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New Solution needed:I could Send mail, but not Receive it, using KB 2024 article on Hotmail and Qauth2

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I am writing to let the community know that, at least in my case, the guidance from TB 1/2024 KB article on Qauth2, [and linked Microsoft article], didn't solve the odd password behavior that began around January, 2024, between TB and my Microsoft hotmail account--which had worked perfectly with TB for maybe 10 years?

Beginning in January I typically received an error message that SMTP server login failed; please enter password. But after fixing that as per the KB article (first trying to maintain normal password, then when that wouldn't solve it, turning on 2FA, switching to Qauth2 with cookies enabled), it turned out for me that with Qauth2 and 2FA, I could send mail okay but then the Outlook.IMAP server would not connect so receiving emails stopped. Several times after this failure I tried switching back to normal password AND turn OFF 2fa in order to get Outlook.IMAP to reeive email...but then SMTP would keep requesting passwords, and every day or two i'd get a repeated request to reenter the Imap server password for receivfing also.

The only stable fix I found after weeks of livign with this and debating abandonment of TB came when I turned 2FA back on, requested an app password from my Microsoft Account, changed TB Server settings back to Normal password for SMTP and Outlook.Imap, and then entered the App password when prompted by TB for to eonnect with server for receiving and sending.

This has worked fine and apparently been stable, without new reqauests to me for passwords, for 2 days, whereas all other fixes in past couple months have not lasted longer than a day or less before TB requests again that I enter a password to connect with my hotmail account. (All through this my gmail connection via TB ahas remained flawless, thought I did get a request for a gmail app password, which I obtained and entered--just once and all has since been fine).

I don't know why several careful step by step attempts to do everything in Mozilla's Thunderbird KB and Microsoft articles suggested didn't work--for a residential Microsoft account, whether I tried to follow guideance for those experiencing SMTP problem only, or the Imap server connection generally.

My only guess about why my Win 10 desktop installation is different? I have Outlook for Android running on two or 3 different Android devices also, perhaps that complicated things?  I also used to have a mirrored account (in other words, name@hotmail.com is my main account, but I also had a 2nd "nickename" acct with the same name, set up as name@outlook. com.  

(But I removed that nicknamed acct in case it was causing any of my authentication problems; made no difference. )

I am writing to let the community know that, at least in my case, the guidance from TB 1/2024 KB article on Qauth2, [and linked Microsoft article], didn't solve the odd password behavior that began around January, 2024, between TB and my Microsoft hotmail account--which had worked perfectly with TB for maybe 10 years? Beginning in January I typically received an error message that SMTP server login failed; please enter password. But after fixing that as per the KB article (first trying to maintain normal password, then when that wouldn't solve it, turning on 2FA, switching to Qauth2 with cookies enabled), it turned out for me that with Qauth2 and 2FA, I could send mail okay but then the Outlook.IMAP server would not connect so receiving emails stopped. Several times after this failure I tried switching back to normal password AND turn OFF 2fa in order to get Outlook.IMAP to reeive email...but then SMTP would keep requesting passwords, and every day or two i'd get a repeated request to reenter the Imap server password for receivfing also. The only stable fix I found after weeks of livign with this and debating abandonment of TB came when I turned 2FA back on, requested an app password from my Microsoft Account, changed TB Server settings back to Normal password for SMTP and Outlook.Imap, and then entered the App password when prompted by TB for to eonnect with server for receiving and sending. This has worked fine and apparently been stable, without new reqauests to me for passwords, for 2 days, whereas all other fixes in past couple months have not lasted longer than a day or less before TB requests again that I enter a password to connect with my hotmail account. (All through this my gmail connection via TB ahas remained flawless, thought I did get a request for a gmail app password, which I obtained and entered--just once and all has since been fine). I don't know why several careful step by step attempts to do everything in Mozilla's Thunderbird KB and Microsoft articles suggested didn't work--for a residential Microsoft account, whether I tried to follow guideance for those experiencing SMTP problem only, or the Imap server connection generally. My only guess about why my Win 10 desktop installation is different? I have Outlook for Android running on two or 3 different Android devices also, perhaps that complicated things? I also used to have a mirrored account (in other words, name@hotmail.com is my main account, but I also had a 2nd "nickename" acct with the same name, set up as name@outlook. com. (But I removed that nicknamed acct in case it was causing any of my authentication problems; made no difference. )

All Replies (10)

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Hello there We have read the question We try to help you .

I can ask you to send the discussed topic to us so that I can view your discussed message. And give you an answer to your question.

Greetings Firefox volunteer

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Hello there

From your letter I can understand that your Antivirus could possibly be preventing your malfunctioning activities. This should be obvious and easily solved even if you are using a weakened network. What is not easy to solve is of course your biggest fear that you have been hacked. Of which you clearly cannot show us any further traces. Your profile could have suffered damage (profile damage) that might not be so easy to fix. This is a suggestion and not a clear answer. Since you were allowed to use this connection for days, there could be other possibilities.


Greetings Firefox volunteer

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Here is a link to the TB topic article I used (the article also includes references to a Microsoft article which I also used). Thank you. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/microsoft-oauth-authentication-and-thunderbird-202

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Hello there

Yes, that's my form. I ask you if you could send me the discussion part? Who sent you this form on that day.? Can I ask?


Greetings Firefox volunteer

Modified by Googlethunderbird

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Hello there

Have any settings been changed in your Thunderbird account that you overlooked? Have you also sent messages that you may have never sent? Email accounts have been changed or restored that you don't know about?

I don't think you have been hacked, but you were not able to enter the right settings at the right time. Or server settings had problem s with the configuration. Greetings Firefox volunteer

Modified by Googlethunderbird

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Hello there


If you can send us the references of your last interview. I will try to find a solution for you.

Greetings Firefox volunteer

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Thanks for your reply. No one sent me a form. There has been no interview about this. I have been dealing with this problem myself, as a user, for six months of intermittent problems. I described an overview history of my attempts to deal with it in my first email on thsi problem sent today. I am trying to suggest that the KB article about Outlook and TB for 2024 on this site, and the cited Microsoft article, had some effect but did not solve the problem. So I am trying to invite support people to realize that.

At present, I think I have come up with an alternate solution which so far has worked for about 2 and 1/2 days at 100%--better than any other solution since January when the problem began.

My present solution (not mentioned in previous Thunderbird KB articles as near as I can tell), for a personal Microsoft account working smoothly with TB in 2024 is:

1) Turn on 2FA for Microsoft account. 2) Obtain app password from Microsoft account. 3) In TB Server settings, have Imap server set to imap.outlook [or is it outlook.imap? I forget) and Normal password.

4) Have SMTP server set to outlook [NOT Office365] and Normal password (not Qauth2). [5A. I left cookies enabled also.]  5B. Restart Thunderbird. 6. When at start-up TB promprts to enter password for IMAP, enter the new App password. 7. When TB prompts for SMTP password, enter the new App password. 

This procedure seems to work, allowing me to continue for the 10th year to use TB with hotmail. Nothing else that I've read anywhere has since January allowed my TB on Windows 10 desktop to work consistently without continuous reports of password errors and authentication requests. I would be happy to learn more if there is something that actually applies to my situation to learn. Otherwise, I am trying to save other people the trouble that I've had for many months when I have tried to follow posted guidance that doesn't work for my case. I described the history of those troubles earlier. Thank you again. Best regards.

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Hello there

I recognize your situation, it was based on your actions that you quickly configure your combination with g/mail, which works well with our Thunderbird Software, masr configuration indeed remains a pre or must. There are indeed pieces of email software that can be found in even worse situations.

It's good to hear that you are good at this.



Greetings Firefox volunteer s

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Because I've had six months of trouble in which the guidance from TB (and Microsoft) did NOT work...I offer the following suggestions:

1) Please update the TB knowledgebase article on Outlook and Qauth2 for 2024 so other users can learn about the possible solution I described in my case (2fa plus app passwords from Microsoft and "normal password" settings for Outlook imap [not Office365] and smtp for Thunderbird).

2. If my solution remains 100% to have ended all authentication and password problems between TB and Hotmail (so far, in day 3, it's still 100%), I think it suggests that there is something more error-prone about the way TB handles Qauth and authentication for residential hotmail users than the way it is handled by other kinds of software....Users like me depend on the TB community to make this smooth and seamless and not just a duct tape "maybe" kind of solution, even if Microsoft is less popular to many tekkies than other email servies. Please fix the TB code so it is just as robust with Qauth2 when logging on to outlook.imap as the outlook app itself.

Thanks.


Thank you.

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Hello there


Thunderbird has attracted criticism for a long time, and there must have been more of it, yes. Now that it is clear that the appearance is a certain distance from what it was, yes, today we have created a indeed good-looking interface and yet it took a lot of time to achieve this. The forms are probably fine to your liking but could be updated, okay. Rest assured that safety is also important for you to arrive at the location for safety comes first for all users. of this Thunderbird Software.


Greetings Firefox volunteer

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