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How so I change the type of incoming server from IMAP to POP3?

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  • Last reply by alchris

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Recently, after getting a notebook with Windows 7, my Thunderbird account stopped letting me see or send e-mails. I contacted my small ISP and talked with them. One change was that the address I had for their server was no longer being used, and the server type was now incorrect on the TB account: it was IMAP, but should be POP3. I have to go to a general e-mail reading site to find my incoming e-mails. I cannot find a way to change the IMAP to POP3, so need your help.

Recently, after getting a notebook with Windows 7, my Thunderbird account stopped letting me see or send e-mails. I contacted my small ISP and talked with them. One change was that the address I had for their server was no longer being used, and the server type was now incorrect on the TB account: it was IMAP, but should be POP3. I have to go to a general e-mail reading site to find my incoming e-mails. I cannot find a way to change the IMAP to POP3, so need your help.

Chosen solution

Set the account up again. When it gets to a point where it shows you IMAP settings, it may show you radio buttons to select between POP and IMAP. If so, select POP. If not , select Manual Config and enter the settings provided by your email provider.

What reason did the provider give for POP being correct and IMAP incorrect? If you ran the auto-set-up and Thunderbird discovered an IMAP server, then they obviously offer an IMAP service, so it's hard to see why using it is "wrong".

Which provider is it?

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Set the account up again. When it gets to a point where it shows you IMAP settings, it may show you radio buttons to select between POP and IMAP. If so, select POP. If not , select Manual Config and enter the settings provided by your email provider.

What reason did the provider give for POP being correct and IMAP incorrect? If you ran the auto-set-up and Thunderbird discovered an IMAP server, then they obviously offer an IMAP service, so it's hard to see why using it is "wrong".

Which provider is it?

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The provider is Merrimac, a small company based in Merrimac, Wisconsin. They told me that they had problems with hackers when using IMAP, so they went to POP again. I am only lowly literate in IT, so I would need to take my system to a store I use to get tech work done to remap to that site, and give your advice. I did go to the account settings and tried to change the IMAP to POP, but could not and did not see any button to do that, but as you suggest maybe one has to start from scratch and reload the program. Thanks.