OK so don't ask me how, but apparently I can now replicate my TWC mail under Thunderbird with the new config/password even though when I hit the test button Thunderbird kept coming back and telling me it couldn't find the server. So my main problem now is i only have 26 emails. Not the thousands that I used to have complete with folders. Is there anyway to recover them ??? Please and thank you !!!

Called TWC and was informed that I had to update my Master Password for my Spectrum Account.

If they said you had to do that, OK, but first time I hear of this. I assume this is some change they made to your account at the server, not something you had to change in Thunderbird…

found my only alternative was to delete TWC from Thunderbird and re-add the account.

When you remove an account from Thunderbird, you're given the option to delete only the account info (settings) or also the message data. Do you remember whether you checked the option to also delete the message data (it's unchecked by default). Choosing message data would still only have deleted mail and folders stored locally on your computer (within your profile folder), though, not anything stored on the server…

I manually changed to mail.twc.com but Thunderbird keeps telling me it can't find the server. I just got off the phone with Spectrum and my config is accurate: smtp mail.twc.com 587 starttls normal password chrismcm@twcny.rr.com imap mail.twc.com 993 starttls normal password chrismcm@twcny.rr.com

If those are the settings you're using, I'm not sure they're correct. Their own published data, isn't clear about this, but I think the incoming and outgoing servers require different security settings, with SSL/TLS for the incoming server:

https://www.postbox-inc.com/setup/email-settings/access-rr-com-via-imap-smtp

my main problem now is i only have 26 emails. Not the thousands that I used to have complete with folders

Can you use webmail to check whether your mail is still on the server? Was the account previously configured as IMAP as well, or was it POP?

The mail that was on the server when you removed the account from Thunderbird should still be there… but I'm wondering what did they do to your account when they "updated your Master Password" if it isn't there anymore…

Check the following article to learn what's a profile and how to locate your profile folder: https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data

Thunderbird would store your mail in a folder named after the incoming mail server, located within either the Mail or the ImapMail folder there, depending on whether the account is POP or IMAP. If you didn't choose the option to delete the message data, your mail should still be lurking around there and we may be able to get it back.

Thank you DavidGG for trying to help. I will try and answer your questions as asked;

1. Called TWC and was informed that I had to update my Master Password for my Spectrum Account.

David; If they said you had to do that, OK, but first time I hear of this. I assume this is some change they made to your account at the server, not something you had to change in Thunderbird…

Chris; Correct ....Spectrum used to have a separate password for email and a separate password for account. They have now gone to one master password for everything at the Sectrum server.

2. found my only alternative was to delete TWC from Thunderbird and re-add the account.

David; you remove an account from Thunderbird, you're given the option to delete only the account info (settings) or also the message data. Do you remember whether you checked the option to also delete the message data (it's unchecked by default). Choosing message data would still only have deleted mail and folders stored locally on your computer (within your profile folder), though, not anything stored on the server… Chris; I was worried about losing my data, so I purposely, only checked the option to delete only the account info

3. my main problem now is i only have 26 emails. Not the thousands that I used to have complete with folders

David ; Can you use webmail to check whether your mail is still on the server? Was the account previously configured as IMAP as well, or was it POP? Chris; I can log into webmail and check my mail on the server but it only has the 26 emails that it transferred to Thunderbird. I believe it was previously configured as IMAP.

David; The mail that was on the server when you removed the account from Thunderbird should still be there… but I'm wondering what did they do to your account when they "updated your Master Password" if it isn't there anymore… Chris; I had restriction from Spectrum so I deleted mail on Spectrum server after 30 days and only kept all the mail on my local computer ...I think ...

David ; Check the following article to learn what's a profile and how to locate your profile folder: https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profiles-where-thunderbird-stores-user-data Chris; Thank you. Will read today.

David; Thunderbird would store your mail in a folder named after the incoming mail server, located within either the Mail or the ImapMail folder there, depending on whether the account is POP or IMAP. If you didn't choose the option to delete the message data, your mail should still be lurking around there and we may be able to get it back. Chris; Please God that is what I'm hoping for .... a Miracle

Found my profiles; 17G5cxF0.default ......but I don't know how to restore all my old mail and folders back into twc mail under thunderbird so that it opens with all my mail and folders in one spot. Can you please offer a step by step guide so I don't lose all my mail in the process ??? Please and thank you very much for any help/assistance you can provide.

FYI, this TWC account deletion/re-adding underneath Thunderbird happened to me about 4 years ago as well. At that time, I was instructed to copy my profiles file 17G5cxF0.default file onto a blank spot on my desktop before deleting/adding. Unfortunately, I didn't do that this most recent time about 3 days ago. But my old file from 4 years ago is still on my desktop. Do you think that is causing the problem of my lost mail/folders in my new re-added TWC mail under Thunderbird . My apologies, as you can tell, I haven't a clue as to how this all works and what to do next. Thank you so much for any help that you can provide.

Note the presence of the folders Mail and ImapMail within your profile folder. For each account, Thunderbird stores mail in a folder named after the incoming server located in one of those folders, depending on whether the account is POP or IMAP. Note also the presence of a Local Folders folder within Mail. We're going to make your mail reappear in Thunderbird by moving it from the account folder associated with the account you deleted into Local Folders.

Thunderbird stores mail using text files in mbox format with no filename extension within the profile folder. Each mbox file corresponds to a mail folder in Thunderbird. Locate the account folder associated with the account you deleted. Your mail should be all there, organised into the same file hierarchy that Thunderbird was displaying in the folder pane when the account existed. Now proceed as follows:

1. Quit Thunderbird if it's running.
2. Make a backup copy of the profile folder, just in case.
3. Move each of the mbox files (the ones with no filename extension) from the old account folder into Local Folders.
4. Launch Thunderbird.
5. For each mbox file you moved into Local Folders, a folder should now appear in Thunderbird under Local Folders at the bottom of the folder pane having all the mail that Thunderbird was storing there.