Can't download emails from att server
Hello, I have a free email account with att: jobby@att.net. I use Thunderbird (version 38.5.1) to download emails from the att server. Starting yesterday (Feb 13) for no apparent reason, I can't download emails from the att server. I went to the att website (att.net) and could see new messages there, but when I attempt to get new emails, Thunderbird connects to the server with my email and password and then after a minute or two says there are no new messages to download. I can send emails from my jobby@att.net address using Thunderbird, but can't receive them. I have started Thunderbird in safe mode, but that didn't help. I have windows xp, which, except for this problem, is running fine.
Any suggestions you can give to solve this problem would be greatly appreciated.
Pls reply to: joelhornstein@aol.com (which I set up on Thunderbird and does download emails).
Joel H.
Chosen solution
On my computer, it is a Wordperfect file.
Popstate.dat is a text file, and you can open it with a text editor.
Do you have any idea what the folks from the shop did? In any case, when your problem is fixed, can you mark the thread as 'Solved' please? Thank you.
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Try to start Windows in safe mode with networking enabled.
Still in Windows safe mode, start Thunderbird in safe mode. - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/safe-mode
Does the problem go away?
Tried your suggestion--thanks. Unfortunately, the problem remains the same. Can send but not receive emails from the att server.
I also tried deleting the att account and then adding it, but still no good.
Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Joel Hornstein
What is your account type - POP or IMAP?
I have a POP3 account.
Do you keep messages on the server? If so, why?
Modified by christ1
I do leave messages on the server, just in case I lose all emails I have downloaded. I can't see how this could be the cause of the problem.
I do leave messages on the server, just in case I lose all emails I have downloaded.
This is what backups are for. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_:_FAQs_:_Backing_Up_and_Restoring
I can't see how this could be the cause of the problem.
A couple of things: You may hit your quota at some point, so you won't be able to get any more mail. Thunderbird needs to keep track of the messages already downloaded. This is done in a file called popstate.dat in your profile. When you keep all messages on the server since the beginning of time, this file may get corrupted.
See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popstate.dat , particularly the section 'Deleting popstate.dat'.
Sorry for not replying sooner. I took my computer to a local shop, and they were able to download emails from the server. When I got back home, also able to download emails. Not sure if the local shop connection acted like a jump-start, but it worked.
I did find the popstate.dat file. On my computer, it is a Wordperfect file. When I tried to open it using WP, a message popped up stating "parameter is incorrect." Given that I can now dowload emails, I don't want to delete or otherwise tinker with popstate.dat or any other file.
Thanks again for your assistance.
Joel H.
Chosen Solution
On my computer, it is a Wordperfect file.
Popstate.dat is a text file, and you can open it with a text editor.
Do you have any idea what the folks from the shop did? In any case, when your problem is fixed, can you mark the thread as 'Solved' please? Thank you.
All they did was turn my computer on and then go to Thunderbird and download the emails. I think they use Verizon as their ISP, wheras I use Time-Warner. The emails downloaded when I got home as well.
Concerning the popstate.dat file, below are a few lines when I opened it with Notepad:
k AH9pimIAAA6lVHyfUw5EWIqOpRw 1417459346 k AGpUimIAAALvVs5AQwYDEIRr25s 1456408412 k AGNUimIAABh5Vf8buQm8ML/H4BM 1442866346 k AO1UimIAAAKdVaJzTQSvOF7g6ok 1436742910 k AH9pimIAAA8PVMjomQw80MXYIuU 1422457815 k AGVUimIAAAOaVU0SkAFrSH5X2z8 1431127948
Is this how it is supposed to look? Just curious to know, as I am not computer-savy enough to use this file intelligently.
In any event, thread marked as solved. Thanks again for your assistance.
Joel H.
I wouldn't recommend to mess with popstate.dat when uncertain what to do. As long as you do get new messages it appears to be good. According to the article the 'k' flag tells Thunderbird to leave messages on the server. There's nothing wrong with that. However, over the time, both, messages on the server and entries in popstate.dat are accumulating, and the risk that something get's corrupted will increase.