I guess you to need a secure mail key https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/email-support/KM1240462

OAuth? I want to stay with Firefox, but the advice given is to change email servers. Is there a way to fix the problem (Sending of password for user bruceratcliffe@sbcglobal.net did not succeed. Mail server inbound.att.net responded: Server error - Please try again later.), and still use Firefox?

This forum is for Thunderbird, not Firefox. The linked article says create a secure key if using a 3rd party email client. If the above info does not fix your issue then open your own thread with details of your problem since this one must not apply to you.

BruceRatcliffe said

OAuth? I want to stay with Firefox, but the advice given is to change email servers. Is there a way to fix the problem (Sending of password for user bruceratcliffe@sbcglobal.net did not succeed. Mail server inbound.att.net responded: Server error - Please try again later.), and still use Firefox?

Seriously? The page with the information has a link to go here to create a secure key.

Where they offer these step by step instructions. Please follow them and create the secure key you need before you post another missive that is not related to the information you have been provided.

1. Go to Profile > Sign-in info.
2. Select the email account that you want to get a secure mail key for. (You’ll find a drop-down menu at the top if you have multiple accounts.)
3. Scroll to Secure mail key and select Manage secure mail key.
4. If you have more than one email address, select the one you want to use.
5. Select Add secure mail key.
6. Enter a nickname for the secure mail key to make it easier to recognize.
7. Select Create secure mail key.
8. Select Copy secure mail key to clipboard. (Jot down your secure mail key, so you have it handy if you have to update an email app on several devices.)
9. For security purposes, the secure mail key only shows until you select OK.
10. If you lose or forget the secure mail key, you can create new secure mail keys as needed.
11. Select OK.
12. Go to your preferred email app and replace the existing password with your secure mail key. (For an IMAP account, delete the existing password for both the IMAP and SMTP servers and replace them with your secure mail key.)

Dear Matt,

Your “Seriously?” suggests I have not done due diligence to solving my secure mail key.  I sincerely apologize.  Considering that I teach physics and electronics, and cut my teeth programming in Fortran on punchcards, one would think I could handle something this simple.

But no. I have printed out your entire instructions to create a secure mail key, which, I believe will address this error message that comes up every time I click on Thunderbird:

Error with account bruce.ratcliffe@sbcglobal.net Sending of password for user bruceratcliffe@sbcglobal.net did not succeed. Mail server inbound.att.net responded: Server error - Please try again later.

Following the directions at the myat&t.net site, I get all the way to this screen message: Select the first Site that is associated with your AT&T mail username. Right click on the password and choose Edit Password. Enter the Secure mail Key that you obtained in Step 1 in the Password field.

I copied the SMK, and added it, as asked for, in the very clear steps (and thank you for that!). I noted our cautionary statement: “(For an IMAP account, delete the existing password for both the IMAP and SMTP servers and replace them with your secure mail key.)”, but since I do NOT have an IMAP account, did not need to follow it.

I followed the directions all the way to the end (closing Thunderbird and reopening it), but the same error message (“Sending of password for user bruceratcliffe@sbcglobal.net did not succeed. Mail server inbound.att.net responded: Server error - Please try again later.”), shows up again.  This, just to be clear, even though I specifically changed the password for bruceratcliffe@sbcglobal.net   to the SMK as per the directions, the same error message come up when I open Thunderbird.

Bruce

Three emails with AT&T. Two worked by putting in the SMK. One keeps getting the error.

Hmmm... I'm too ignorant to understand the significance of Honest _abe's comments! : ( But I haven't given up! Still hoping to crack this mystery. . .

Periodically I have this problem with one of my email addresses. The other 4 never have this problem.

I have not setup a secure mail key for any of the email accounts. I tried adding a secure mail key long time ago to the problematic account but was not able to do it. This was discussed in another support topic because several people had the same issue. I'd have to search for the topic in order to get the details, but the last time I looked there was no solution.

That being said, the problem email account usually starts working in a day or two, and keeps working for months. But during the last 2 weeks it has not worked more than it has worked. It worked several times yesterday but now it doesn't, and displays the password did not succeed message.

Will contacting AT&T help? IOW will they have a clue what is happening & how to fix it?

BruceRatcliffe said

Hmmm... I'm too ignorant to understand the significance of Honest _abe's comments! : ( But I haven't given up! Still hoping to crack this mystery. . .

It means that just having a SMK does not mean it won't work. Neither will calling AT&T as not one support I talked to even knew what a Secure Mail Key was. And when I said to please pass me on to someone that at least knows what it is (and suggested they read abot it on their own site), I got nowhere.

Mike109 said

Will contacting AT&T help? IOW will they have a clue what is happening & how to fix it?

Not in my experience. As the support person if they know what it is. If they don't, there is no way they can help you.

Dear Honest, Thanks for the information. I'm thinking that the BEST solution may be to just delete that email account (or is it called an address...?) I have other email addresses/accounts that work fine. I'm just wondering if the problematic one happens to be the MAIN email address, will I lose all my email addresses?

Hi folks, Matt's post was marked as the solution by the person who asked the original question (Roberthigh). Your issue may have similar symptoms, but it is likely a different cause/solution. You should use https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/new where volunteers can get more details about your setup.

Because this thread is solved and more people might start using it for their own questions, I'm going to lock it.