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When setting up new email get error "Incoming server already exists."

  • 5 replies
  • 9 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by christ1

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I have Thunderbird working for a number of accounts. Now when I try and set-up a new email account I get the following popup error "Incoming server server already exists".

My wife had the same issue, and I solved it by removing the local thunderbird configuration directory and restarting thunderbird and adding just the one new account. She did not need the old email any more. I need to keep my existing accounts and cannot afford to delete them.


 Application Basics
   Name: Thunderbird
   Version: 31.6.0
   User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.6.0
   Profile Directory: Open Directory
             (Local drive)
   Application Build ID: 20150331131147
   Enabled Plugins: about:plugins
   Build Configuration: about:buildconfig
   Memory Use: about:memory
 Mail and News Accounts
   account2:
     INCOMING: account2, , (none) Local Folders, plain, passwordCleartext
   account5:
     INCOMING: account5, , (pop3) <cut>, SSL, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: <cut>, SSL, passwordCleartext, true
   account6:
     INCOMING: account6, , (pop3) <cut>, plain, passwordEncrypted
     OUTGOING: <cut>, plain, passwordEncrypted, true
   account7:
     INCOMING: account7, , (pop3) <cut>, plain, passwordCleartext
     OUTGOING: <cut>, plain, passwordCleartext, true
   account8:
     INCOMING: account8, , (imap) <cut>, SSL, passwordEncrypted
     OUTGOING: <cut>, SSL, passwordEncrypted, true
 Crash Reports
 Extensions
   Extra Folder Columns, 1.1.5, true, extra-cols@jminta_gmail.com
   Lightning, 3.3.1, true, {e2fda1a4-762b-4020-b5ad-a41df1933103}
   Thunderbird Conversations, 2.8.1, true, [email protected]
 Important Modified Preferences
   Name: Value
     browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value: 358400
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false
     browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false
     extensions.lastAppVersion: 31.6.0
     mail.openMessageBehavior.version: 1
     mailnews.database.global.datastore.id: 0b9a3449-b90e-4192-8ee6-b585caf44b2
     mailnews.database.global.indexer.enabled: true
     network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true
     places.database.lastMaintenance: 1411691239
     places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 104858
     plugin.importedState: true
 Graphics
     Adapter Description: Intel Open Source Technology Center -- Mesa DRI Intel(R) Haswell Desktop
     Vendor ID: Intel Open Source Technology Center
     Device ID: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Haswell Desktop
     Driver Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.4.3
     WebGL Renderer: false
     GPU Accelerated Windows: 0
     AzureCanvasBackend: cairo
     AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0
     AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: none
     AzureContentBackend: cairo
 JavaScript
 Incremental GC: 1
 Accessibility
   Activated: 0
   Prevent Accessibility: 0
 Library Versions
     Expected minimum version
     Version in use
     NSPR
     4.10.8
     4.10.8
     NSS
     3.18 Basic ECC
     3.18 Extended ECC
     NSS Util
     3.18
     3.18
     NSS SSL
     3.18 Basic ECC
     3.18 Extended ECC
     NSS S/MIME
     3.18 Basic ECC
     3.18 Extended ECC
I have Thunderbird working for a number of accounts. Now when I try and set-up a new email account I get the following popup error "Incoming server server already exists". My wife had the same issue, and I solved it by removing the local thunderbird configuration directory and restarting thunderbird and adding just the one new account. She did not need the old email any more. I need to keep my existing accounts and cannot afford to delete them. Application Basics Name: Thunderbird Version: 31.6.0 User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.6.0 Profile Directory: Open Directory (Local drive) Application Build ID: 20150331131147 Enabled Plugins: about:plugins Build Configuration: about:buildconfig Memory Use: about:memory Mail and News Accounts account2: INCOMING: account2, , (none) Local Folders, plain, passwordCleartext account5: INCOMING: account5, , (pop3) <cut>, SSL, passwordCleartext OUTGOING: <cut>, SSL, passwordCleartext, true account6: INCOMING: account6, , (pop3) <cut>, plain, passwordEncrypted OUTGOING: <cut>, plain, passwordEncrypted, true account7: INCOMING: account7, , (pop3) <cut>, plain, passwordCleartext OUTGOING: <cut>, plain, passwordCleartext, true account8: INCOMING: account8, , (imap) <cut>, SSL, passwordEncrypted OUTGOING: <cut>, SSL, passwordEncrypted, true Crash Reports Extensions Extra Folder Columns, 1.1.5, true, extra-cols@jminta_gmail.com Lightning, 3.3.1, true, {e2fda1a4-762b-4020-b5ad-a41df1933103} Thunderbird Conversations, 2.8.1, true, [email protected] Important Modified Preferences Name: Value browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false extensions.lastAppVersion: 31.6.0 mail.openMessageBehavior.version: 1 mailnews.database.global.datastore.id: 0b9a3449-b90e-4192-8ee6-b585caf44b2 mailnews.database.global.indexer.enabled: true network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true places.database.lastMaintenance: 1411691239 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 104858 plugin.importedState: true Graphics Adapter Description: Intel Open Source Technology Center -- Mesa DRI Intel(R) Haswell Desktop Vendor ID: Intel Open Source Technology Center Device ID: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Haswell Desktop Driver Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.4.3 WebGL Renderer: false GPU Accelerated Windows: 0 AzureCanvasBackend: cairo AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0 AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: none AzureContentBackend: cairo JavaScript Incremental GC: 1 Accessibility Activated: 0 Prevent Accessibility: 0 Library Versions Expected minimum version Version in use NSPR 4.10.8 4.10.8 NSS 3.18 Basic ECC 3.18 Extended ECC NSS Util 3.18 3.18 NSS SSL 3.18 Basic ECC 3.18 Extended ECC NSS S/MIME 3.18 Basic ECC 3.18 Extended ECC

All Replies (5)

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I had not upgrade to the latest version. I just did so and still get the same message. Also, the step before is says username or password is incorrect. The first time I thought I had type it in incorrectly. This last time I quite sure I didn't I entered the information very slow and carefully.

Name Thunderbird Version 31.7.0 User Agent Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.7.0 Profile Directory (Local drive) Application Build ID 20150512100938 Enabled Plugins about:plugins Build Configuration about:buildconfig Memory Use about:memory

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I now have a more serious problem after doing the upgrade I cannot read any of emails. When I go into settings I get the following error.

The Local Directory path "<cut>" is not suitable for message storage. Please choose another directory.

I confirmed the path is correct

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It appears you just have to many <cut> for anyone to make sense of what your saying.

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dbrett said

I had not upgrade to the latest version. I just did so and still get the same message. Also, the step before is says username or password is incorrect. The first time I thought I had type it in incorrectly. This last time I quite sure I didn't I entered the information very slow and carefully. Name Thunderbird Version 31.7.0 User Agent Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.7.0 Profile Directory (Local drive) Application Build ID 20150512100938 Enabled Plugins about:plugins Build Configuration about:buildconfig Memory Use about:memory

How is this an answer?

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The Local Directory path "<cut>" is not suitable for message storage.

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Dangerous_directories_-_Thunderbird