TBird requiring new application-specific password at every launch

[Tom Cloyd]

All my email is channeled through GMail. For a long time I have been able to receive mail in TBird but could not send it. So I sent email from GMail. Very recently I figured out that TB needed a Google application-specific password. (I use two-factor authentication with my Google account.) Everything suddenly worked great until I shut down for the day and relaunched TB the following day. Then, I needed a NEW Google application-specific password to access my GMail account at all. With that, all was well once again. This situation - needing a new application-specific password at every launch of TBird has not changed.

This is nuts. It's not supposed to work this way. I've been trying to find a solution - searching the Mozilla Thunderbird forum and knowledge base, and this support forum here (which I just joined) and so far all I've come up with is turning off two-factor authentication. That is NOT a good solution, for obvious reasons. Google appears to offer no way to turn off two-factor authentication at the level of the individual application.

I have no idea what to do at this point. Any suggestions?

[Christian Riechers]

Please explain *why* you need a new app password every time Thunderbird
starts?

What is your account type - POP or IMAP?

Are you using OAuth2 authentication for SMTP? With OAuth2 no app
password is needed.

[Tom Cloyd]

I have no idea why! I launch TBird, click "Get message" and the account I'm interested in (my GMail acct.), and am told that my password is not accepted. I have the option of manual input. Since I use 2-factor authorization, my only option is an application specific password. Since each can only be used once, I must get a new one.

I just went through this nonsense, yet again. TBird is working fine now. If I close it and relaunch, I'll encounter this same problem all over again.

>
> What is your account type - POP or IMAP?

PDP, for both accounts

>
> Are you using OAuth2 authentication for SMTP? With OAuth2 no app
> password is needed.

So I understand. But...I see no place to address authentication method for SMTP. It appears to be addressable in account settings only for the pop server, and there I have "normal password" selected. There IS no OAuth2 option listed there.

[Christian Riechers]

On 02/18/2017 05:21 PM, Tom Cloyd wrote:
> On Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 12:02:39 AM UTC-8, Christian Riechers wrote:
>> On 02/18/2017 01:01 AM, Tom Cloyd wrote:
>>> All my email is channeled through GMail. For a long time I have been able to receive mail in TBird but could not send it. So I sent email from GMail. Very recently I figured out that TB needed a Google application-specific password. (I use two-factor authentication with my Google account.) Everything suddenly worked great until I shut down for the day and relaunched TB the following day. Then, I needed a NEW Google application-specific password to access my GMail account at all. With that, all was well once again. This situation - needing a new application-specific password at every launch of TBird has not changed.
>>>
>>> This is nuts. It's not supposed to work this way. I've been trying to find a solution - searching the Mozilla Thunderbird forum and knowledge base, and this support forum here (which I just joined) and so far all I've come up with is turning off two-factor authentication. That is NOT a good solution, for obvious reasons. Google appears to offer no way to turn off two-factor authentication at the level of the individual application.
>>>
>>> I have no idea what to do at this point. Any suggestions?
>>
>> Please explain *why* you need a new app password every time Thunderbird
>> starts?
> I have no idea why! I launch TBird, click "Get message" and the account I'm interested in (my GMail acct.), and am told that my password is not accepted. I have the option of manual input. Since I use 2-factor authorization, my only option is an application specific password. Since each can only be used once, I must get a new one.

App passwords are not one-time passwords. They can certainly be used
more than once. You'll have to tell Thunderbird to remember the password
though.
You may want to delete any Gmail password Thunderbird has remembered
previously. You'll then be prompted for the password the next time it's
needed.

> I just went through this nonsense, yet again. TBird is working fine now. If I close it and relaunch, I'll encounter this same problem all over again.
>>
>> What is your account type - POP or IMAP?
> PDP, for both accounts

I guess that means POP. OAuth2 authentication isn't available for POP.

>> Are you using OAuth2 authentication for SMTP? With OAuth2 no app
>> password is needed.
>
> So I understand. But...I see no place to address authentication method for SMTP.

It's in Account Settings - Outgoing Server (SMTP) - Authentication type.
Note, this will only work for Gmail.

> It appears to be addressable in account settings only for the pop server, and there I have "normal password" selected.
> There IS no OAuth2 option listed there.

OAuth2 isn't available for POP.

[Tom Cloyd]

"App passwords are not one-time passwords. They can certainly be used more than once." - Google is quite clear that they are. Quite. I have no idea, myself

I have found the problem and the solution. It has to do with cookies.

In the Linux (Mint) TB version, the path to display of the cookie store is Menu > Edit > Preferences > Privacy > WebContent > show cookies (button)

Once I had access to the cookie store, I searched for and located all Google cookies. Some went back to 2013! I deleted them all, relaunched TB, attempted to access my GMail email, and had no problem whatsoever. My problem appears to be solved.

This is the first time I've had a fully functional Thunderbird application in probably about a year.

Thanks for working with me on this.

[Tom Cloyd]

I would marked this <SOLVED> but there is no obvious way to do this!

[Reed]

On 2/18/17 1:20 PM, Tom Cloyd wrote:
> I would marked this <SOLVED> but there is no obvious way to do this!
>

When writing a reply , you can add to/edit the existing title. See above

[Tom Cloyd]

NOT SOLVED!!!

Not only is the problem back, but now I have to get a NEW application specific password even to download my email from GMail.

[Reed]

OK....Not Solved

[thefinanc...@ncsu.edu]

I have been having this problem too, since we recently moved to 2-step authorization. After a lot of trial and error, I have a solution that works for me.
After I generate an application specific password, I enter the password in TBird and check the box allowing TBird to remember the password (it is the check box right below the text box where you enter the password). I have closed and opened TBird a few times, and so far it is working fine.

[thefinanc...@ncsu.edu]

Had the same problem. Check the box asking TBird to remember the password (just below the text box where you enter the password), seems to work for me for the past 2 days.

[srini.kris...@gmail.com]

[srini.kris...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 12:57:46 AM UTC-5, Tom Cloyd wrote: