Hi

The errror message:

Sending of the message failed. An error occurred while sending mail: Outgoing server (SMTP) error. The server responded: resomta-ch2-07v.sys.comcast.net resomta-ch2-07v.sys.comcast.net Excessive failed authentication, ESMTP server temporarily not available, please contact support.

Not a common error message. But this error message was sent by the Xfinity server. It means you have a program, app, or device that is periodically trying to sync email using perhaps an invalid UserID/password. If the number of login attempts exceeds the mail server's threshold it responds with that error message.

The fix is to locate the offending program, app, or device and update its settings or switch it off or stop it from auto synching.

One user said this: I had been on holiday and used my phone for a while - so I checked all devices again and then discovered my email was still logged in and running on their phone. I closed the email app on the phone and waited a couple of hours before trying to send email from the PC again. The Outgoing Server issue cleared and they haven't experienced any issues since.

Another user said this: I discovered my tablet had sync turned on for the Google Mail app and an old password for my comcast.net account. I logged into my comcast.net email account with the latest password. It downloaded all of the emails and then I turned sync off on that device. So it seems that fixing the login on my tablet has cleared this issue. I also turned off 'sync' on the tablet as I don't need to read my email on that device anymore.

You mention you have a desktop and a laptop. You need to find out if there are any other email clients auto running in the background on all devices. Also check any other device which may be trying to access the comcast account. Maybe there is a another email client operating in the background. You also need to find out whether both desktop and laptop have the correct passwords etc on both desktop and laptop.

It's also worth checking both laptop and desktop to make sure Thunderbird is all correct and up to date. Thunderbird keeps all passwords stored in this location, so you can check the password for incoming and outgoing smtp are correct - you do need to check this on both desktop and laptop.

In Thunderbird

• Settings > Privacy & Security'
• Scroll down to Passwords section
• Click on 'Saved Passwords'
• Click on 'Show Passwords'

If you have previous set up a 'Primary PAssword' then you will see the 'Use a Primary Password' checkbox was previously selected and that means Thunderbird is asking for that Primary Pasword' - this has nothing to do with mail account paswords.

If the checkbox 'Use a Primary Password' is NOT selected, so you never set that up: When you start up computer and logon to computer User Account or Microsoft account to see desktop then you need to enter that password.

Then you will be able to see the stored passwords. Please check all incoming and outgoing passwords to the user name = comcast account. Pop is mailbox://account.... Imap is imap://account... Smtp = smtp://account.... If any are not correct - Right click on line and select 'Edit Password' Completely remove all content and then type in the correct password.

Also make sure the 'username' is correct Right click on line and select 'Edit username' Completely clear and retype correct email address/username When all is ok click on Close Then Exit Thunderbird and allow some time for background processes to complete Start Thunderbird.

Please note this error can be cause by any mail app accessing server. If you have a phone then you need to switch it off because it will auto sync.

I suggest you only have one device at a time accessing the server.

Wow! Thanks very much. I am going to take my time and go through all of this. One more question..... I normally don't have my desktop turned on. Only when I need my scanner. So if it is off, it should not iterfere with my email? Am I correct in this assumtion? I didn't realize my phone could interfere so I will keep that off until I need it. I still have a landline phone for privacy.

OK, great instructions. I followed them exactly and found some mistakes, old passwords from more than a year ago. I corrected things according to your instructions and have shut Thunderbird down as you suggested. I will leave it until tomorrow morning and see how it is. Thank you very much!!

Ok, I found more problems in my Desktop. Wow! You are the first person that explained exactly what and how to look for. I knew nothing about these things but your instructions were incredible!! Now I will leave it alone and see if things work tommorrow morning. I have thunderbird closed in both computers and my phone is turned off. Thank you sooooo much!! Even if I still have some minor problem, I am so much further ahead than I have been for three months.

I tried again this morning. Still doesn't work. My desktop and phone are turned off but my laptop, even after all the corrections, still won't send emails. Now it won't even send a few. I get the same error message imediately.

Now I am totally consused. My phone has stopped receiving emails.

Now my phone has begun receiving emails again. No rhyme or reason. I am just not a computer genius so all this is above my head.

This is too much. Now my Desktop computer won't even connect to Thuderbird. It keeps asking for a password which I put in, but it won't accept it. No one can convince me that Thunderbirt doesn't have problems. I am all done with it.

This is my final comment on this matter as I have already informed of the issue and how to fix. These are the facts and at the end I've identified the likely cause. This issue has been known for a long time and in all that time the issue has never been Thunderbird and it still is not Thunderbird. Read on: 1. The error message is generated by the xfinity server and not Thunderbird. I have already explained why you get the error message. 2. Once you see the error message then Xfinity has blocked all pop, imap and smtp access. So jumping around onto other devices to keep attempting is a total waste of time - your password will be rejected and it only tells me you still do not understand what 'server blocking access' actually means. 3. It is not Thunderbird who does not like the password. It is the server who does not like it and the reason has already been explained - the server is blocking all pop imap and smtp access, so it's probably not the actual password. 4. The server will block all pop imap and smtp access for a set period of time once that error message has been generated. You are fortunate that Thunderbird has the ability to display error messages sent by the server. 5. It is blocking access because the server is getting too many attempts to logon from different apps and devices, so it thinks someone is trying to hack the account. That logon is attempts to get incoming mail or send. 6. The most common reason is usually, but not always, a phone which has a mail account set up to access emails and it has been set up to auto synch, so it is continually trying to access the server. It is important to make sure the auto sync has been switched off. 7. You need to check all devices to see whether they have other apps/programs that been set up to access the comcast account. - but as you said "Now my phone has begun receiving emails again. No rhyme or reason." - Answer and reason :The server has released the temporary block on the account and because you have got the phone mail app set up to auto sync with your comcast account then it can suddenly get access server to download mail. So now you know what is causing the problem. It is the app on the phone. It is constantly making attempts to see what is on server and download it. It's probably making these attempts every few minutes and it's doing it all the time. Most people have their phone switched on so people can phone them. Whether you are using it or not, if that phone is switched on then the app will keep pestering the server untill you switch off the auto synch meaning the app will only attempt to access the server. To fix : On phone - switch off the auto sync so it can only attmept to connect or and I would advise you do this - completely remove the comcast account from the phone mail app. You have a laptop and a desktop which can use Thunderbird, so the phone is just not necessary in your case and it's causing the problem.

Apparently, the person who asked the question has left the building. Maybe they will view if via the general forum. Hopefully, it will be useful to anyone else who comes across this less than common error message.

I tried again this morning. Still doesn't work. My desktop and phone are turned off but my laptop, even after all the corrections, still won't send emails. Now it won't even send a few. I get the same error message imediately.

The server has temporarilly blocked the pop, imap amd smtp access. So you just have to wait until it unblocks you.

Now I am totally consused. My phone has stopped receiving emails.

Just now you said your phone was switched off and now you say it not . It cannot receive emails because the server has applied a temporary block to your account.

As I've repeated stated. It's the server blocking the account - this issue has nothing to do with Thunderbird. You have a device constantly attempting to auto synch with server - that is what the error message is all about - and I would say it's your phone. It will keep working in the background trying to access server because you've probably got it set up on auto synch. As you are getting older then I would say you need to simplify things and start off by removing the mail account from your phone or find a good friend who can help you to disable the auto synch meaning it only works manually.

re :Ok, I found more problems in my Desktop. Wow! You are the first person that explained exactly what and how to look for.

It may have been useful to know what you found. Perhaps you located other mail apps that you had used in the past and they still had a mail account trying to access server. I have no idea because you did not offer any information.