I cannot add an outlook.com email account to Thunderbird due to the rejection of the email password.
I already have 3 email accounts added into my Thunderbird (60.2.1) on Win7. I am unable to add an outlook.com email. I understand this is a well known problem. Apparently Microsoft rejects the standard email password, possibly (?) due to its requirement for two-step verification. I understand that an "app password" is needed, though I don't know what one of them is (no, the google description does not help). I have Microsoft's Help 12409 to create an app password, but cannot follow it because after "security basics" and "more security options" the next step ("App passwords") does not exist as a link on my account. Has someone got a simple, step by step, set of instructions, that doesn't peter out half way through, and actually works? Three different techies at Microsoft were no help - they seemed to know less than I did, and I know very little.
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You won't see an option for 'App passwords' until you set up two-step verification. According to this article:
"App passwords are only available if you use two-step verification. If you don't have two-step verification turned on, you won't see the App passwords section on the Additional security options page."
Sfhowes, Thank you for your reply. Yes I have read Microsoft 12409, and also 12408 (though I didn't list this in my question). Neither are at my level of understanding, which is why I asked for "step by step" (excuse the phrase) help.
On attempting to turn on "two step verification" in my account I selected mobile text, which Microsoft rejected. I already have to use two step verification to log on - the account password and a code sent to my mobile. Yet the account insists that two step is not set. So presumably I will actually have to set up three steps? This is awkward on the laptop I intend to use because the outlook email in Thunderbird (no "app password", so no log in) doesn't work, and my mobile is not available for the third step.
This looks like a complete dead-end. And I am still no further forward with what "App" should be used, where I get it from, how It could be used to generate a password or even whether it is supposed to reside on my laptop or my mobile.
Is there a free email service I can use on Thunderbird which does not go in for this two step twaddle?
An app password is created on the MS account website, and entered in whichever app, e.g. TB, you would normally enter a password. But if you don't have 2-step verification on an account, use the regular account password with any mail app on any device.
Gmail, outlook.com and AOL are just a few of the mail services for which 2-step verification is optional.
Sfhowes, Again thank you for your time. I have now managed to invoke two step (actually three step) verification on the Microsoft Outlook security page for my account, using a second mobile (account password + mobile 1 code + mobile 2 code). That has enabled a device specific password to be generated within my Outlook account which Microsoft via Thunderbird accepted. I now have IMAP emails from Outlook on Thunderbird. Progress, but not what I wanted.
Contrary to your advice - on my system anyway - Outlook can not be used on Thunderbird with the "regular account password". That was the point of my original query. Because the account password can not be used, I had to invoke "two step" to obtain an "app password" to use in place of the Outlook account password in Thunderbird. I knew I had to do that, but was totally at a loss how to do it despite having 12409 and 12408 from Microsoft. So, yes two step on Outlook is optional - but not if you want Thunderbird to handle the emails.
My next challenge is to change the IMAP to POP and see if that works, with the existing two (three) step generated password (it's not really an "app" password because it is not program specific). Then to delete "two step" security on my Outlook account, and see if Thunderbird can still access my emails from the Outlook account with the magic (non)app password. The aim is POP emails from Outlook on my Thunderbird, without two step. Wish me luck, because it sure ain't science.
Myself, I have an IMAP Hotmail account working fine in TB without 2-step verification.
Keep in mind that to switch from IMAP to POP, it's not sufficient to just change the server settings - you have to add the account as a POP account (after backing up the IMAP mail).
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Convert_a_POP_account_to_a_IMAP_account