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Thunderbird uses random sender email address

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  • Last reply by Matt

Les Miller
Les Miller
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I have a recurring but random problem when I reply to an email with a distribution list. TB seems to select an email address from the CC addresses on the original email rather than my mailbox address. example - mail received from user A with copy to B C D E. I reply to all and sometimes the sender address used by the system is one of the CC addresses (ie B C D or E). All users are getting the message but they think it was sent by somebody else. This could be a sensitive problem if I was making a report and then wondered why there was no follow up. Is there a setting somewhere that decides which sender address I use? I use two accounts, one is my internet provider (BT) and the other is Gmail. So far, I have only been advised of Gmail errors. Thanks in advance.

I have a recurring but random problem when I reply to an email with a distribution list. TB seems to select an email address from the CC addresses on the original email rather than my mailbox address. example - mail received from user A with copy to B C D E. I reply to all and sometimes the sender address used by the system is one of the CC addresses (ie B C D or E). All users are getting the message but they think it was sent by somebody else. This could be a sensitive problem if I was making a report and then wondered why there was no follow up. Is there a setting somewhere that decides which sender address I use? I use two accounts, one is my internet provider (BT) and the other is Gmail. So far, I have only been advised of Gmail errors. Thanks in advance.

All Replies (1)

Matt
Matt
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I think you need to look at how the distribution list is addressing the email to you. Thunderbird will honor the Reply-To: message header if it is set. Next it will drop to the From: message header to find the To: address.

It does not even pick a from address from within the email. That is selected via the identity in account settings and failing that the Default is used. (this later is set in outgoing server (SMTP)

Finally we have the rather odd side effect of Thunderbird's friendly names. This setting tells Thunderbird to use the address book to locate the display name for mail. Unfortunately I occasionally see folk that have added mailing list email addresses as contacts, so the address for "Thunderbird support" shows as Bob Smith in their address book and mail list, because there is not really an entry for bob smith, just the list address with the wrong name against it.