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After years of working fine and no recent changes, my thunderbird now refuses to retrieve emails from one of my 3 email addresses. What do I do?

  • 4 replies
  • 5 have this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by nancye

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Last week it had slowed considerably in retrieving messages for this email address, but now it does not work at all. The three other email addresses are working fine.

The email address that is not working is working fine on my phone and on webmail, but not on thunderbird.

Last week it had slowed considerably in retrieving messages for this email address, but now it does not work at all. The three other email addresses are working fine. The email address that is not working is working fine on my phone and on webmail, but not on thunderbird.

Chosen solution

Can you do this:

  • Create new folders if necessary.
  • Move all emails that are in the Inbox into suitable folders.
  • Delete any emails you do not want.
  • When Inbox is empty, right click on Inbox and select 'compact'.
  • then try Get Mail.
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All Replies (4)

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If you can view it via other methods I presume you have an IMAP mail account.

When you say 'it is not working' can you explain a bit more.

  • Do you have an IMAP mail account?
  • Is it a gmail imap account?
  • Can you see folders?
  • If a gmail mail account, can you see an 'all Mail' folder?
  • If you select a folder can you see emails in a list?
  • If yes, what happens when select to see an email?
  • when you try to GetMail what happens?
  • when you try to Send an email what happens?
  • what error messages. if any, do you get?
  • Have you got it set up to synchronize or not?
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This is a POP email account. I can see everything, all files and buttons. The problem is that when I click on "get mail" either nothing happens or it takes forever to download the mail. Further, when I click on each email it takes a long time to open, it takes a long time to delete, it takes a long time to go to the next email. I have no other problems.

This has always been a POP account, and it has always worked fine, but it's the only account that I have trouble with now. My other two email accounts download quickly through thunderbird. It is not a gmail acct. Sending an email is not a problem. Seeing emails in folders is not a problem. I can go on webmail to retrieve the emails just fine, but that isn't very convenient.

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Chosen Solution

Can you do this:

  • Create new folders if necessary.
  • Move all emails that are in the Inbox into suitable folders.
  • Delete any emails you do not want.
  • When Inbox is empty, right click on Inbox and select 'compact'.
  • then try Get Mail.

Modified by Toad-Hall

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That took care of the problem! Thanks!