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AOL no longer accepts my password from Thunderbird or from my Android mail application. Can neither send nor receive. Accepts from web OK.

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  • Paskiausią atsakymą parašė Matt

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I once was a Verizon.net customer, but Verizon got out of the email biz and all accounts migrated to AOL.com about 2 years back. I've used Thunderbird as my email client both before and after the transition. This week, I can neither receive nor send emails from Thunderbird to my AOL account. Sending and receiving to gmail accounts is still successful.

I can access my email on the web at AOL.com without problem. But not from Thunderbird. Tbird keeps asking for my password, and I keep entering my password, but no success. I've tried changing the account from POP to IMAP, and I get a message that either my username or password is not correct.

So, what to check and what to do?

Thanks.

I once was a Verizon.net customer, but Verizon got out of the email biz and all accounts migrated to AOL.com about 2 years back. I've used Thunderbird as my email client both before and after the transition. This week, I can neither receive nor send emails from Thunderbird to my AOL account. Sending and receiving to gmail accounts is still successful. I can access my email on the web at AOL.com without problem. But not from Thunderbird. Tbird keeps asking for my password, and I keep entering my password, but no success. I've tried changing the account from POP to IMAP, and I get a message that either my username or password is not correct. So, what to check and what to do? Thanks.

All Replies (7)

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if your gmail is working, that basically rules out outside influences from anti virus and other security rubbish.

SO I guess you need to change the authentication method in account settings to oAuth2.0 and see if that works for you. I know AOL were moving down a path to requiring this method over a basic password. Perhaps they have arrived.

Note that cookies are required in Thunderbird for oauth to work. The default is on, but if you have changed it. It is time to change it back.

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AOL does the oAuth2.0 thing. I turned it on in outgoing server settings. Didn't see that option in incoming server settings; where is it located?

I can now send, but not receive, mail from this AOL account. What should I try next?

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Have you been updated to V60? if not go to help about and see if it is available to you.

oAth2,0 is available for authentication on incoming and outgoing accounts in V60 for AOL. it replaces the password option, or adds to the authentication methods list.

You do have an AOL server specified in the incoming server field I assume as that has been required for a couple of years now. I ask because we still see people with old RR servers specified that appear to work for them.

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Updated yesterday to V60.3.0 (32 bit) from V39 something. I've a 64 bit machine, if that makes a difference. Server settings still gives the same authentication choices: normal pw, encrypted pw, Kerberos/GSSAPI, and NTLM.

Incoming server set to pop.verizon.net. This is correct per the aol.com site (https://help.aol.com/articles/how-do-i-set-up-other-email-applications-to-send-and-receive-my-verizon-net-mail), with a date of 18 October 2018.

Another issue has cropped up: this account appears in the Tools ->Account Settings list, but has disappeared (along with all of its folders) from the left column on the main email page (don't know what it is called)

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I suggest you have a chat to Verizon. oauth is only available on aol servers, so it is available for imap but not pop. Sounds like a typical corporate dogs breakfast.

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I am on TB 60.6.1 and my login for email is suddenly being rejected and I'm told to use an email client that has OAuth authentication or get a secure mail key. My email server is att. The secure mail key works fine but I don't like to have to keep track of a 16 character value to make access. I found the following posted and went in the TB server settings and I cannot find oAuth listed as one of the choices for Authentication Method. My Connection Security is set for SSL/TLS. What am I missing? I would like to go back to my standard Password I have used successfully and is remembered by me. The weird thing is that my second PC is on the same TB release and both are on the same Windows 10 Pro release. The second PC does not have this problem and logs in for email using its regular password.


SO I guess you need to change the authentication method in account settings to oAuth2.0 and see if that works for you. I know AOL were moving down a path to requiring this method over a basic password. Perhaps they have arrived.

Note that cookies are required in Thunderbird for oauth to work. The default is on, but if you have changed it. It is time to change it back. </blockquote>

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You will not find oAuth listed. ATT is not a provider that has oAuth. Yahoo is, Gmail is, AOL is and each one has to have a secret key added to Thunderbird to implement it. Unfortunately ATT have not idea what they are doing. They tell you to use something they have no secret key for and even tell you about android apps that "bastardize" the process by allowing to to select another's secret key to use. ATT need to get their corporate head out of that dark space and start providing real services for the money they take each month. They have offered a broken mail contract with yahoo for years and their customers just keep paying and posting in forums about the really bad service.

I have seen some folks have success if disabling IPv6 in the config editor as some routers/ Modems have firmware issues with it and this appears to extend to the big US bases IUSPS's. See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Network.dns.disableIPv6