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Thunderbird will not connect to aol.com mail server after upgrade to v 68.6.0

  • 4 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 96 views
  • Last reply by christ1

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Using AVG Internet Security updated to Release Feb 20, 2020 v 20.1.3112 build 20.1.5069.559 Installed Windows 10 update 2020-03 March 12, 2020—KB4551762 (OS Builds 18362.720 and 18363.720) on 3/14/2020. 3/14/2020 is the last email I could recover with Thunderbird 68.6.0

Keep getting "Login to server imap.aol.com with username [email protected] failed" message using correct password

Using AVG Internet Security updated to Release Feb 20, 2020 v 20.1.3112 build 20.1.5069.559 Installed Windows 10 update 2020-03 March 12, 2020—KB4551762 (OS Builds 18362.720 and 18363.720) on 3/14/2020. 3/14/2020 is the last email I could recover with Thunderbird 68.6.0 Keep getting "Login to server imap.aol.com with username [email protected] failed" message using correct password

Chosen solution

I noticed the Authentication method setting was "OAuth2".

That would be correct for an AOL/Yahoo IMAP account.

I tried to setup v 68.6.0 with Authentication method "Normal password" and "Encrypted password".

Whether "Normal password" works out of the box I don't know. Verizon/AOL/Yahoo have been ramping up their security requirements and you may need to turn on 2-step authentication when not using OAuth2 authentication. Then for Thunderbird you'd also need to create an app password.

"Encrypted password" won't work with AOL/Yahoo.

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Uninstalled Thunderbird v68.6.0 and reinstalled Thunderbird v68.5.0 the problem disappeared. Would someone in the project take a look at the AOL mail server connection problem in v 68.6.0.

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My best guess would be the problem is more related to AVG than to Thunderbird. Since you already downgraded TB no more troubleshooting can be done.

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May have found the problem. When I reloaded Thunderbird v 68.5.0; I noticed the Authentication method setting was "OAuth2". I tried to setup v 68.6.0 with Authentication method "Normal password" and "Encrypted password". Why the upgrade changed the setting I do not know.

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Chosen Solution

I noticed the Authentication method setting was "OAuth2".

That would be correct for an AOL/Yahoo IMAP account.

I tried to setup v 68.6.0 with Authentication method "Normal password" and "Encrypted password".

Whether "Normal password" works out of the box I don't know. Verizon/AOL/Yahoo have been ramping up their security requirements and you may need to turn on 2-step authentication when not using OAuth2 authentication. Then for Thunderbird you'd also need to create an app password.

"Encrypted password" won't work with AOL/Yahoo.