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Every-time I open up Thunderbird e-mail Version 115.11.1 (64-bit), it pops open a box wanting me to enter my password

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  • Last reply by david

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Every-time I open up Thunderbird e-mail Version 115.11.1 (64-bit) to access my Outlook E-mail Account, it pops open a box wanting me to enter my password! :-( I can enter it and mark that box to use "Password Manager", but it doesn't matter if I check that box or not, because every-time I reopen Thunderbird it asks me for that password again! :-( This problem just started in the last few weeks...... Once I enter my password, I can receive and send e-mails just fine, but when I close Thunderbird and reopen it, that popup box reappears again, where I must enter my password. (see picture I attached) If I just X out of it, I can't access my e-mail at all, as that box asking for a password, pops back open again asking me for my password AGAIN! Which by the way is 100% correct, as I can access my e-mail through Firefox, Google Chrome or Edge Browser just fine. I have used Thunderbird for years and have NEVER encountered this problem before, I hope you have a fix! I am running Windows 10 Pro Version 22H2. Thanks in advance! Keith

Every-time I open up Thunderbird e-mail Version 115.11.1 (64-bit) to access my Outlook E-mail Account, it pops open a box wanting me to enter my password! :-( I can enter it and mark that box to use "Password Manager", but it doesn't matter if I check that box or not, because every-time I reopen Thunderbird it asks me for that password again! :-( This problem just started in the last few weeks...... Once I enter my password, I can receive and send e-mails just fine, but when I close Thunderbird and reopen it, that popup box reappears again, where I must enter my password. (see picture I attached) If I just X out of it, I can't access my e-mail at all, as that box asking for a password, pops back open again asking me for my password AGAIN! Which by the way is 100% correct, as I can access my e-mail through Firefox, Google Chrome or Edge Browser just fine. I have used Thunderbird for years and have NEVER encountered this problem before, I hope you have a fix! I am running Windows 10 Pro Version 22H2. Thanks in advance! Keith
Attached screenshots

Modified by niceseeingyou

Chosen solution

Hi David: I want to thank you for your reply, your suggestion did not resolve my problem directly, but it did help me solve my problem indirectly! ;-)

I had forgotten that an icon/app ("icon" is the old timers name, "which I am", and "app" is the new way of addressing them), could still open, but yet be corrupt, and cause you nothing but grief, like it was causing me every time I opened the program! That is what happened to my Thunderbird icon/app, why did it happen? I have no idea, but it is now fixed! :-)

I went into "File Explorer" to locate the "prefs.js file", as you suggested, but I was unable to find it there, I even looked under: Users/myname/AppData/Local/Mozilla/Profiles it was no where to be found, then it dawned on me that my icon/app could be corrupt! So I saw the "icon/app" in the folder called "Programs/Mozilla Thunderbird" and I clicked on it and it opened right up, without asking me for that password....YEA!!!!! Problem solved, maybe.......?

I thought no way could it be that simple, so I rebooted my computer, actually expecting it to ask me for the password again, but was pleasantly surprised, that the password box did not reappear!!! :-)

I deleted the corrupt icon/app and replaced it with a new one and its working flawlessly, just like before, THANK YOU for indirectly resolving my problem David. Sincerely Keith aka NiceSeeingYou

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Suggestion, and it's only that, a possibility: it may be that thunderbird is having difficulty closing files when shutting down, preventing it from keeping password for next time. I suggest viewing in File Explorer to see last update date of prefs.js file and whether there might be multiple copies. There is a possibility that some other program (antivirus?) is preventing thunderbird from saving it. I make this assumption because, once you enter the password, you are able to access the account, but not the next time.

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You shouldn't be seeing that kind of password prompt if you have the correct settings for an outlook.com/hotmail account with OAuth2 authentication:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1417298#answer-1588949

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Chosen Solution

Hi David: I want to thank you for your reply, your suggestion did not resolve my problem directly, but it did help me solve my problem indirectly! ;-)

I had forgotten that an icon/app ("icon" is the old timers name, "which I am", and "app" is the new way of addressing them), could still open, but yet be corrupt, and cause you nothing but grief, like it was causing me every time I opened the program! That is what happened to my Thunderbird icon/app, why did it happen? I have no idea, but it is now fixed! :-)

I went into "File Explorer" to locate the "prefs.js file", as you suggested, but I was unable to find it there, I even looked under: Users/myname/AppData/Local/Mozilla/Profiles it was no where to be found, then it dawned on me that my icon/app could be corrupt! So I saw the "icon/app" in the folder called "Programs/Mozilla Thunderbird" and I clicked on it and it opened right up, without asking me for that password....YEA!!!!! Problem solved, maybe.......?

I thought no way could it be that simple, so I rebooted my computer, actually expecting it to ask me for the password again, but was pleasantly surprised, that the password box did not reappear!!! :-)

I deleted the corrupt icon/app and replaced it with a new one and its working flawlessly, just like before, THANK YOU for indirectly resolving my problem David. Sincerely Keith aka NiceSeeingYou

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Thanks for your reply "sfhowes". I never altered that setting as you suggested to "OAuth2 authentication", mine has always said "Normal Password" and had been working. If you look at the reply I just posted to David you will see it still works. But I appreciate your thoughts and suggestion. Keith aka NiceSeeingYou :-)

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All's well that ends well. Thanks for sharing. :)