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I WANT to enter my email password every session

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  • Last reply by christ1

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I DON'T want my email account password to be saved anywhere in Thunderbird and I DO want to have to enter the password each time I start up Thunderbird anew. However, my password is being retained. I've deleted the password entry from Settings & Saved Passwords but seem to have to do that every time before I close down. Where/how can I ensure I have to enter my hotmail password each time I start up Thunderbird please?

I DON'T want my email account password to be saved anywhere in Thunderbird and I DO want to have to enter the password each time I start up Thunderbird anew. However, my password is being retained. I've deleted the password entry from Settings & Saved Passwords but seem to have to do that every time before I close down. Where/how can I ensure I have to enter my hotmail password each time I start up Thunderbird please?

Chosen solution

I used to have to enter my email password every time I opened Thunderbird. That's my preferred MO but it stopped a while back, presumably after an update?

No, presumably it stopped at the time you changed the authentication method for your account from 'Normal Password' to 'Oauth2', as required by Microsoft now.

There are no lines starting either imap:// or smtp:// underneath Saved Logins, just the 1 oauth://

The oauth:// line is the authentication token.

Is perhaps the Primary password the equivalent of what I used to have to enter to access Thunderbird?

No, the Primary password is protecting the passwords Thunderbird has remembered. It is not simply falling off a coconut tree, you'll have to deliberately set one. Check the linked support article for details.

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All Replies (10)

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Please post your Troubleshooting Information. At the top right of the Thunderbird window, click the menu button ≡, then select Help > More Troubleshooting Information. Press the "Copy text to clipboard button" and paste the information into your reply.

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Thanks for your response. Trouble shooting info has > 10,000 characters permitted in this box so can't send. Would have to trim it by 186 characters. Can I email it to you? Separately, if I post anything here, is it publicly visible? Thanks.

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You can split it into smaller chunks which don't exceed the character limit of the Reply box.

if I post anything here, is it publicly visible?

Yes, this is a public forum.

The Troubleshooting information does not contain personally identifiable information, unless you check the corresponding box.

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Part 1 of 2

 Application Basics
   Name: Thunderbird
   Version: 128.3.0esr
   Build ID: 20240930164946
   Distribution ID:
   Update Channel: esr
   User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:128.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/128.3.0
   OS: Windows_NT 10.0 19045
   OS Theme:
   Launcher Process: Enabled
   Multiprocess Windows: 0/0
   Fission Windows: 0/0
             Enabled by default
   Remote Processes: 1
   Enterprise Policies: Inactive
   Google Location Service Key: Missing
   Google Safebrowsing Key: Missing
   Mozilla Location Service Key: Missing
   Safe Mode: false
   Memory Size (RAM): 7.9 GB
   Disk Space Available: 393 GB
 Mail and News Accounts
   account1:
     INCOMING: account1, , (imap) outlook.office365.com:993, SSL, OAuth2
     OUTGOING: , smtp.office365.com:587, alwaysSTARTTLS, OAuth2, true
   account2:
     INCOMING: account2, , (none) Local Folders, 0, passwordCleartext
 Libraries
     Library
     Status
     Expected minimum version
     Version in use
     Path
       RNP (OpenPGP)
       OK
       0.17.1
       0.17.1.MZLA.128.3.0esr.botan
       C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird\rnp.dll
       OTR
       Failed to load. OTR chat encryption will not work.
       -
       -
       -
 Calendar Settings
   Home
     Name
     Value
     Name:
     Type: storage
     Disabled: false
     Username:
     URI:
     Refresh Interval:
     Read-only: false
     Suppress Alarms: false
     Cache Enabled: false
     iMIP Identity: id1
     iMIP Disabled:
     iMIP Account:
     Organiser Id:
     Force Email Scheduling:
     Popup Alarms Supported:
     Alarms on Invitation Supported:
     Max Alarms Per Event:
     Attachment Supported:
     Max Categories:
     Privacy State Supported:
     Priority Supported: true
     Event Supported:
     Task Supported:
     Local Time Supported:
     UTC/GMT Supported:
     Auto-Scheduling Supported:
 Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days
 Remote Processes
   Type: Count
   GPU: 1
 Add-ons
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     Version
     Enabled
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       Amazon.co.uk
       extension
       1.1
       true
       amazon@search.mozilla.org
       Bing
       extension
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       true
       bing@search.mozilla.org
       Chambers (UK)
       extension
       1.0
       true
       chambers-en-GB@search.mozilla.org
       DuckDuckGo
       extension
       1.0
       true
       ddg@search.mozilla.org
       Google
       extension
       1.0
       true
       google@search.mozilla.org
       Wikipedia (en)
       extension
       1.0
       true
       wikipedia@search.mozilla.org
       System theme — auto
       theme
       1.3
       true
       default-theme@mozilla.org
       Dark
       theme
       1.3
       false
       thunderbird-compact-dark@mozilla.org
       Light
       theme
       1.3
       false
       thunderbird-compact-light@mozilla.org
 Security Software
   Type: Name
     Antivirus: Microsoft Defender Antivirus
     Antispyware:
     Firewall: Windows Firewall
 Legacy User Stylesheets
   Active: false
   Stylesheets: No stylesheets found
 Graphics
     Features
     Compositing: WebRender
     Font Visibility Debug Info: Windows Platform
     Asynchronous Pan/Zoom: wheel input enabled; scrollbar drag enabled; keyboard enabled; autoscroll enabled; smooth pinch-zoom enabled
     WebGL 1 Driver WSI Info: outOfProcess: false

inProcess: true EGL_VENDOR: Google Inc. (Intel) EGL_VERSION: 1.5 (ANGLE 2.1.19739 git hash: 419cd2c3213b) EGL_EXTENSIONS: EGL_EXT_create_context_robustness EGL_ANGLE_d3d_share_handle_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_d3d_texture_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_surface_d3d_texture_2d_share_handle EGL_ANGLE_query_surface_pointer EGL_ANGLE_window_fixed_size EGL_ANGLE_keyed_mutex EGL_ANGLE_surface_orientation EGL_ANGLE_direct_composition EGL_ANGLE_windows_ui_composition EGL_NV_post_sub_buffer EGL_KHR_create_context EGL_KHR_image EGL_KHR_image_base EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image EGL_KHR_gl_renderbuffer_image EGL_KHR_get_all_proc_addresses EGL_KHR_stream EGL_KHR_stream_consumer_gltexture EGL_NV_stream_consumer_gltexture_yuv EGL_ANGLE_stream_producer_d3d_texture EGL_ANGLE_create_context_webgl_compatibility EGL_CHROMIUM_create_context_bind_generates_resource EGL_CHROMIUM_sync_control EGL_EXT_pixel_format_float EGL_KHR_surfaceless_context EGL_ANGLE_display_texture_share_group EGL_ANGLE_display_semaphore_share_group EGL_ANGLE_create_context_client_arrays EGL_ANGLE_program_cache_control EGL_ANGLE_robust_resource_initialization EGL_ANGLE_create_context_extensions_enabled EGL_ANDROID_blob_cache EGL_ANDROID_recordable EGL_ANGLE_image_d3d11_texture EGL_ANGLE_create_context_backwards_compatible EGL_KHR_no_config_context EGL_KHR_create_context_no_error EGL_KHR_reusable_sync EGL_EXTENSIONS(nullptr): EGL_EXT_client_extensions EGL_EXT_device_query EGL_EXT_platform_base EGL_EXT_platform_device EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle_d3d EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle_d3d11on12 EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle_device_id EGL_ANGLE_device_creation EGL_ANGLE_device_creation_d3d11 EGL_ANGLE_experimental_present_path EGL_KHR_client_get_all_proc_addresses EGL_KHR_debug EGL_ANGLE_feature_control

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     WebGL 1 Driver Version: OpenGL ES 2.0.0 (ANGLE 2.1.19739 git hash: 419cd2c3213b)
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     WebGL 1 Extensions: ANGLE_instanced_arrays EXT_blend_minmax EXT_color_buffer_half_float EXT_float_blend EXT_frag_depth EXT_shader_texture_lod EXT_sRGB EXT_texture_compression_bptc EXT_texture_compression_rgtc EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic MOZ_debug OES_element_index_uint OES_fbo_render_mipmap OES_standard_derivatives OES_texture_float OES_texture_float_linear OES_texture_half_float OES_texture_half_float_linear OES_vertex_array_object WEBGL_color_buffer_float WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc_srgb WEBGL_debug_renderer_info WEBGL_debug_shaders WEBGL_depth_texture WEBGL_draw_buffers WEBGL_lose_context WEBGL_provoking_vertex
     WebGL 2 Driver WSI Info: outOfProcess: false

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Part 2 of 2

inProcess: true EGL_VENDOR: Google Inc. (Intel) EGL_VERSION: 1.5 (ANGLE 2.1.19739 git hash: 419cd2c3213b) EGL_EXTENSIONS: EGL_EXT_create_context_robustness EGL_ANGLE_d3d_share_handle_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_d3d_texture_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_surface_d3d_texture_2d_share_handle EGL_ANGLE_query_surface_pointer EGL_ANGLE_window_fixed_size EGL_ANGLE_keyed_mutex EGL_ANGLE_surface_orientation EGL_ANGLE_direct_composition EGL_ANGLE_windows_ui_composition EGL_NV_post_sub_buffer EGL_KHR_create_context EGL_KHR_image EGL_KHR_image_base EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image EGL_KHR_gl_renderbuffer_image EGL_KHR_get_all_proc_addresses EGL_KHR_stream EGL_KHR_stream_consumer_gltexture EGL_NV_str

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Your Authentication method is OAuth2. That means Thunderbird does not remember your actual account password, but an authentication token. The token expires after some time, and you'll have to re-authenticate. When you delete the authentication token, you'll get prompted to re-authenticate every time Thunderbird starts. To protect any passwords (and OAuth2 tokens) Thunderbird has remembered, you can set a Primary password. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/protect-your-thunderbird-passwords-primary-password

If there are still any lines starting with imap://, or smtp:// underneath Saved Passwords, you can safely delete them. They are not used anymore with OAuth2 authentication.

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Thank you. Where do I delete the authentication token please? Originally, I used to have to enter my email password every time I opened Thunderbird. That's my preferred MO but it stopped a while back, presumably after an update? Is perhaps the Primary password the equivalent of what I used to have to enter to access Thunderbird? There are no lines starting either imap:// or smtp:// underneath Saved Logins, just the 1 oauth:// Thanks again.

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Seçilmiş Həll

I used to have to enter my email password every time I opened Thunderbird. That's my preferred MO but it stopped a while back, presumably after an update?

No, presumably it stopped at the time you changed the authentication method for your account from 'Normal Password' to 'Oauth2', as required by Microsoft now.

There are no lines starting either imap:// or smtp:// underneath Saved Logins, just the 1 oauth://

The oauth:// line is the authentication token.

Is perhaps the Primary password the equivalent of what I used to have to enter to access Thunderbird?

No, the Primary password is protecting the passwords Thunderbird has remembered. It is not simply falling off a coconut tree, you'll have to deliberately set one. Check the linked support article for details.

Modified by christ1

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No, presumably it stopped at the time you changed the authentication method for your account from 'Normal Password' to 'Oauth2', as required by Microsoft now.

Oh I see. I didn't ever change from 'Normal Password' to 'Oauth22 consciously or actively. It seemed to happen spuriously. Presumably that change was enforced by Microsoft.

Primary password understood, coconuts notwithstanding.

Thanks for your help.

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When your problem has been fixed can you mark your topic as 'Resolved' please? Thank you.

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