This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

cant add existing gmail IMAP account to newly installed TB

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by christ1

more options

when TB was 1st installed without asking it found her gmail IMAP account, then gave the attached screen shot error everytime it tried to access the server.

I deleted the imap folder in TB, rebooted, then in TB tools...add mail account...entered her name, email address, pswd and click continue...Click Done and google screen comes up with user email address, then enter pswd and click next. Nothing happens. See 2nd attached screen shot. it just stays there....I close this and open this same email account using the google web interface to double check Im using the correct account name and pswd. I am. So try it again a few times and it keeps sticking on that second screen shot. Even did a reboot and tried again the next day. No luck.

During TB set up it looked for and imported the old pop3 emails from her still installed outlook express. That should not matter, but Im mentioning it here. This is also a rather old xp laptop. Win updates were turned off, but before all this I turned them on and got all updates and now it says in properties sp3. defragged the HDD, checked the AV was up to date.

So, then I go to my win7 desktop which has 2 existing imap accounts on it and I try and add her imap account that failed above. I was successful in adding it and can see her gmail account emails. So, it locks up when trying to connect to the server on her laptop, but not on my win7 desktop.

screen shots https://imgur.com/a/UP77Y

ideas?

when TB was 1st installed without asking it found her gmail IMAP account, then gave the attached screen shot error everytime it tried to access the server. I deleted the imap folder in TB, rebooted, then in TB tools...add mail account...entered her name, email address, pswd and click continue...Click Done and google screen comes up with user email address, then enter pswd and click next. Nothing happens. See 2nd attached screen shot. it just stays there....I close this and open this same email account using the google web interface to double check Im using the correct account name and pswd. I am. So try it again a few times and it keeps sticking on that second screen shot. Even did a reboot and tried again the next day. No luck. During TB set up it looked for and imported the old pop3 emails from her still installed outlook express. That should not matter, but Im mentioning it here. This is also a rather old xp laptop. Win updates were turned off, but before all this I turned them on and got all updates and now it says in properties sp3. defragged the HDD, checked the AV was up to date. So, then I go to my win7 desktop which has 2 existing imap accounts on it and I try and add her imap account that failed above. I was successful in adding it and can see her gmail account emails. So, it locks up when trying to connect to the server on her laptop, but not on my win7 desktop. screen shots https://imgur.com/a/UP77Y ideas?

All Replies (4)

more options
when TB was 1st installed without asking it found her gmail IMAP account,

This would suggest Thunderbird was installed on that computer before, and someone had set-up that account in the past.

then gave the attached screen shot error everytime it tried to access the server.

There is no screenshot. Neither a 2nd one.

Click Done and google screen comes up with user email address, then enter pswd and click next. Nothing happens.

What is the version of Thunderbird?

more options

christ1 said

This would suggest Thunderbird was installed on that computer before, and someone had set-up that account in the past.
I saw it importing and populating the folders.

There is no screenshot. Neither a 2nd one.

I just opened them from that link.

What is the version of Thunderbird?

latest 52.6.0

more options

next day uninstalled TB, dwnd new copy and install and all is working.

more options

When your problem is fixes, can you mark the topic as 'Solved' please? Thank you.