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pop3 Thunderbird email stopped receiving emails

  • 18 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Wayne Mery

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Hi, I have been on Thunderbird for years and have always fixed my own problems but the pop3 email on my laptop stopped receiving emails 10 days ago. Asked my provider Fasthosts but they can't fix it, read the advice but can't work out what is wrong. I haven't changed any server settings - they are correct according to Fasthosts anyway. My online Outlook email version works fine and I can send emails from my laptop but it keeps saying connection to server timed out. Any ideas please, and I am not technical so it needs to be the very simple version. Thanks.

Hi, I have been on Thunderbird for years and have always fixed my own problems but the pop3 email on my laptop stopped receiving emails 10 days ago. Asked my provider Fasthosts but they can't fix it, read the advice but can't work out what is wrong. I haven't changed any server settings - they are correct according to Fasthosts anyway. My online Outlook email version works fine and I can send emails from my laptop but it keeps saying connection to server timed out. Any ideas please, and I am not technical so it needs to be the very simple version. Thanks.

Chosen solution

My pop mail account is using these settings: Server name : mail.livemail.co.uk port: 995 Connection Security: SSL/TLS Authentication Method: Normal Password Username is the full email address for my domain. eg: [email protected]

I did need to restart Thunderbird after changing the security.tls.version.min to 1. It did not work on number 2 or 3.

Read this answer in context 👍 2

All Replies (18)

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You must be using Thunderbird 78* because it is causing the problem. Thunderbird has changed the minimum level of TLS to use TLSv1.2, however, Fasthosts who use the livemail server are not using the most up to date. They are fully aware of the problem because I've told them about it.

Fasthosts say "Regarding your concern, there is no update yet when to upgrade SSL and TLS versions on our mail server. "

This is what you need to do in Thunderbird to reset the minimum setting.

  • In Menu app icon > Options > General
  • Scroll forever to the bottom and click on 'Config Editor'
  • accept the risk
  • In search type: tls.version
  • look for this line : security.tls.version.min
  • Double click on line to open an edit window and enter the number 1
  • click on OK.
  • Exit window - top right x

This will set that preference back to the same level as used automatically in version 68*.

Exit and restart Thunderbird.

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Hi Toad-Hall, Thanks for trying to help, and making it simple as well. I went through your guidance line by line but it hasn't worked. I have done it several times to make sure but I am still timed out by the server and not receiving e-mails. Any bright ideas what I have done wrong? Thanks.

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It's a pop3 account or imap? Do you receive any error (maybe a screenshot will help if yes) or it's just not downloading any mail?

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Chosen Solution

My pop mail account is using these settings: Server name : mail.livemail.co.uk port: 995 Connection Security: SSL/TLS Authentication Method: Normal Password Username is the full email address for my domain. eg: [email protected]

I did need to restart Thunderbird after changing the security.tls.version.min to 1. It did not work on number 2 or 3.

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Hi everyone, Thanks for all the help, my email is now fixed. I eventually unplugged everything and restarted the laptop and router and Thunderbird is now working again on the revised config settings. Fantastic simple advice from Toad-Hall. Thanks.

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Toad-Hall,

GTG!! Thank you! Your fix did the trick!

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Same problem here.

I can send mail from Thunderbird but not receive.

It keeps sayin on the bottom line in the main screen "[email protected]: Connect with pop.gmail.com..." but it doesn't do anything.

Toad-hall's answer didn't help. I also restarted my laptop. Other suggestions?

Modified by RoyRacing185

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Roy,

I have fixed my T-bird issues, with the last fix being worked out with my ISP. My two mail servers that I connect to are: 1. IMAP Mail Server -- imap.glbb.jp -- port 143

    Connection security: STARTTLS; Authentication method: normal password

2. Outgoing mail server (SMTP) -- smtp.glbb.jp -- port 465

   Connection security: SSL/TLS; Authentication method: normal password

The # 2 server settings were a change that I had to confirm with my ISP. Once I made those changes, then everything returned to normal -- can send and receive email.

I hope this helps you get back to normal functioning.

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Toad-Hall - Thank you so much, this worked for me! Have had numerous discussions with Fasthost who say they know nothing about it. My problem started 10 days ago when the 78.2 update happened automatically - my Fasthost IMAP account wouldn't work on Thunderbird, but Orange, Gmail and Outlook were all fine. Been searching for a solution everyday since then but no joy. It seems Thunderbird are well aware of it because there was another update yesterday (now 78.3) and I was hoping that it would be fixed with the new update...it wasn't. Finally decided to try Toad-Hall's step-by-step instructions (even though it was for a POP3 problem and not IMAP) but, hey presto! it worked and I am so grateful - thank you!

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roy.ruesen Note: switch that tls minimum setting back to 3. You are talking about gmail and therefore would not be experiencing the same issue, so this particular question is not relevant to you, so none of the answers would apply. It is more likely you are being deliberately blocked by gmail because that's what gmail does on a periodic basis to anyone not using Imap and OAuth2 Authentication Method. It forces you to logon to gmail webmail account and switch the 'use less secure apps' option back on. (OR set up an imap gmail account that uses OAuth protocol.) But really if you need more help, then please start your own question.

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I found a fix to Thunderbird not connecting to download email by going to account settings and changing the security settings from STARTTLS to none. I think other settings may work as well. I am a novice user who has used Tbird for years and any update has worked fine until 78.2.2 There is something that changed the connection security settings.

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Toad-Hall said

roy.ruesen Note: switch that tls minimum setting back to 3. You are talking about gmail and therefore would not be experiencing the same issue, so this particular question is not relevant to you, so none of the answers would apply. It is more likely you are being deliberately blocked by gmail because that's what gmail does on a periodic basis to anyone not using Imap and OAuth2 Authentication Method. It forces you to logon to gmail webmail account and switch the 'use less secure apps' option back on. (OR set up an imap gmail account that uses OAuth protocol.) But really if you need more help, then please start your own question.

Okay, already done (both switching it back and started my own question.)

Modified by RoyRacing185

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murray_pem Thunderbird by default changed the minimum setting for tls, so the answer is to use either no security by setting it to none as you did or resetting the minimum setting as per the 'Chosen solution' comment.

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Hello,

Prior to recent 78.2 and 78.3 upgrades, I had no problem with my 4 emails accounts - a mixture of POP and IMAP on 4 different servers/domains. Following the upgrade to 78.2, no emails are downloaded on any account. I changed the tls.security min to 1 and rebooted as advised, but still no email. I also tried switching from SSL/TLS to Start TLS, but still no change. Any ideas how to fix this? Thanks

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Due to circumstances that aren't worth going into, I have 3 GMail account setup on Thunderbird; 2 setup with POP3, 1 set up with IMAP. I also have several other POP3 email accounts hosted by DreamHost, and several IMAP HotMail accounts. All three GMail accounts were working until 78.2. After that, the GMail IMAP account still works, but the GMail POP3 accounts do not retrieve new mail. Nothing has been changed on the GMail side of things or the account settings in Thunderbird. All non-GMail accounts continue to work without problems.

I can verify that there is new mail waiting in the two POP3 accounts, but Thunderbird does not download them. Prefixing the account name with "recent:" (a suggestion on Google help pages) does not fix the problem. Lowering the minimum TLS version allowed (as suggested above) does not help.

I set up Tbird v68 in a separate account and configured the same two POP3 accounts in it. The waiting email immediately downloaded with no problems! This problem is without a doubt a problem with Tbird 78 since I can reliably download message with v68, but not v78.

I also tried opening the Config Editor in both v68 and v78 and making sure the relevant TLS and POP3 setting where set the same in v78 as they were in v68. V78 still does not retrieve the POP3 email.

I set up POP3 session debug logging on v78.3, sent some email to one of the POP3 accounts, verified that it arrived in that account's inbox via the webmail interface, then manually started the check mail sequence. The result was the following (edited for clarity):

16:26:38.765000 Initialize() 16:26:38.765000 Connecting to server pop.gmail.com:995 16:26:38.765000 Setting server busy in nsPop3Protocol::LoadUrl() 16:26:39.283000 Entering NET_ProcessPop3 0 16:26:39.283000 Entering state: 24 16:26:39.283000 Entering state: 25 16:26:39.283000 Clearing server busy in POP3_FREE 16:26:39.283000 Clearing running protocol in POP3_FREE 16:26:39.283000 ~nsPop3Protocol()

It seems to end the connection less than a second after connecting. It never asks for capabilities, never tries to log in, nothing.

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After the most recent update, 78.5.0, I cannot receive emails. If I go to webmail I can see new messages that aren't appearing in Thunderbird. I can send emails, but Thunderbird can not save them in the sent folder (saves them locally). "Your message was sent but a copy was not placed in your sent folder (Sent) due to network or file access errors." I have checked to make sure the proper password was still saved. I have turned off Eset e-mail protections. Have changed the ”security.tls.version.min” setting to 1. Have checked that the e-mail server use TLS 1.2 and 1.3. Still the same fault. I have now installed another email-client, that works, but hope for a Thunderbird solution.

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magnus.e re :I have turned off Eset e-mail protections. If you are using ESET/NOD32 security/AV then probability is very high it is causing your problems. According to their forums, you should temporarily disable SSL until they solve the problem per https://support.eset.com/en/kb3126-disable-ssl-filtering-in-eset-windows-products?ref=esf - the problem is being reported by dozens of users https://forum.eset.com/topic/26517-problems-with-thunderbird-and-imaps/ https://forum.eset.com/discover/

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This topic is very old, so closing it out. If you continue to have difficulty please create a new topic for your issue.