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How do I get Thunderbird to get new email from servers after migration appears complete and accurate?

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  • 4 have this problem
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  • Last reply by Matt

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I used LapLink to migrate all of my Thunderbird files from my Windows 7 computer to my Windows 10 computer. first, I tried installing, but not running, Thunderbird before the migration, and all mail at time of migration could be found, and all settings are exactly the same on both computers. Unfortunately, trying to get mail does not return any new mail and does not give any errors. So I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Thunderbird (post migration) and got the same results. How do I get Thunderbird to get new mail off the server?

I used LapLink to migrate all of my Thunderbird files from my Windows 7 computer to my Windows 10 computer. first, I tried installing, but not running, Thunderbird before the migration, and all mail at time of migration could be found, and all settings are exactly the same on both computers. Unfortunately, trying to get mail does not return any new mail and does not give any errors. So I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Thunderbird (post migration) and got the same results. How do I get Thunderbird to get new mail off the server?

Chosen solution

you got rid of about the worst anti virus and replaced it with the second worst I thank

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:Testing:Antivirus_Related_Performance_Issues#AVAST

Yje issue you now experiencing is almost certainly the anti virus. Thunderbird can connect to get the settings, but can not connect when the outgoing connections changes from web to mail..

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Ctrl+shift+J Clear the error console. Press to get mail. Check the error console. What appears?

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Thank you for the help. OK, this is interesting. If I clear it and move cursor to "Get Messages" button, I get several errors as my pointer crosses some of the fields in the left hand column. However, if I move the Error Console so that I can click the "Get Messages" button without crossing the fields, then no error occurs for a long time. I have two Yahoo email accounts and two gmail accounts and none work. However, after a few minutes, I get a warning that "This site makes use of a SHA-1 Certificate; its recommended you use certificates with signature algorithms that use hash functions stronger than SHA-1." Then there is a long Thunderbird link.

In case they are meaningful, the error messages that I get from moving the cursor across fields is as follows: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nslMsgFolder.getStringProperty]" nsresult: "0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/folderPane.js :: getSmartFolderName :: line 2790" data: no] The message is followed with a link: chrome://messenger/content/folderPane.js

All errors appear to be identical.

Thank you again for trying to help me fix this problem!

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can you do the test again and this time right click and select copy and then paste into the message on the forum... Then I will get the link and I think it may just be important.

The errors that appear as you travel are not important.. The sha-1 warning is only going to become important when the encryption method is completely removed (probably some time in the next 12 months) The SHA-1 encryption has so many holes in it that is is probably worse than having none, but Yahoo appear to on a "it aint broke don't fix it" approach. Google chrome announced they were stepping up their campaign to see it going in 2014. See https://konklone.com/post/why-google-is-hurrying-the-web-to-kill-sha-1

Ohh, and click on the down arrow beside the get mail button and select a particular account if you want to test specific accounts.

Next is open the activity manager. It is on the Tools menu (alt+T) This will give a nicer report of what is going on, like getting mail. Indexing etc

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Oh my! This is real interesting. I was only able to reproduce the error messages from having my pointer cross links. I was not able to reproduce the SHA-1 warning with its link. Perhaps it only happens when the timer fetch of email goes off, and I did not wait long enough.

I opened the activity manager and no matter whether I clicked the "Get Messages" button, or the arrow and a specific Email, nothing ever appeared on the activities window and no errors ever popped up. It is like the fetching of Email is disabled.

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After waiting a long time, the one warning reappeared. I still have not been able to see any activity on the activity monitor. Here is the warning:

Timestamp: 12/14/2015 1:21:26 PM Warning: This site makes use of a SHA-1 Certificate; it's recommended you use certificates with signature algorithms that use hash functions stronger than SHA-1. Source File: https://aus4.mozilla.org/update/3/Thunderbird/38.4.0/20151119061742/WINNT_x86-msvc/en-US/release/Windows_NT%2010.0.0.0%20(x64)/default/default/update.xml Line: 0

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Since this problem does not seem to be going anywhere, I thought I would try removing Thunderbird and all of the data, and start over. To be clear on my base, I have a brand new Lenovo Yoga 3, with Windows 10 installed. I have removed McAfee antivirus, and replaced it with the free version of Avast antivirus. I then did a fresh download and install of Thunderbird, and this time took the route of trying to set it up to it access my Gmail account. On the initial screen, I give it my Gmail address and password. When I click the "Continue" button, it goes to the next screen that says "Configuration found in Mozilla ISP database". But when I click the "Done" button, it comes back "Configuration could not be verified - is the username or password wrong?"

I verified the Email address and password using Firefox and Chrome, and they are able to access the mail. I click the "Manual config" button, and I see "Server hostname" and "Authentication" differences between it and my old computer. I make corrections, but no change in results.

I am now wondering if there is some other problem with Thunderbird on Windows 10.

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Chosen Solution

you got rid of about the worst anti virus and replaced it with the second worst I thank

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:Testing:Antivirus_Related_Performance_Issues#AVAST

Yje issue you now experiencing is almost certainly the anti virus. Thunderbird can connect to get the settings, but can not connect when the outgoing connections changes from web to mail..

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Matt,

Thank you for all of your support on this problem. While I agree with your assessment on McAfee, I do not agree with it on Avast. Independent reviews rate it as one of the best FREE antivirus programs out there. I have been using Avast and Thunderbird for many years, without problems.

When I uninstalled Avast, I was then able to get Thunderbird to connect to my Gmail account. So, that pretty much verified it as being the source of the problem. However, as I previously stated, I have been using both programs for many years, and have not had this problem previously, so I wanted to get to the bottom of the problem, and thought you might like to know the results (some now, hopefully more in the future).

I did some research on the Avast web site, and read that the 2015 version implemented what I will call adaptive firewall settings. Thus they look at what you have installed, and are using, and make firewall settings to provide the maximum protection. This becomes a BIG problem, if/when you install Avast first on an new system.

I have reached out to the Avast community for possible solutions, and to let them know about the problem. I will let you know what, if anything, that I learn.

Regards, John

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jamoster said

I did some research on the Avast web site, and read that the 2015 version implemented what I will call adaptive firewall settings. Thus they look at what you have installed, and are using, and make firewall settings to provide the maximum protection. This becomes a BIG problem, if/when you install Avast first on an new system.

They also become a big issue when software is updated. Search for issues around "can not download mail" and you will find literally millions of hits on Google. Mostly Norton's as they have used this sort of tech for years, but now avast are playing with the same fire-stick and it is burning just about everyone in some form or another.

The problem for Anti virus vendors is Microsoft is slowly moving into their space (Firewall with XP, MSE then Defender), so they are looking for other things to make themselves relevant. In the process they mostly renamed themselves on the whole to "security suites" and now they dabble in just about anything that can be loosely defined as "security". That is fine, except usually the folk that are using the software really do not even know what a firewall or DNS is. let alone how to troubleshoot it.

In the case of Norton's, their must be some sort of white-list database, because most who have the issue see it just disappear after a few days. Avast, unless thing have changed do not even offer a user interface for their firewall (Working from a vague memory here)