is the new "allow conne4ctions from less secure apps" set on Gmail. They introduced some security that they are pushing that no email client in the world supports, so the less secure apps has to be turned on.

What the setting really says is "allow a mail client to access mail." but they already had that.

Matt, thank you very much for replying and suggesting that.. I have gone into setting of the GMail account but can find no option to "allow a mail client to access mail."

It could be that I'm missing the obvious, but what tab would such an option be under, as I gone the viewable options there.

Regards, BR

Enable POP and IMAP here https://mail.google.com/mail/#settings/fwdandpop

less secure apps here https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps

And if the account uses two factor authentication it will also need a application password. Information here https://support.google.com/mail/answer/1173270?hl=en

Hi Matt, thanks for your further help..the IMAP/POP had already been set..as to the link on 'less secure apps' it contained the following message:

"This setting is not available for Google Apps accounts."

It's Google Apps, which we have been using since way before 2012 that allowed us to use our own domain name as an email address, and has previously not caused any of the issues listed above..but now hmmm

BR

I just looked back here.... is the server name spelt incorrectly in Thunderbird like it is in the original question?

Is the copy of Thunderbird recieving and sending mails for any other accounts?

Help menu (alt+H) > Troubleshooting information. Please copy to clipboard and paste into a message here.

Matt, that was a typo....yes other accounts are working fine in Thunderbird...

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I think what we need to do is rethink this.

I just tried to set up an account using the information you supplied. With the following result.

So the issue is more than likely their anti virus program. Have then reboot into safe mode with Networking. This loads only the very basics needed to start your computer while enabling an Internet connection. Click on your operating system for instructions on how to start in safe mode: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, OSX

Now add the account and reboot. We could spend a whole lot of time telling them how to disable their email scanner arguing about security and generally getting nowhere. Safe mode disables the email scanner and allows the account setup to "just work".

The account setup wizard does not do just mail and I think some anti virus programs just choke on their cornflakes when it starts checking the MX record for the domain.

One of these days we need to document the process that the wizard uses, but in a short summary.

First it reaches out to https://autoconfig.thunderbird.net/v1.1/ to see if there are settings for that domain. While there are lots there, it is supposed to be only mail provided with tens of Thousands of users. Google Yahoo Comcast, BT etc.

If there is nothing in the ISPDB it goes to the DNS record for the domain to get the mail exchanger registered there in the MX record.

Using the MX record in the first instance and guessing a little to add things like mail and pop and imap to the MX server name it tries to establish a connection to the server using the default and more common ports and with ever decreasing security levels. If none of that works it tells you so and expects you to do a manual configuration.

What anti virus are they using? I am always on the lookout for a common denominator. These issues are common and I suspect there is more than one anti virus program failing. But I just can not get a handle on it.

Hi Matt, first I want to say how much your support on this is appreciated, hopefully the issue will be resolved...

The advice you suggested was followed, a thought came to mind, if it was an issue relating to the person's anti-virus (they run AVG) then why would the other two email accounts they run via Thunderbird are not affected?

So the Safe-Boot option was tried, of course the internet connections gets dropped and when adding a new email account the same message appeared

"Thunderbird failed to find setting for your email account"

The steps for a config of Gmail/Thunderbird are straightforward

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/77662

hmmmm?

BR

Matt, An update, your thoughts/advice welcomed...

uninstalled AVG and rebooted that computer, then tried to add new email account in Thunderbird..same result 'cannot find email settings'

next, at the same location, we installed Thunderbird onto another net-book and then successfully created a new email account, using the same account log-in details.

we are thinking now it must be some issue with the person's computer, yet not seemingly an anti-virus conflict.. thoughts?

BR

BodRangzen said

So the Safe-Boot option was tried, of course the internet connections gets dropped and when adding a new email account the same message appeared

Not it you select safe mode with networking it is not dropped. </blockquote>

Two messages so I can quote. BodRangzen said

we are thinking now it must be some issue with the person's computer, yet not seemingly an anti-virus conflict.. thoughts? BR

Firewall, anti virus, mail washing software, anti spam tools can all prevent access to the internet. In the case of comcast customers they were given modems about 10 years ago that block the port Comcast now uses for outgoing mail. Not the case here, but it illustrates that the failures can be from a myriad of sources. Sadly it is usually the software that people rely on on faith to "save them" that is the cause. I still thing Safe mode with networking should do the job. Otherwise try Microsoft's version using a "Clean boot"

There is a Thunderbird and Gmail support article.... just for completeness. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-and-gmail

Matt, the dude's laptop died with the black-screen of death!

Matt an update on the account which we were able to add into Thunderbird on a different machine...on trying to send an email, we get the following:

"Sending of message failed. The message could not be sent because the connection to SMTP server smtp.googlemail.com timed out. Try again or contact your network administrator."

Any suggestions/resolutions would be gratefully received.

BR

My first reaction is always anti virus.... once the settings are verified as correct.

At a personal level I do not like Thunderbird's habit of using googlemail as the server names. While they work, Google has not recommended those server names for a long time. I use SMTP.gmail.com

McAfee is by far the worst offender when it comes to anti virus issues (at least that I see as confirmed as such) but they are all a bit sad at the moment.

Disable outgoing mail checking (and think about where the virus that is being checked for comes from). I find outgoing mail checking one of those bizarre things. They scan your computer and tell you your clean. They maintain a constant watch on drives files and disk writes as well as memory. Then when you send a mail they are all over the process to make sure it is not infected with something they can not find.

Matt, cheers for that..disabled the email scanning option of AVG and tried sending an email, the same error message came up, hmmm