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Thunderbird has become unstable. Sometimes I can send and not receive, sometimes the opposite. I have setup mail on 2 other device and works fine.

  • 6 replies
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  • Last reply by bdmiller10

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POP3. I have worked extensively with Time Warner checking server settings, resetting passwords, etc. Th problem appeared to be corrected yesterday and reappeared today. The mail works 100% on my Android and iPhone. I would get 'cannot contact server, bad password or account LOCKED' when clicking 'GetMail'... but I could send mail fine.

I reinstalled Thunderbird to a different directory. Mail came up, when I hit 'Get Mail' it acts like it is retrieving mail but does not retrieve new mail. I am thinking about uninstall Thunderbird and reinstall but don't want to lose all my old mail.

Thanks for your help

POP3. I have worked extensively with Time Warner checking server settings, resetting passwords, etc. Th problem appeared to be corrected yesterday and reappeared today. The mail works 100% on my Android and iPhone. I would get 'cannot contact server, bad password or account LOCKED' when clicking 'GetMail'... but I could send mail fine. I reinstalled Thunderbird to a different directory. Mail came up, when I hit 'Get Mail' it acts like it is retrieving mail but does not retrieve new mail. I am thinking about uninstall Thunderbird and reinstall but don't want to lose all my old mail. Thanks for your help

All Replies (6)

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I am Brent and am helping Jan

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That sounds like an anti virus issue, particularly the "looks like it is connecting but does nothing" part.

Disable email scanning in your anti virus program. But I have to ask... why hit get mail. Thunderbird fetches mail on startup and again on a schedule. Why are you adding to the fetch load.... I do not know about Time Warner, but most mail providers have a limit on how often you can retreive mail. For instance Hotmail is 15 minutes. Try and connect more often and you get connection errors because they refuse your connection.

Also try turning off your apple products... they have no limit on the number of connection they will hold to the mail server, so one iPhone may have a dozen connection to the mail server as that makes it look fast. If the provider however limits connections you again get connection errors on the other devices that do not get a look in. Apple have hogged all the logins. Thunderbird itself will use up to 5 on am imap account. But that can be modified. Apple has no limits and no way to constrain their products except turning them off.

Account locked is something I would expect to see from to many connections to the server.

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Thank you. We will follow up on that. But one question I have is why would this suddenly occur when I have had the Apple products for over two years?

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JDCS said

Thank you. We will follow up on that. But one question I have is why would this suddenly occur when I have had the Apple products for over two years?

No idea... Much of this stuff is trial and error. But updates occur fairly regularly to Anti virus products, IOS and Thunderbird. My experience with Windows 10 so far leaves me thinking it is at best a work in progress. So lots of variables and no concrete answers.

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Does AT&T have the same issues re number of connections to the server before it gets overloaded?

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Hi I am Brent I am working with Jan on this.

Today I used Mozbackup to restore her mail file + all to another computer. The exact problem followed the file. It's POP so a lot of mail. Is there a tool to fix a possible corrupt mail file?

Mail works flawless from my Android, but it IMAP

Thanks!