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the clock and date on e-mails received is wrong, how do I change that?

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  • 3 have this problem
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  • Last reply by Zenos

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i.e I got an e-mail this morning at arrived at 8.15 real time and according to the e-mail it arrived at 5.16 and there is no date. How can I fix this please

i.e I got an e-mail this morning at arrived at 8.15 real time and according to the e-mail it arrived at 5.16 and there is no date. How can I fix this please

Chosen solution

The absence of the date isn't a problem, I think. That is Thunderbird's default setting; today's messages show just the time, other messages show both date and time.

Did this message come from someone a couple of timezones away? You have a notional 3 hr error there.

Check your own computer is set to the right time and timezone. Users sometimes set the clock, overlooking the timezone (or daylight savings adjustment), but internally the machine in California thinks it's on New York time.

If this message is a one-off, it's possible that the sender has a similar issue. It can be instructive to read through the message header (ctrl+u) and see the timestamps added by various servers. A jump or discontinuity can indicate a localized problem. Servers usually have well-maintained clocks and may report in UTC (which is rather like the older GMT) plus a timezone offset.

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Chosen Solution

The absence of the date isn't a problem, I think. That is Thunderbird's default setting; today's messages show just the time, other messages show both date and time.

Did this message come from someone a couple of timezones away? You have a notional 3 hr error there.

Check your own computer is set to the right time and timezone. Users sometimes set the clock, overlooking the timezone (or daylight savings adjustment), but internally the machine in California thinks it's on New York time.

If this message is a one-off, it's possible that the sender has a similar issue. It can be instructive to read through the message header (ctrl+u) and see the timestamps added by various servers. A jump or discontinuity can indicate a localized problem. Servers usually have well-maintained clocks and may report in UTC (which is rather like the older GMT) plus a timezone offset.