yes the wiki link is fine and dandy. but the one that came in my email alert was this: copied and pasted.

 IMAP, Internet Message Application Protocol, allows you to have multiple email in the same TBird main page. It is an Internet function supported by many email clients. DEtails are at http://chile.las-cruces.org/search/?searchtype=a&SORT=D&searcharg=isaacson%2C+walter&searchscope=1

StoryGordon said

Merry-Widow, Good move. I use the IMAP feature of TB to access two email accounts and use it as you noted. There are times I send an email to the other and get the 4.3.4 error with the sent message showing in the Sent folder, but it does not make it to the inbox of the other. Caution and verification are important.

Now why do you suppose your missive failed to arrive, while mine did arrive? In any case the problem seems to have disappeared. For a while, anyway.

It appears that the cut and paste I thought I made didn't. Here is the link I thought I sent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol The other one was from an inquiry I was making with my local library. Sorry

StoryGordon said

Merry-Widow, Good move. I use the IMAP feature of TB to access two email accounts and use it as you noted. There are times I send an email to the other and get the 4.3.4 error with the sent message showing in the Sent folder, but it does not make it to the inbox of the other. Caution and verification are important.

I also have several email accounts in ThunderBird. Mine are all POP3. Normally, everything works as advertised, but occasionally these problems pop up. I'm convinced that all of the ones that I have experienced are caused by something in CenturyLink and NOT in TB. Everything is OK today.

BTW, the messages that I sent while the 4.3.4 error was popping up did arrive at the recipients' boxes. I would still like to know what that error message means. What's an "incorrect greeting" anyway?

It's interesting. I have not had a 4.3.4 error in the last few days. I wonder if CL techs have fixed it?

My first impulse was to suggest that an incorrect greeting is where the Mail Server says "Yo Homey!" instead of "Hello."

Anyway, it's been quite a while since I've gotten that error message. It is possible that Centurylink is working on it and may have even fixed it. I haven't had to make any changes to my email to make it work (since I have a desktop and a laptop, I can experiment on one and leave the other untouched). Let's hope this is the case.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful suggestions. I was able to use my email despite the problems thanks to them.

I've been having the same problem for a month or so. Trying to send mail using my desktop computer, I get this message...

'"An error occurred while sending mail: The mail server sent an incorrect greeting: Service not available."'

I do not have any connection to the Century Link that has been mentioned but have tried all the "fixes" given here. Nothing worked. I think that sometimes mail WILL go but too often not.

Very puzzling and I surely wish someone could come up with an answer for me.

Ever since my last post things have worked perfectly by hitting the 'get mail' button before sending. So now for the past week I haven't bothered to do that and I haven't got the error. So I am thinking maybe CL 'my server' fixed whatever it was. I still think it had something to do with their upgrade changes in their mail and it was screwing up something but they wouldn't admit it. If anyone is still having a problem maybe they should be calling their servers and explaining what is happening. Who knows maybe they made some upgrade changes and didn't tell anyone. In any case, I am now a productive happy camper.

emmdee, Who is your ISP? Mine is CL and I haven't had the problem for some time. I think CL has fixed it. Anyone else?

linflh, Same here. It seems fixed.

I haven't had this issue for a couple of weeks now so maybe all is now good.

My ISP is Bell Sympatico in Canada but I think I've figured out what my problem is. If I have the program that hides my IP number turned on, the mail will not go. I did a little test... without the VPN turned on, mail went as it's supposed to. Turned on the VPN and got the same error message again... mail was not sent.

So I know what the problem is... I just don't know how to solve it... yet.

Well this stinks again. After thinking its finally fixed---- it starts all over. I give up. Totally fed up and about to lose my temper.

Suddenly I have the same problem all over again. It worked fine for 2 or 3 weeks, then I opened the computer to remove any dust and 'that did it'! Now the damn thing is going back to the 4.3.4 message MOST of the time. I've tried the 'get messages' routine and it doesn't really help. In 7 attempts I did get 1 to go through. Anybody got any better ideas? HELP!

I used my gmail, (which I really don't like) BUT it works. otherwise I would have totally lost my temper and thrown the computer out the door. The hitting the 'get mail' first didn't work either.

I agree. The damn thing is not consistent. One time it did actually "send" after I did the "get mail" thing. But the next several times I tried to use that as a "tool" it didn't work so I think if it works it's pure coincidence. I've had it with this, I'm calling Century Tel in the morning and they'll either help me fix it or I'll be using Gmail and the hell with their Centurylink Webmail also.