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

Inconsistent treatment of identities

  • 4 ŋuɖoɖowo
  • 1 masɔmasɔ sia le esi
  • 3 views
  • Nuɖoɖo mlɔetɔ Evil Underlord

more options

After a fresh install of Thunderbird, identities are working unpredictably. That is, from one account, e-mail replies come from the correct identity/alias. From another, they do not.

As best I can tell, I'm using the exact same settings as in my previous install. I've done any number of tests. From account A:

- I can send from A-default
- I can send from A-identity, and e-mails are received from as A-identity
- E-mails to A-identity are replied to as from A-identity, and are received as from A-identity.

From account B:

- I can send from B-default
- I can choose B-identity as the from address. However, e-mail is received as from B-default.
- E-mails to B-identity are replied to as from B-identity, but are received as from B-default.

A and B are both gmail accounts. Aliases are properly set up for each account and match the Thunderbird identities. They also haven't changed between installs.

On an older computer, I can still send from each identity properly. On the new computer, the B account identities don't go through. I've checked everything I can think of, including the pref.js file. To the extent I understand it, the accounts are set up the same.

I've tried re-creating the Gmail aliases and the Thunderbird identities.

What can I check to figure out why one account works properly, and the other does not?

After a fresh install of Thunderbird, identities are working unpredictably. That is, from one account, e-mail replies come from the correct identity/alias. From another, they do not. As best I can tell, I'm using the exact same settings as in my previous install. I've done any number of tests. From account A: - I can send from A-default - I can send from A-identity, and e-mails are received from as A-identity - E-mails to A-identity are replied to as from A-identity, and are received as from A-identity. From account B: - I can send from B-default - I can choose B-identity as the from address. However, e-mail is received as from B-default. - E-mails to B-identity are replied to as from B-identity, but are received as from B-default. A and B are both gmail accounts. Aliases are properly set up for each account and match the Thunderbird identities. They also haven't changed between installs. On an older computer, I can still send from each identity properly. On the new computer, the B account identities don't go through. I've checked everything I can think of, including the pref.js file. To the extent I understand it, the accounts are set up the same. I've tried re-creating the Gmail aliases and the Thunderbird identities. What can I check to figure out why one account works properly, and the other does not?

All Replies (4)

more options

Check which SMTP server is associated with each account. I'll wager you have accounts A's gmail SMTP server linked up to account B.

I don't understand all the references to identities and aliases. But if you really are using multiple identities (most users don't need them) check their SMTP settings as well.

Tools|Account Settings|{select server}|Account Settings→Outgoing server (SMTP)

and

Tools|Account Settings|{select server}|Account Settings→Manage identities→{select identity}|Edit→Outgoing server (SMTP)

more options

"Fresh install"? How, where, why> Are you aware that you can move your old profile to a new instillation and avoid having to set everything up from scratch?

more options

Thanks. Some responses:

Zenos said

Check which SMTP server is associated with each account. I'll wager you have accounts A's gmail SMTP server linked up to account B.

The problem isn't that A sends from B or vice versa, but that A uses the identities assigned to it to send, and B does not. Still, I checked, and each account is configured to use its own SMTP server.

I don't understand all the references to identities and aliases. But if you really are using multiple identities (most users don't need them) check their SMTP settings as well.

Thunderbird uses "identities". Gmail uses "aliases". Both have to be set up for this to work properly. The whole core of my problem is about getting identities to work properly.

Tools|Account Settings|{select server}|Account Settings→Outgoing server (SMTP) and Tools|Account Settings|{select server}|Account Settings→Manage identities→{select identity}|Edit→Outgoing server (SMTP)

I've checked, and each identity is configured to use the correct outgoing server. Both A and B accounts are set up identically. (A identities use the A server, and B identities use the B server.)

more options

Zenos said

"Fresh install"? How, where, why> Are you aware that you can move your old profile to a new instillation and avoid having to set everything up from scratch?

In this case, I preferred to set it up from scratch.