Are you sure the default you think you have is the default? Tools menu (Alt+T) >account settings > outgoing server (SMTP) to check what is default.

Note that is your are in an IMAP account for another address that account will be chosen as the default as your are "in" that account and that reply will mostly default to the account the mail was sent to.

Hi Matt,

No..that's not the problem. I'll state it another way. I have two e-mail accounts set up:

1) abcd@e-mail.com 2) 1234@e-mail.com

In tools/account settings, abcd@e-mail is my default account.

When I receive an e-mail to the abcd@e-mail.com and hit reply it posts from the 1234@e-mail.com account.

The Outgoing Server (SMTP) only lists one default server. Always been that way.

All of this started when the version 31 upgrade happened. I also just checked and it only works in one direction. IOW if I reply to an e-mail received to 1234@e-mail.com replies go to the 1234@e-mail.com account.

Does this make sense? Something changed with the upgrade.

-Gary

I just noticed something else which may help. Another data point.

The abcd@e-mail.com subscribes to several e-mail lists like mailman, yahoogroups, etc. It is ONLY when replying to these messages that the problem shows up. If I receive a private e-mail (not through a list) to the abcd@e-mail.com and I hit reply it works normally.

This is how I noticed this was happening. If I replied to an e-mail post from the list the e-mail bounced because only abcd@e-mail.com is subscribed.

Thanks for your help.

Go to the troubleshooting information on the Help menu and paste into a message here the mail and news accounts information.

I am guess this is either an SMTP or an identities issue knowing what accounts are what will help I think.

Hi Matt,

Here you go:

Mail and News Accounts ID Incoming server Outgoing servers Name Connection security Authentication method Name Connection security Authentication method Default? account1 (none) Local Folders None Normal password account2 (pop3) pop-server.wi.rr.com:110 None Normal password smtp-server.wi.rr.com:25 None Password, original method (insecure) true account3 (pop3) pop-server.wi.rr.com:110 None Normal password smtp-server.wi.rr.com:25 None Password, original method (insecure) true

I too have had exactly this problem just since version 31 and only affecting replies to emails in my Local Folders which were originally to another address but forwarded to my default address. In such cases, Thunderbird ALWAYS uses the first address in the Troubleshooting Information below instead of the default address. I have checked and rechecked that I have the correct SMTP default and email account defaults set in Account Settings, but I notice that the Troubleshooting Information suggests that BOTH accounts are the default.

MY SOLUTION was to delete the non-default account, restart Thunderbird, and recreate the non-default account. The Troubleshooting Information suggests that both accounts are still marked as default, but at least the real default now comes before the other 'default' in the list, and I assume that is why Thunderbird is now using the default account I want it to:

Troubleshooting Information BEFORE deleting and recreating non-default account

ID Incoming server Outgoing servers Name Connection security Authentication method Name Connection security Authentication method Default? account1 (pop3) mail.plus.net:110 None Normal password relay.plus.net:587 None Normal password true account2 (none) Local Folders None Normal password account3 (pop3) pop.secureserver.net:995 SSL/TLS Normal password smtpout.secureserver.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true

Troubleshooting Information AFTER deleting and recreating non-default account

ID Incoming server Outgoing servers Name Connection security Authentication method Name Connection security Authentication method Default? account2 (none) Local Folders None Normal password account3 (pop3) pop.secureserver.net:995 SSL/TLS Normal password smtpout.secureserver.net:465 SSL/TLS Normal password true account4 (pop3) mail.plus.net:110 None Normal password relay.plus.net:587 None Normal password true

Tools menu > account settings >Outgoing server (SMTP)

This is where you select which SMTP server is your default. The troubleshooting information shows which is the default for the account. (They are selectable in Tools menu > account settings > account name above server settings)

Additionally mail that arrives through pop forwarding has it's SMTP based on the "Identity" information that is access from the same page as the accounts default SMTP dropdown is.

Thank you for your offering Matt, unfortunately it does not help in this case because as I said:

"I have checked and rechecked that I have the correct SMTP default and email account defaults set in Account Settings"

As a non-expert, it seems to me that the problem is revealed in the diagnostic information, in which, although the desire account has been set as the default under Account Settings, TWO accounts are marked default in the diagnostic information, and hence whichever of these two defaults happens to be at the top of the list due to being created longer ago, will be treated as the default in practice.

I am sorry to repeat myself and reject your solution, but I really think this is not a user error.

Respectfully, Chris

And I respectfully advise I have 28 default accounts, using your definition. I do not however have any issues with mail not being correctly addressed. Thunderbird has an extensive definition of "Default" It is neither simple nor a choice. It is dynamic based on the account you are in, and the source of the mail. Until you understand and accept that Thunderbirds actions appear random and unpredictable. People have even written add-ons to force Thunderbird to respect their "default" because they are unable to cope with software than does mail replies in an intelligent way.

If you have an account in the folder pane and your focus in in it, then the SMTP for that account is the default.

If you are in a local folder and mail came into [email protected], and that account is defined in the account settings to use that folder or it is defined in an identity where the mail gets there through pop forwarding then the SMTP for that account is selected.

If you in a non mail folder, say RSS feeds or Thunderbird is invoked by a mailto link, then the default used in the SMTP server with the default tick beside it. It is the last choice for most actions. because there are other default that precede it.

Further.... "and only affecting replies to emails in my Local Folders which were originally to another address but forwarded to my default address." POP forwarding as I mentioned earlier uses the information stored in identities I am yet to see mention of identities in your posts, only references to SMTP settings and defaults..

Dear Matt the problem that is affecting me, and it appears the original poster, is that Thunderbird is not behaving as you describe. I have one identity per account.

"If you have an account in the folder pane and your focus in in it, then the SMTP for that account is the default. " Yes, that works.

"If you are in a local folder and mail came into [email protected], and that account is defined in the account settings to use that folder or it is defined in an identity where the mail gets there through pop forwarding then the SMTP for that account is selected." Yes, that works.

"If you in a non mail folder, say RSS feeds or Thunderbird is invoked by a mailto link, then the default used in the SMTP server with the default tick beside it. It is the last choice for most actions. because there are other default that precede it." No, that does not work. Instead of using the default account, it uses the oldest account.

I will leave this information here in case the workaround I gave above helps. I don't know whether you can suggest a proper solution to the failure of Thunderbird to follow your penultimate paragraph after my upgrade, as it used to before.

I'm having a similar problem. I have one mail account (goes to Local Folders) and two Newsgroups. Anytime I'm replying to any mail, it defaults to one of the newsgroup accounts.

ID Incoming server Outgoing servers Name Connection security Authentication method Name Connection security Authentication method Default? account1 (none) Local Folders None Normal password account2 (nntp) bar.aaaa.com:119 None Normal password Mail.cccc.com:587 STARTTLS Normal password true account8 (nntp) news.bbbb.com:119 None Normal password Mail.cccc.com:587 STARTTLS Normal password true account9 (pop3) pop.cccc.com:110 STARTTLS Normal password Mail.cccc.com:587 STARTTLS Normal password true

i have various e mail accounts on TB one of which is hotmail via smtp when i get a e mail sent to lists and reply it defaults to my hotmail address not my standard default e mail address. this does not occur with e mails sent direct as opposed to part of a list

is that list mail coming through the Hotmail account?

Hi no, the e mails sent to lists vary.. trhey have no specified receipients - they are usually from pr firms to a mailing list none are from hotmail or to hotmail accounts