Mozilla Thunderbird - Setup Help

[BIGDB]

Howdy! ^_^

I downloaded Thunderbird a while ago, but never got around to setting it up, for various reasons. Last night I attempted to run through the setup for the first time. I think I've gotten all the info correct. The username is correct, and I have the correct server address. BUT when I attempt to connect in order to recieve my mail, I get an alert that reads like this:

Alert Message: An error occured with the POP3 mail server. Mail server mail01.mail.com responded:

I've fooled with the secure connection and secure authentication settings (on and off) and that doesn't do anything... I am able to logon to my account via the services web page (the way I usually get my mail), so I don't think the server is at fault.

What am I doing wrong, if anything?

[Basan]

Howdy BigDB. Did you have the the mail's net page options to allow forwarding it's incoming msg's to your program (aka allow POP3 re-routing)? :confused:

I've had a similar trouble with it in my begginings and was able to solve it. See how (http://www.warboards.org/showthread.php?t=6526&highlight=thunderbird). ;)
Fyi note: Please don't mind the IRC chat combo type... it was during my early start here. :P

If that still doesn't help out, let us know. :)

[BIGDB]

I regret to say that the previous information did not help me in the least :(. I looked on the site in the options area for any type of option that would allow for POP3 forwarding. But, there is no such option. I'm assuming that if it is a POP3 server, it should allow TB to access the server in the same manner that I would manually acces the server. Only I wouldn't be accessing it manually, which is the point ;). SO! - Um... Yes.

Also, I did not get the same error that you recieved. ^_^ I did get an alert message... Which has been quoted in the previous post. But I'm not sure what it means. I know this must seem fairly vague, since you cannot see the whole thing from my point of view... If there are other details that you need, let me know...

[Modred]

Premium Services
As you explore the mail.com features, you may want to add extra capacity for storing and sending messages, or consider using standard E-mail software such as Eudora or Microsoft Outlook to read and store E-mail offline. These special services are available via subscription to all members.

It appears that mail.com charges extra for POP3 access. I suggest you go with Yahoo Mail or Gmail, as those are probably the best of the free email providers and will allow you to download mail to Outlook or Thunderbird. If you decide to change emails and want a gmail, let me know and I'll send you an invite.

[BIGDB]

Ah ha... That'd explain it. *sigh* Too many issues with my email lately, lol. Alright, thanks for the help guys! Greatly appreciated. :)

[Basan]

Ah ha... That'd explain it. *sigh* Too many issues with my email lately, lol. Alright, thanks for the help guys! Greatly appreciated. :)

Can't you set a dummy account on Yahoo! Mail and set your ThunderBird "outgoing server" access for SMTP and related POP3 shiznits to go through there onto your current mail server? That's what I did, but just because my ISP on that LAN at the time demanded an e-mail account from it's services to allow it reading POP3 from the 'net. And don't forget to also set all the accounts you have on TB to go through that dummy SMTP service.
Although a smartass manouver, it worked at the time n' still does. ;)

[BIGDB]

Meh... Thanks for the advice :). But all the same, I think I'll just get a Gmail account. It sounds like it'd be a bit easier.

[Basan]

GMail is the only account/server I can't access through TB and this is for a while now (after v1.7., I think). Even following it's instructions at their site upon it, still can't connect to it. *Meh* But then again, I haven't checked the instructions for almost a year now and/or tried again recently so it might have changed a tad. :P

Add: After looking at it again, now I see my error. Since I have two e-mails at GMail the TB needs two SMTP's but one with each password the account is labelled after. Haven't tested yet, since am at a work PC (therefore no TB) but hopefully will test it tonight. ;)

[Modred]

Gmail uses funky port settings. And you only need one SMTP account. Go to Tools -> Account Settings. At the bottom of the list is "Outgoing Server (SMTP)." Whatever is here will be the default SMTP server for all accounts. Of course, that means any message you send will appear to come from this account. You can set up additional SMTP servers under the Advanced menu.

[Basan]

Thanks Modred for the tip on it, but just made a couple of SMTP servers for GMail at my TB n' each had it's own password needed to login. ;)
Now all I must do is make a couple of tests by starting to tell my friends to send stuff onto those accounts.

[Basan]

/me has doubts to edit earlier post but decides to go with new one to place info *

Well, it worked like a charm. On a side note, I just got the Buttons! extension (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=thunderbird&numpg=10&id=106) and it allows us to switch the SMTP server with a flick of a button (with a few handy others, like a labeller to set priorities onto your mails n' changing dictionaries when doin' spell check at the composing msgs window). ;)

And yeah, I got two on it (En-GB n' Portuguese) so don't come 'hammering' me about it. :P

[Modred]

Interesting. I just discovered that the new AOL mail uses IMAP instead of POP. Maybe that will pressure Gmail into finally adopting IMAP.

[Basan]

Interesting. I just discovered that the new AOL mail uses IMAP instead of POP. Maybe that will pressure Gmail into finally adopting IMAP.

I do seriously hope not. :P If ain't mistaken the IMAP servers require a specific (HTTP) adress for each account n' to know these would be a bummer to most fellas, as I believe the Outlook handled it automatically when facing Hotmail accounts. For the others I just don't know. With POP3 on the other hand (and depending on specifics from the site requiring password or not), you can have only one setted up in your configurations and it will dl both accounts' mail you may have on the application.
Summing up, if that 'IMAP trend' catches up I'll try to move onto another site that handles 2 GBs free mail to it's customers. ;)

Edit add: Btw, I went a tad extensions galore for my TB and found a few really helpful, like easying my control over it (Mr.Tech's Local Install), compacting n' deleting trash bins with a flick of button (XPunge), configuring a few siggies based on simple *.txt files, reminders and a few other extras. :) The new version of FF (v1.5) is nice too.

[Modred]

You have IMAP and HTTPS confused. HTTPS is some crackpot protocol used only by Hotmail that should have MSN laughed out of webmail services.

IMAP is like POP3, only with a few key differences. First, your messages stay on the server automatically. Second, when you access your mail throw a program, you are actually accessing the messages on the server. Thus if you mark something unread in Thunderbird, it will be unread in webmail, Evolution, Outlook, or any other method of checking your mail (until you read it again, of course). This also preserves your folder structure and makes it easier to view emails on your machine.

You might be turned off by needing network access to get to your mail, but most clients (I know Thunderbird has this) will allow you to cache messages to your computer for offline viewing. So IMAP is greater than POP3 on just about every level. Except implementation, apparently.

But really, Google has no problem with server space. The vast majority of people probably leave their Gmail messages on the Google servers already, rather than downloading everything by POP (which by default deletes the messages from the server unless you check a box to leave them). So the files are already sitting on the server, Google just needs to install the IMAP protocol so that accessing our mail becomes easier.

Like I have my AIM email account set up like this:

Incoming Server: imap.aim.com
Outgoing Server: smtp.aim.com
Username: AIM screen name
Password: AIM password

Very much like POP, no?

[Basan]

If that's it, then I'd have no fusses with it. :) Although usually dl' my mail n' like it deleted from the server (perhaps with the exception of my professional mail) to prevent flooding, because I rarely go to the online pages to see it through there.