Mozilla Thunderbird issues with Outlook Accounts

[Mizar]

I'm not really sure if this is the right place to have this addressed but i'm having issues with Outlook email accounts in Mozilla Thunderbird.

Apparently is keeps on asking for the password even though it has been memorized.

The version number is

115.7.0 (64-bit)

[Mizar]

I'm no expert but yeah it seems there's a lot going on there.

Ok, try this, change authentication to "normal password" let's see if that stops the security check from tripping.

[Boulevardier]

The accounts are already using "Normal password" -  there isn't  an OAuth2 option listed for them.  Also, although that command-line output speaks of SSL/TLS on port 465, the smtp server is actually set for STARTTLS on 587.  But I don't know how the Curl command works, so that may not be relevant to anything. I'm not sure anyone understands what's going on here - I certainly don't.

This morning when I booted the accounts weren't showing any of my test emails after midnight-ish last night (although todays were showing on my phone).  Then about 2.30pm, emails arrived, and the accounts were sending and receiving normally again.  For how long, I'll have to wait and see.

[Mizar]

Then why not set the authorizing option to SSL/TLS?

[Boulevardier]

Authorisation was set to SSL/TLS until a few days ago; when Gadget Rescue took over they changed it to STARTTLS, and when I queried it with them assured me that STARTTLS was what the automatic setup was advising, and so leave it at that (I'm far from convinced that they know what they're talking about).  I have tried going back to SSL/TLS today, and it makes no difference to the problem.

Something I'm not sure about is whether VM server takes some time to register and implement such changes.

Thanks for your help and suggestions, Mizar.

[Mizar]

I just wish I could've done more, hope you'll find a solution.

[cardloser]

This issue seems to have been resolved in Betterbird. Check this out: https://www.betterbird.eu/

[WanderingTravel]

Having the SAME issues again. Just going to try betterbird, this is absolutely ridiculous.

[Agentvirtuel]

Hello

---

@stephenc wrote:

I had a scarey email from Microsoft saying they were making  OAuth2 Compulsory from September this year.

No OAuth2, no email!

I wonder why, as I am already set up with it, so why send me a scary email???

---

In addtion, take a look at
https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/recent-microsoft-announcement-about-using-outlook-or-lose...
https://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=3122841

[JimboTheThird]

Just received the same Ransomware email from Microsoft - the 'bug' bemoaned in the above enormous thread - which I suffer from today - is clearly intentional by MS to force ppl to use Outlook and be sucked into their ecosystem - exactly why I use TB in the first place, first to keep work and life separate and basically to avoid the MS venal idiocy of 'saas'.

For sure I'm now faced with the arduous task of migrating many accounts linked to Outlook (live, hotmail or whatever new name MS come up with). But so fed up with MS, gonna do it eventually.

BUT IF TB DON'T GET A GRIP ON THIS, MANY PEOPLE WILL DRIFT AWAY IN SEARCH OF AN EMAIL CLIENT THAT WORKS.

[Agentvirtuel]

Hello

Allow me to ask a question

Update your sign-in technology before September 16th, 2024 to maintain email access.
What is the relationship with Thunderbird?

Modern Authentication Methods now needed to continue syncing Outlook Email in non-Microsoft email apps
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/modern-authentication-methods-now-needed-to-continue-sync...

But, apparently Microsoft OAuth2 does not work with Thunderbird 91 and 102.
By way of illustration https://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=14980346#p14980346

[GeeMac]

re ya go  MS wants everyone to buy Outlook or lose your emails.  I followed the stems and it al lmade things worse.  They aslo made the pictures hard to read so you throw your hands up and say Okay.. I'll pay $300 a year for their garbage.    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/modern-authentication-methods-now-needed-to-continue-sync...

[Agentvirtuel]

Hello

As far as I'm concerned, it's already done.

[noNeedFORgps]

So the first few times I switched to "OAuth2" ([both in "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" and in "Server Settings --> Edit SMTP server..."]) it still gave me the same problem by continuing to ask for my outlook-dot-com password, while still working regardless but also lagging the crap out of Thunderbird.

I looked around at a lot of threads out there, and finally found the email sent by Microsoft (the article from Microsoft said this email was sent on the 11th.... I seemed to receive it at 1:32AM on the 28th of June 🙄) that has a recently added link directly containing directions about setting up Thunderbird: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/modern-authentication-methods-now-needed-to-continue-sync...

Oddly enough as soon as I read that article, and setup OAuth2 again-again-once again.... restarting Outlook finally opened up to this classic Windows account login page you should find familiar. I'm assuming this AuthO setting simply takes a little bit of time to register with Microsoft? It didn't work the first few times, and I couldn't explain why! But this is the "modern login requirement" concept that Microsoft is soon to mandate to use any third-party app:

1. https://nlaquerregis.com/downloads/outlookLogin_thunderbird.png

2. https://nlaquerregis.com/downloads/outlookLogin_thunderbird2.png

(These pics are hosted on my domain, they're safe!)

Again you want these to show up after starting Thunderbird, by THUNDERBIRD'S own actions automatically. Afterwards you'll see Thunderbird show up within your Microsoft Account Dashboard under "Privacy > App Access" or (because Microsoft loves making multiple avenues that do the same thing 🙄🤯), another Microsoft account page with the heading "Apps and services you've given access". They'll also email you after properly setting it up with a subject: "New app(s) connected to your Microsoft account".

I hope this helps! Eventually it worked for me, all you have to do is switch over to the OAuth2 and find apparently. Good luck.

[chris451_hotmai]

Thunderbird outgoing server for outlook was added.

outlook

smtp-mail.outlook.com

port 587

conn security starttls

auth method kerberos/gssapi because there is no choice for oath2 i the security and authentication
I have a token stored and Imap works.
I can write a message in imap outlook email and save it as a draft
I can go to web based outlook and its logged in from the token
I can send the draft from there, but thunderbird can't send it directly<
connection seems to fail.
Checed firewall there was an instance of thunderbird.exe that I added internet access to.
I cant set it correctly because in smtp server there is no 'oath2' choice in authentication method.
versioin 128.0.1esr 64bit. 'nebula'.

Messages are received via imap.
Drafts are synced to outlook.
Sending on outlook is enabled I think.
Receiving via thunderbird is enabled on outlook and messages come in fine
thunderbird can send messages via gmail.com
Thunderbird can't send messages from working smtp servers if the from does not match the account.

[Agentvirtuel]

Hello

Enter the correct server names, then restart TB and change to OAuth2 ?
(e.g.) https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1417298#answer-1588949

[Grigoris]

Same here with latest version 115.14.0 64bit

This is make thunderbird really hard to work with.

Really to hard.

I think to change to another multimail program.

Does anyone find a solution to this?

I even try to total uninstall(Even registry values) and re-install from start the thunderbird all my mail accounts with oauth2 but still at hotmail/outlook mail accounts always asking me passwords or failed to verify.

But at other mails like gmail or yahoo work fine.

[TAGarrison]

I don't know how well this will be received, but through this entire thread I did not see anything about using POP3 as opposed to IMAP.

There is nothing IMAP does that you cannot get with POP3. I've been using POP3 (and previous versions) since the early 90's. I hate IMAP.
I'm also a Web developer. I set up clients with POP3 and, with some simple tricks, get people using POP3 "like" IMAP and they are very happy.

I have a MS account and have for many years. Today, after a couple of "hiccups" the last couple of days with Outlook it's throw the errors. I didn't change anything except the OAuth2. I knew my credentials were correct.
After that simple change everything is working 100%.

At least "consider" using POP3. You can still set up any POP3 account to allow multiple devices to check the same account.

Using a POP3 allows you to keep the mail off the server if you set it up correctly. Every "X" days / weeks (your choice), you use 1 device to download the mail using a POP3 account that does not leave the mail on the server. All other devices leave the mail on the server.

I use 18 completely different E-mail accounts and only use Thunderbird which I just updated to 115.15 and checked everything. All is well and no errors. I can "send" mail through any of the accounts I have. But I usually send through the account to which the message was sent.
If Outlook throws a fit about me "sending" through Outlook, I'll set the account to use a different outgoing account.

E-mail has always been the most complicated service since computers were available for the general public. And it's not any easier today than it was in 1992.
It's simple for me because I've been using E-mail since then. I'm a developer so I stay up on "how to" with E-mail when settings need to change.

Thunderbird is NOT the problem! And the suggestion to use that T-Bird alternative is a really bad idea. Regardless of your situation, there IS a fix for your E-mail. It's not you and it's not T-Bird. Companies like Microsoft will make changes and only tell people about the change through some obscure post...in "their" system. So you won't see it if you search or never log in to Outlook.com

I use Gmail, Outlook and several different domains that are using hosted E-mail servers. I have 1 program that checks every one of the accounts on ever server. After I check mail with that program I download the mail I want with Thunderbird. So if anybody is going to come up against a problem, it would be me.

Just a suggestion to everybody. POP3 is free. IMAP can be costly if you deal with a lot of E-mail daily. IMAP is only free until you haven't cleared out the server in a while and you go over your limit.

[33NHL]

Very simple solution.

I got mad as I was playing around with settings incoming outgoing was waste of time.

I have 3 hot mail and outlook accounts.

Just go into Tools

Click on it

Then account settings

Then just delete 1 by one account. 

Then re add the accounts

By simply

user name

email used

Password

Click done and all  correct settings will be done and all emails are back nothing is lost.

Heck took me less then 5 munites to go thus route then to waste time changing settings on each account and then having to check if it's working or not and going back to change settings again.

So simple delete account/s then re add them.

[Grigoris]

This is the first thing i try before i create this topic.
And still the issue remains.

[TAGarrison]

Something not mentioned, so I don't know if you have included this or not, is OAuth2 which "must" be enabled in TBird or you won't connect to the microsoft server.

Tools > Account Settings > Security Settings (on the right) > Authentication Method
If you have your Server Name, Port, and User Name all correct, then everything should work fine.

[BugReporter]

This is clearly a problem with Thunderbird. I also use other programs (not Micro$oft) in which the authentication method had to be updated to OAuth2 and there is no problem with Outlook accounts. The problem is only in Thunderbird and it relates to when you need to log in to your Outlook account via a pop-up window. If for some reason the server gets overloaded, which often happens with Micro$oft (with the “Too Many Requests” message), this Thunderbird pop-up has no “refresh” option. You can only close it, and this probably causes it to incorrectly save “some credentials” and, as a result, prevents authentication when sending messages with the SMTP server, and this cannot be corrected because Thunderbird has already saved the wrong session in cookies. A similar “Too Many Requests” message is sometimes displayed in the web browser when logging into Outlook mail via the web browser, but just press F5, confirm resend and it works. In Thunderbird, in the window with the “Too Many Requests” message, F5 does not work.

[Grigoris]

So what you suggest to do to solve the problem??? 

[TAGarrison]

BugReporter - You have me confused.
If you add / edit the sever properties to OAuth2, and, you have assured that all other settings are precisely what Microsoft now mandates, then TBird works great.
If you are getting the popups from TBird then you need to look at your "Outgoing" as well as "Incoming" settings to assure you have them set correctly.

TBird does NOT change the settings - for any reason - without you manually making those changes.

If you have "Too Many requests", that's on Microsoft and there is nothing you can do but wait.

I've been using TBird for many years and have connected my gmail and outlook both to TBird. I have other software I use for checking all of my accounts at once. That software has times when it errors because of Microsoft. But I don't change a thing. In another 10 minutes it will work fine.

I know for a fact that you can get errors when using software other than Outlook to check your Microsoft mail. That's not on TBird.
That's because Microsoft is always doing things that make it more complicated to work with Microsoft, but certainly no more secure.
Microsoft just likes to irritate anybody using something other than Microsoft products to access Microsoft products.

If you get a popup error from TBird, don't make any changes if you have confirmed that all settings are correct. Just cancel the error and wait a while.

All that said, I have "never" seen an error from Thunderbird for "Too Many Requests". I'm betting you've seen something that was not within TBird because you were checking for mail.

Just don't keep trying if you get an error from Microsoft. Wait...at least 10 minutes...then try again. If you keep sending a request you can get Microsoft upset and their servers will stop you from accessing your own account due to the multitude of requests. Hackers do that and the servers will consider you attempting to hack in.

[BugReporter]

I have also been using Thunderbird for years and generally have no problems with it.

Unfortunately, I have to use more than one Outlook account in Thunderbird, and while there is no problem with updating the settings of one, the problem arises when setting up another.

Even if it is a problem on Micro$oft's side, the “Too Many Requests” message in a Webview-type window should be refreshable in Thunderbird just as it is in a Web browser when it appears. Unfortunately, the problem lies in the implementation of this kind of authorization in Thunderbird and the inability to refresh the contents of the window when an error occurs. This results, as I have already written, in an erroneous credential saving in Thunderbird, which cannot be changed other than by deleting the saved account password and CLEARING CAKES. Even just deleting the stored credentials in Thunderbird doesn't allow you to do anything. Example:

When an error occurs (when logging into an account after activating the OAuth method) “Too Many Requests, then Thunderbird does not allow you to retry authentication. Trying to send a message, of course, a window appears that there was an error with the user's authorization with the “renew” and “enter password again” buttons, and the latter button, with the re-entry of the password does not work, because when you click it, the message with renewed authentication is not displayed. It's just that Thunderbird behaves as if the user clicks “renew”, and this is a Thunderbird error.