to change to SSL/TLS - the ports didn't change.

In summary, the login details including the initial password and security settings should be provided by your email service provider.

Alternatively, if someone can point me at some up to date instructions on line, that would be fine.

Sorry. I've never had much joy with open source documentation anyway.

Sorry too if I'm off on a tangent.

Jack

 

[Ross365]

I think that where I am is that I entered the wrong password when setting up the new account and now cannot see how to re-set it.

Perhaps I can completely delete the account and then start again? When I look on Google, Thunderbird seems to be a very popular email app, but for an old man like myself, that is... no comfort at all .

 

[Jack Ryan]

I think that where I am is that I entered the wrong password when setting up the new account and now cannot see how to re-set it.

Perhaps I can completely delete the account and then start again? When I look on Google, Thunderbird seems to be a very popular email app, but for an old man like myself, that is... no comfort at all .

There must be more than just an incorrect password. If just the password were incorrect, Thunderbird would ask for a new one.

Do you have a lot of emails stored in Thunderbird you want to keep or are you just wanting to get the account working?

If just wanting to get the accounting working, delete what you have and enter it again. Thunderbird will try to auto connect and then ask for the password. If it can't, you'll have to enter all the credentials yourself.

Is the account you want working on another PC? You can copy all the data files to a new PC.

Jack

 

[Ross365]

The account is one that was operative when I ran my own business some years ago. It fell in to disuse, but is still set up on the ISP that still hosts my website which has 2 other active email accounts. Last time it was operative was as POP3 account on Outlook express, but my website guy had me go to IMAP accounts on Thunderbird. I may have to get him to sort it, but was trying to see if I can do it.

 

[Jack Ryan]

The account is one that was operative when I ran my own business some years ago. It fell in to disuse, but is still set up on the ISP that still hosts my website which has 2 other active email accounts. Last time it was operative was as POP3 account on Outlook express, but my website guy had me go to IMAP accounts on Thunderbird. I may have to get him to sort it, but was trying to see if I can do it.

If it was long ago then the security requirements have probably changed. If you have a guy, he is probably the quickest option. When it is sorted, can you post what the problem was? I'm curious.

Jack

 

[voipio]

Is it possible to access the account via a web browser? If so, there should normally be an option to reset the password if the one entered was incorrect, and go from there.

 

[Robotstar5]

I had something similar with a gmail account, I'd forgotten the password so clicked the "forgotten password" link, but when I entered the address it said "that account does not exist" so I thought I'd start again by opening an account but when I put the address in I got "that address is already in use" I just ended up in a loop so gave up.

 

[Martin-Sy]

Ross. I'm on Thunderbird under Linux but I don't think the OS will make any difference.
I think it's changed since I last looked for the email server passwords. It took me some minutes to find them!

This is what I did:

From the toolbar:
Edit
Settings
Privacy & Security
Saved Passwords: At this point there should be two or more lines. One for incoming and one for outgoing of each email account. (so normally just two lines unless you have mutiple accounts).
Right click to edit.

Let us know if this works for you.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Ross. I'm on Thunderbird under Linux but I don't think the OS will make any difference.
I think it's changed since I last looked for the email server passwords. It took me some minutes to find them!

This is what I did:

From the toolbar:
Edit
Settings
Privacy & Security
Saved Passwords: At this point there should be two or more lines. One for incoming and one for outgoing of each email account. (so normally just two lines unless you have mutiple accounts).
Right click to edit.

Let us know if this works for you.

Wow, I never knew that was there - thanks. I'm not sure if it helps though because if just the password were wrong, Thunderbird would ask for a new one - that is probably why I have not seen that list before.

Jack

 

[Pete.]

I am also on version 102.5.1 and the email sever settings are under Tools - Account Settings (or hold down Alt and then press T then S)

 

[Ross365]

Ross. I'm on Thunderbird under Linux but I don't think the OS will make any difference.
I think it's changed since I last looked for the email server passwords. It took me some minutes to find them!

This is what I did:

From the toolbar:
Edit
Settings
Privacy & Security
Saved Passwords: At this point there should be two or more lines. One for incoming and one for outgoing of each email account. (so normally just two lines unless you have mutiple accounts).
Right click to edit.

Let us know if this works for you.

OK, not quite there yet but possibly closer. In this version, going to Edit does not offer Settings.

So I then went to the three horizontal lines box on top RHS of screen (hover over it and it shows "display the Thunderbird menus") and clicked on that and that gave me settings and then privacy and security and then passwords. Right click on the saved password and you can changed them.

So, that's good, but tried send and receiving messages on the account and just get a message that the server does not recognise it.

But I'm sure I'm closer so thanks for that.

 

[maroon]

Are you talking to the server? Smtp routeing hitting the right place?

 

[Ross365]

The mail accounts are linked to an old business domain name; lets say ross@sodit.con and bill@sodit.con.

Ross's account has always been in use and is fine, but Bills' account has been dormant for ages. Thunderbird recognises the server address sodit.con, but some reason will not let Bill in. Hope that makes sense

 

[maroon]

Do they get forwarded at your domain host? You could just alter that.

Domains kind of act like a po box when it comes to email.

 

[Jack Ryan]

So, that's good, but tried send and receiving messages on the account and just get a message that the server does not recognise it.

What exactly are the error messages? A message like "does not recognise" seems to imply that the email address is not recognised. Are you sure it is still there?

You (or your man) need to check the server email configuration via cpanel. There you can verify that the email address is valid and set (or reset) the password.

Jack

 

[Ross365]

The error massage is "failed to connect to server .abc123.co.uk"

Originally, there were 4 email accounts, but we went to a stage when I asked him to re-rig it so that incoming messages all came to my account. Then I asked him to separate two off back as independent accounts but that was a long time ago. I think that since then, we also changed our hosting company. This stuff is all way above my IT expertise!

 

[Jack Ryan]

The error massage is "failed to connect to server .abc123.co.uk"

Originally, there were 4 email accounts, but we went to a stage when I asked him to re-rig it so that incoming messages all came to my account. Then I asked him to separate two off back as independent accounts but that was a long time ago. I think that since then, we also changed our hosting company. This stuff is all way above my IT expertise!

In all likelihood, the email address no longer exists. I think "your man" is the best option.

Jack

 

[Ross365]

Yes, I shall call him later today

 

[Pete.]

You may have fell foul of some policy of dropping inactive accounts (by the provider). I have had the same thing happen, I had two email accounts from an old web forum. One I used constantly the other I never us muc h at all. Then one day, I discovered that the unused one had stopped working. Same account details and server settings just different username and passwords so it was easy to rule out connection settings etc by copying the account and changing the login.

My only conclusion was that the inactive account had been removed in a housekeping exercise.