Thunderbird asks for new account setup every time it opens on macOS
Thunderbird 91.0.3 macOS 11.5.2
On macOS Big Sur, Thunderbird requires an account setup every time it opens. This always works, i.e. IMAP setting are correctly detected when the server is probed. It's just that I have to manually re-enter my email address, password and server name every time I open Thunderbird after a quit or restart.
IMAP email otherwise works reliably via my local ISP on all my and my family's Linux and Android computers and devices. On macOS devices, the Apple Mail app with the same IMAP account works fine; I can quit the app, restart the computer, and Mail opens and refreshes normally.
I tried uninstalling and re-installing Thunderbird, following various instructions like Mozilla and FLOSS Manuals. The installation always seems to work perfectly.
Searching online does turn up a few similar reports, but the suggested solutions do not seem to apply to my case. Any suggestions please?
Chosen solution
I think I've solved it. Thank you, sfhowes, your suggesting I look at permissions led me to the solution.
When dragging a TB icon into the dock, drag it from the Applications folder shown in Finder. Don't drag the TB icon in the installation window.
I didn't realise what I called an installation pop-up window above was in fact a Finder window of a temporary installation volume launched from the downloaded TB image in my Downloads folder. It looked like part of an installation GUI to me.
My mistake was dragging the TB icon from that volume to the dock. Now every time I clicked on the TB icon in the dock, it ran the TB installation from my Downloads. The TB app installed in my Applications folder never ran.
If you follow the installation manual to the letter, not the slightly different sequence I listed above, TB should work.
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Are you dragging the TB icon to the Applications folder? If not, that is the usual reason it starts like a new setup.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/installing-thunderbird-on-mac
Thank you for your quick response.
Yes, I do drag the TB icon to the Applications folder. Here are my installation steps:
1. Download latest stable TB, it creates a Thunderbird volume and pops up an installation window. 2. Drag TB icon to Applications icon in the installation pop-up window. 3. Check with Finder that Thunderbird.app is in Applications folder. 4. Drag the TB icon from the installation pop-up window to the dock. 5. Eject the Thunderbird volume from Finder. 6. Click on TB icon in the dock to start it, it verifies the app and requests permission to open. 7. Check Finder, notice that the Thunderbird volume is back. 8. Click on Open to authorise, set up name, email address, password. 9. Enter server address and probe to detect IMAP settings.
10. Make TB the default. 11. Read emails, close TB. 12. Open TB, emails refresh normally, close again. 13. In the dock, quit TB. 14. Open TB by clicking on icon in the dock, it goes back to step 6 (verifies, etc.)
One clue might be that the Thunderfbird volume keeps mounting itself?
The other thing I notice is in the Network setup there is a "Thunderbird Bridge" which is not connected. I append a screenshot.
Thanks so much for helping.
That's a Thunderbolt, not Thunderbird, Bridge, which I think is a means of connecting 2 Macbooks. It shouldn't affect TB.
I'm not a Mac user, so I can't provide much advice, but I wonder if the failure to retain settings between restarts is caused by inadequate permissions if, e.g., you have not installed TB with administrator privileges.
Oh, I misread it. Of course Thunderbolt is not Thunderbird.
I don't know which permissions to check, and I don't know how to install TB with admin permissions. I am admin of this computer, but at no point during installation am I asked to authenticate as admin.
I wonder why the installation manual wants the Thunderbird volume ejected before proceeding with opening the TB app. What is the role of this volume, and when should it be mounted? It always seems to be mounted while TB is running.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Chosen Solution
I think I've solved it. Thank you, sfhowes, your suggesting I look at permissions led me to the solution.
When dragging a TB icon into the dock, drag it from the Applications folder shown in Finder. Don't drag the TB icon in the installation window.
I didn't realise what I called an installation pop-up window above was in fact a Finder window of a temporary installation volume launched from the downloaded TB image in my Downloads folder. It looked like part of an installation GUI to me.
My mistake was dragging the TB icon from that volume to the dock. Now every time I clicked on the TB icon in the dock, it ran the TB installation from my Downloads. The TB app installed in my Applications folder never ran.
If you follow the installation manual to the letter, not the slightly different sequence I listed above, TB should work.