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The stored password for accessing my Gmail account repeatedly gets corrupted, and I have to erase it from "Security" and reenter it on the authentication page

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  • Last reply by mjtenney

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I have copied the app information for Thunderbird on my Ubuntu 16.04 machine to the attached PDF. As I said, I repeatedly have to erase and renew my password for my Gmail imap account, because when trying to send mail I get stuck on "Connecting to server". Do you have a solution? Thanks Martin

I have copied the app information for Thunderbird on my Ubuntu 16.04 machine to the attached PDF. As I said, I repeatedly have to erase and renew my password for my Gmail imap account, because when trying to send mail I get stuck on "Connecting to server". Do you have a solution? Thanks Martin

Chosen solution

Do you have two mail accounts in Thunderbird, both email addresses are separate gmail accounts?

Because it seems you only have one incoming password saved and one outgoing password saved, but each are for different email addresses.

When you want to 'Get Messages' for second account or send an email for the first account, I'm thinking you are being asked for password. When you enter password, it should be the gmail password as in the one used to access webmail for that email address. There should be a checkbox which you would need to select to allow Password Manager to remember the password. Do you see the checkbox in the password prompt window ?

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Imap gmail Please confirm you are using:

Incoming Server settings:

  • Server name: imap.gmail.com
  • Port: 993
  • User Name = full gmail email address
  • Connection Security : SSL/TLS
  • Authentication method: OAuth2

Outgoing SMTP:

  • Server name: smtp.gmail.com
  • Port: 465
  • User Name = full gmail email address
  • Connection Security : SSL/TLS
  • Authentication method: OAuth2

In 'Edit' > 'Preferences' > 'Security' > 'Passwords' tab Do you use a master password?

click on 'Saved 'Passwords' click on 'Show Passwords' Under 'site': Do you have three items listed for gmail?

Is User Name the full email address in all three ?

For imap and smtp lines, do passwords show the same password which you would use if you wanted to access via webmail? Is this the line you keep needing to enter?

Or do you use two step verification and need to copy in the special password?

For oauth line is there an entry of some length various letters numbers etc? Is this the line you keep needing to enter?


re :copied the app information What 'app' information are you talking about ? Are you using two step verification or using oauth2 method? If not using OAuth2, can you offer info on why you are not using it?

Switch off two step verification and allow less secure app. Set up Server Settings as shown above. Login using gmail password and it will take you to a screen to logon to gmail, then select to login to Thunderbird and OAuth will get set up.

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Thanks for taking the time to help out!!! Please disregard my "copied app information." The only change I had to make in the configuration of my account, is that I changed the SMTP port from default (567) to 465 as you suggest. However, as you can see from the attached picture, for each account there is only one line in the Saved Passwords setup. I am using OAuth2 for both in and out. What am I doing wrong? Thanks again.

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Chosen Solution

Do you have two mail accounts in Thunderbird, both email addresses are separate gmail accounts?

Because it seems you only have one incoming password saved and one outgoing password saved, but each are for different email addresses.

When you want to 'Get Messages' for second account or send an email for the first account, I'm thinking you are being asked for password. When you enter password, it should be the gmail password as in the one used to access webmail for that email address. There should be a checkbox which you would need to select to allow Password Manager to remember the password. Do you see the checkbox in the password prompt window ?

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Hi and thanks again for pursuing this issue. I removed the second password line as I never use Thunderbird to access that account. I believe that password got stored when I once added that second Google account, only in order to check an issue with my wife's gmail, and then I removed the account from Thunderbird. I am not clear what "Password Manager" you are referring to. When I go to mail.google.com I get logged in automatically, whether using Chrome or Firefox, so obviously both "remember" my password. And I am still unclear about those 3 lines you expected to see in the Saved Password screen. Thanks, Martin

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re :When I go to mail.google.com I get logged in automatically, whether using Chrome or Firefox, so obviously both "remember" my password.

They ( Chrome or Firefox) are browsers, you use them to logon and see webmail directly using google's own webmail website designed for accessing emails. You use http(s) to access to the webmail, but the service behind the webmail page is using the standard mail protocols.

I'm talking about Thunderbird email client. A program that runs on your computer. This forum is all about Thunderbird. It has nothing to do with browsers nor webmail. Using protocols pop or imap, connection is made to server to access emails and download to Thunderbird profile folders. Emails are viewed in Thunderbird.

Please confirm that you are talking about 'Thunderbird'.

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Hi again. Of course I am aware that I can access my gmail using a browser. The only reason I mentioned browsers is because I thought, when you mentioned a "checkbox in the Password Manager," that you were referring to something I should see when reading my mailbox via a browser (which I rarely do). I have Thunderbird (version 57 0b2) installed on my Ubuntu 16.04 desktop computer, and, in general, enjoy it as a reliable and full featured mail client. The issue of the corrupted password hasn't recurred since we started corresponding, so maybe removing the extraneous password did some good!?? I do have another issue with T'bird that you might be able to advise me about. I correspond via T'bird both in English and in Hebrew. Do you have experience with bi-di issues? Thanks again.