Why won't messages upload from the server? (IMAP)
Thunderbird 31.4 Win7Pro 64-bit Two Road Runner accounts on Time Warner server. Password matches the PW that works fine when using the Time Warner webmail interface. Settings suggested by TW Help staff. (But they know nothing about Thunderbird.) Same settings on PC laptop work
I tried to set up two Road Runner accounts that I have been using for years when today I junked my Profile to start all over. I had been seeing the "Account already exists" error over and over when I tried to add a second account to any of my mail servers and people were reporting the only way to fix this was to start over. Horrible idea, i now think as I have put hours into reconnecting and I have not even been able to get Add-ons and Plug-ins back in place as the basics don't work.
A Hostgator account and the G-Mail account are back up and running. For the Road Runner accounts, now a part of Time Warner, I looked carefully at settings that work on my laptop, but I see no difference. However, those settings during the set up are clearly not smoothly connecting. No Incoming messages appear in TB but they are on the server as the web interface provided by Time Warner works with the same password.
However, the SMTP isn't right as I can start a message but it won't leave the client -- The send button is grey.
Stumped.
All Replies (4)
It looks like configuration - port error
Manual configuration of your Settings like POP3/IMAP/SMTP and Port No Try it Manually
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/manual-account-configuration
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Multiple_SMTP_servers_%28Thunderbird%29
List of Mail Server address and PORT No
Iamjayakumars, Thank you for your suggestions. I did follow the manual route immediately, because these are accounts and servers that I had been using all along, and Thunderbird cannot navigate the info returned when it tries to "probe" Time Warner's incoming and outgoing mail servers. I also said in my note above (written so late at night it was poorly explained, sorry) that I did double-check with Time Warner staff about their documented settings for IMAP accounts, because their list of settings isn't labeled quite the way Thunderbird asks for info. They, too, are stumped by my results.
Throughout years of bug alerts some TB code contributors have wondered if this error message ("Account already exists..." -- which caused me to start my profile all over again) was caused by the persistence of failed server settings. The problem seems to have been seen for many versions,
I also wrote that I have a profile on my laptop which works and I have compared (I believe) every aspect (panel by panel) of the settings between laptop (working) and desktop(NOT working).
Is there anything else your experience shows can interfere with connection? I used to have these accounts connected as of yesterday. I only wanted to be able to add a second account at the same server.
How well would the [working] Profile folder and profile.ini content work if transported to my desktop? This laptop profile works!
Next steps taken:
I unistalled Thunderbird and ALL profile folders and files anywhere on my Win7 machine. Emptied the Trash many times and performed many restarts to make sure things stayed Deleted. I downloaded the .exe file for 31.4 (current) from the Mozilla website. Ran the install and this time was careful to try setting up the problem account first.
Amazing: it DIDN'T work at all. The server settings are OK (Time Warner concurs) but the initial connection NEVER went through to either the incoming or outgoing server so the account is there but there is no stored password (I looked!) for me to change (as part of my troubleshooting). I then tried my domain-based account (HostGator) and that set up right away.
Is there a clue to this problem in seeing that these road runner accounts never populate themselves in TB with the usual folders? InBox is established but not "Sent, Trash, Junk, Template, and Archive".
Note: I am using Manual setup as soon as TB starts trying to probe the server. I already know the "results" are wrong.
...and again, TB can establish the connections and settings needed for other mail servers, like HostGator, GMail, etc.
Help, please, I need ideas. What could be SO WRONG with Time Warner and this machine that this can't be configured. Note that I can get the mail for these accounts on my Win7 laptop here, so same TB program version, same accounts, same settings. same router, same WAN modem.
I continue stumped. Please help!
Modified by jonathan7007