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How do I get Thunderbird to notify me if an e-mail didn't go through (bad address)

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 14 views
  • Last reply by philelvira

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Previously on Windows Live Mail if an email address was incorrect, I would get an email notification stating that. That doesn't happen on Thunderbird. Also on WLM if I was sending a group message and one or more email addresses were incorrect, the message wouldn't go through until all addresses were correct.

Previously on Windows Live Mail if an email address was incorrect, I would get an email notification stating that. That doesn't happen on Thunderbird. Also on WLM if I was sending a group message and one or more email addresses were incorrect, the message wouldn't go through until all addresses were correct.

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What emails you receive or do not receive about bad addresses are not a function of the mail client. Live mail or Thunderbird.

The process requires receiving servers to send an email back if the message is to a dud address. The vast majority of these have been turned off to prevent having the server listed for spam. Look up backscatter on Wikipedia for information on the SPAM issue.

When Thunderbird sends an email,or any email client really. The process they all use is the same. SMTP. The mail server (SMTP SERVER) will validate the address to some extent, like checking is has a username and @ and a valid domain perhaps. But it will most usually make no attempt to validate the actual email address (some domains do validate addresses at the SMTP for email addresses on the same domain like sending from a gmail address the gmail server probably does check of you sending to a gmail address if it exists. I have never really checked on who does and does not. What the SMTP server most certainly does not do is check if the account is full. Something a friend of mine was having issues with recently. She was at 102% of her quota and her server was sending failure to deliver messages and returning the original email.

What is by far the most exasperating when sending mail and it appears to disappear is is you are stuck in a spam filter somewhere. Basically find out even if it is your issue is very difficult as most provider these days just employ script readers on the phone, so real technical support is a struggle to even receive from them.

Recently I see folk appearing here after being told they can send from the web mail so the problem is with their mail client. When in fact the problem is with their mail provider or their sub contractor that is supplying the minimum service to meet their contractual obligations. Anything to do with Yahoo will end in trouble appears to be the order of the day. And they appear to be the sub contractor for Verizon, ATT, AOL and British telecom among others.

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Chosen Solution

What emails you receive or do not receive about bad addresses are not a function of the mail client. Live mail or Thunderbird.

The process requires receiving servers to send an email back if the message is to a dud address. The vast majority of these have been turned off to prevent having the server listed for spam. Look up backscatter on Wikipedia for information on the SPAM issue.

When Thunderbird sends an email,or any email client really. The process they all use is the same. SMTP. The mail server (SMTP SERVER) will validate the address to some extent, like checking is has a username and @ and a valid domain perhaps. But it will most usually make no attempt to validate the actual email address (some domains do validate addresses at the SMTP for email addresses on the same domain like sending from a gmail address the gmail server probably does check of you sending to a gmail address if it exists. I have never really checked on who does and does not. What the SMTP server most certainly does not do is check if the account is full. Something a friend of mine was having issues with recently. She was at 102% of her quota and her server was sending failure to deliver messages and returning the original email.

What is by far the most exasperating when sending mail and it appears to disappear is is you are stuck in a spam filter somewhere. Basically find out even if it is your issue is very difficult as most provider these days just employ script readers on the phone, so real technical support is a struggle to even receive from them.

Recently I see folk appearing here after being told they can send from the web mail so the problem is with their mail client. When in fact the problem is with their mail provider or their sub contractor that is supplying the minimum service to meet their contractual obligations. Anything to do with Yahoo will end in trouble appears to be the order of the day. And they appear to be the sub contractor for Verizon, ATT, AOL and British telecom among others.

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Matt, thank you for taking the time to explain in detail. I appreciated it very much.