Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Mozilla Thunderbird Headache

This is topic Mozilla Thunderbird Headache in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 11-29-2009, 08:11 PM:

Anyone else use Thunderbird as an e-mail client?

I use it to check the e-mail from my AT&T DSL account. A few days ago I changed the password on my e-mail account. I updated the password in Thunderbird when I was prompted to do so as it checked for new messages. But for some retarded reason it doesn't appear to have applied that new password to the outgoing SMTP settings. Worse yet, there seems to be no way whatsoever to edit the SMTP password settings.

I've backed up all my e-mail messages, tried deleting the e-mail account out of Thunderbird and even uninstalled Thunderbird and reinstalled to blank out the bullshit. Nevertheless, Thunderbird seems bound and determined to use invalid SMTP settings. It's a good thing no programmers working on Thunderbird are anywhere near me because they might get stabbed and bludgeoned to a reddish pulp. Thunderbird is a decent e-mail program, but this choice of theirs to hopelessly hide certain account settings is just plain idiotic.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-29-2009, 08:25 PM:

Have you tried the old p/w (or some other method of confirming that the SMTP p/w was actually changed on the DSL account)? Try another email client (just for testing)?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-29-2009, 08:30 PM:

I've never tried Thunderbird. I am still using the very first edition of Microsoft Entourage (which is like Outlook) that came with the very first edition of Microsoft Office for OSX. It is, for the most part, awesome. I abhor the newer versions of Entourage that I have seen.

Posted by Paul J. Neuhaus (Member # 3205) on 11-29-2009, 08:31 PM:

Bobby,
This will in no way solve your problem:

I have not used thunderbird and don't know anything about it. However, I will send a little bit of troubleshooting your way.

Let's determine for sure that thunderbird is the overall culprit. You say that you changed your password. It may be possible that you accidently also changed some settings on your account as well. For that I would suggest that you try a different mail client just for troubleshooting.

For instance depending on your version of windows try plugging you settings into outlook express or maybe download opera and give that a shot.

I'm offering this up because if you change settings in gmail it is real easy to f-up smtp settings if you want to download your messages rather than viewing them online.

Hope this helps!

Posted by David Zylstra (Member # 4230) on 11-29-2009, 09:00 PM:

I realized after reading your post that I did the same thing recently but since I usually only use the PC with Thunderbird to read email I never tested the outgoing settings with my new password. I just sent out an email and it gave me a prompt to enter a password and seems to have saved it OK - I have version 2.0.0.23 (20090812) running on Vista 64bit.

It looks like the only way to re-enter a password is to have it fail and prompt for it (seems weird they wouldn't let you change it in the settings menu). I added an alternate outgoing server and deleted the old one, then reentered the old one and deleted the new one - it did not prompt me for a password after putting the old server back in, so I see what you mean on how it keeps the old settings.

I found reference to saved passwords in the online help:
Try "Tools" -> "Options" - under the "Privacy" icon choose the "Passwords" tab and click on the "Edit saved passwords" button - looks like you can delete the passwords here.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 11-29-2009, 11:15 PM:

I solved the problem by uninstalling the application and then deleting folders related to Thunderbird, including a Thunderbird folder under "application data" in the my documents folder. That was the only way to deny Thunderbird from using the old, invalid password.

Posted by Paul J. Neuhaus (Member # 3205) on 11-30-2009, 03:46 PM:

WOW, what a pain in the ass! Glad it all worked out!

Posted by Elia Orselli (Member # 4673) on 12-01-2009, 04:56 AM:

Another way to solve the problem: Run this command: thunderbird.exe -profilemanager and create a new profile with the right password.