Tbird 78.x is working just fine with two dozen Gmail accounts here. Let's see screenshots of the errors you get, if any, or at least tell us in detail what happens that makes you think Gmail is not supported by Tbird.

Hi Stans. I have got a bit further now. I discovered the but in account setup where Oauth2 is not listed in options but fixed that in advanced options. Now a am stuck with the validation window with the message "The browser that you're using doesn't support JavaScript, or has JavaScript turned off". As this is TB's web window I am stumped. I talked with someone else with the same problem and they gave up and switched to Mailbird. I tried MB and it works instantly, as does Aquamail on android. I dont understand why TB has this issue now as I have run my account with it for years.

Do you have cookies enabled ? Gmail needs to have the cookies enabled in order to work.

Check this setting in Thunderbird. Check Thunderbird has cookies enabled. Windows OS uses Options MAC uses Preferences

In versions prior to 78*:

• Select 'Menu app icon' > 'Options/Preferences' > 'Options/Preferences'
• In 'Options/Preferences' left Pane select 'Privacy'
• Select checkbox 'Accept cookies from sites'

In versions 78* or later:

• Select 'Menu app icon' > 'Options/Preferences'
• In 'Options/Preferences' left Pane select 'Privacy & Security'
• Select checkbox 'Accept cookies from sites'

Thanks toad-hall. I have enable cookies as suggested but that makes no difference.

Strangely, I have had this account for years on TB and it always persisted after updates but in this case I reinstalled TB and re entered all my accounts from scratch and every account but gmail worked.

My wife has a gmail account on TB on her PC which works, but if I try to setup any another gmail account on it it has the same problem. It seems to me that gmail has changed but TB has not caught up. I just cannot get past the google authorization page because TB browser window does not support javascript. It ca't be a problem with gmail or this particular account because it works in mailbird and aquamail.

I have switch to TB 81.0b2 beta to see if the issue has been addressed, but no such luck.

Still stumped!!

In Firefox browser: have you checked to see if javascript is enabled ? In the address bar Type: about:config and press 'Enter' key. Accept the warning Type: javascript.enabled Is it set to 'True' ? If 'False' : double click on the line or click on the toggle icon located to the right.

Yep, been there! It is set to true, and problem is the TB browser window not Firefox. I thought there must be about:config settings for TB somewhere but could never find it before. So I went to >options search bar and typed 'abou' and lo and behold a 'Config Editor' button appeared. In there javascript.enabled was false. Set it to true and PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

I had already searched Options for javascript but it just says 'Sorry! There are no results in Options for "javascript".'

Anyway, thanks for the prompt. It just proves that if you plug away at a problem for long enough you will usually stumble on the answer.

How did javascript get disabled in Tbird in the first place, and on two different PCs?

It must be disabled by default now because it was never a problem before TB 78.2.1 but I did a clean reinstall of 78.2.1 which started the problem. The other PC was updated to 78.2.1 with a gmail account already setup and working, but it won't let you add another gmail account without enabling javascript manually. Also, in my attempts to find a solution I clean installed 81.0b2 beta which has javascript disabled by default.

Hopefully, this thread will point others to the solution.

Thanks stans and xfymxjlx for your contributions.

Thanks also to Toad-hall

It must be disabled by default now because it was never a problem before TB 78.2.1

I just did a very clean install of both 78.2.1 and 80.0b2 downloaded a few minutes ago and javascript was NOT disabled by default for both versions. Besides, (re)installaling Tbird has no effect on that setting because it is unique to each profile. Furthermore, starting with Tbird 68, each version of Tbird uses its own dedicated profile; so v68, v78, v80 and nightly DO NOT share a profile. Info to this effect is presented when you first launch v80.0b2.

If javascript was disabled by default, this place would have been flooded with similar cases when 78 got released, considering the default Gmail settings auto-filled by Tbird comprise of OAuth2 as the authentication method. So, NO, none of these are default behaviour.

I think the key phrase here is 'very clean'. I used BCUninstaller to remove 78.2.1 and all its residue before installing 80.0b2 and javascript was disabled. I am surprised you are not flooded with similar cases but I am not the only one to raise this issue both on this forum and others. I have never ever disabled javascript in TB because until I found the solution I did not know the setting existed. There is undoubtedly and issue with TB. Maybe this is why most other mail clients have a separate dedicated setup option for gmail.

I used "very clean" to only refer to a virgin system (VM) that had never had any version of Tbird installed on it, to confirm for a fact, that Javascript is NOT disabled by default as insinuated in your previous post. Secondly, that setting only applies to the profile in use. If you create a new profile, you will find the setting enabled by default hence no user input required to enable it for OAuth2 to work. If you didn't disable that setting, then I can only think of a third-party "security" or "optimization" program doing it, and the fact that this was the case on not just one, but TWO of your PCs strongly suggests a common external factor at play.

Unfortunately, Mozilla is not in control of those external factors, but it's easier to blame Tbird or Mozilla, isn't it? My guess is BCUninstaller is not the only such utility on your system. If not a third-party utility, then someone definitely disabled javascript to "make Thunderbird more secure" according to some popular site or web article without anticipating the effects of doing so on technologies that require javascript. While Tbird has its own fair share of issues, I can authoritatively say that this is NOT one of them that needs to be fixed. I repeat, this is not default Tbird behaviour. It isn't unexpected though, when third-party utilities or user error is involved. Default behaviour should apply across board, don't you think?

Well funny you should say that. I was thinking about a third party interaction and about the same time as I upgraded to 78.2.1 I uninstalled my Avira antivirus and turned on Windows Defender (as it now gets good scores). Hmmm..

I am no fan of Avira, especially the free version. I find it too minimalistic in terms of user control, even for a free product. It being German technology doesn't help its case either. Perhaps the idea is to eventually push its premium versions. You're better off with Defender. Thunderbird uses javascript for many of its app functions, so I can assure you that javascript is not disabled by default.

What I meant was I didnt have this issue when I used Avira, only since I turned Defender on.

The virgin VM i used for testing also runs Defender, so that's definitely not the culprit.

Hopefully someone will work out how it occurs. Not a problem for me anymore cos I know how to fix it. TB should have the setting visible in options.

TB should have the setting visible in options.

Not a good idea presenting that control to clueless users. There's a reason why advanced options are hidden away.

Yes, I agree but it still remains a TB problem because 'clueless users' with gmail accounts will give up on just TB and use Windows Mail.

That's why we have this forum, all they'd have to do is seek help. Giving clueless users advanced control isn't the solution. If Windows Mail meets their needs, there isn't much that can be done about it.