1957347 - cannot switch from password driven mailaccount to OAUTH account

Status: UNCONFIRMED

(Thunderbird :: Account Manager, defect)

Description

[Rolf Bühnemann]

Attachment: ErrorReport_Thunderbird.txt

Steps to reproduce:

Change mail account from password driven to oauth2 account by entering new account data into current thunderbird profile.
Tried to do with: Win11 v136.0.1, Android v9 and Linux v128.8.0

Actual results:

error: "user ist authorized but not connected"

Expected results:

should be no error when changing the mailaccount data for new account

Comment 1

[Rolf Bühnemann]

Task:
Changing thunderbird from password driven mailaccount to a OAUTH2 driven mailaccount

Error:
1.) Windows 11
Simply changing data in the profile is leading to the error 'user is authorized but not connected'.
Deleting the account within thunderbird and reentering the apropriate data leads to the same error.
You have to deinstall thunderbird AND delete all directories by hand before new install of thunderbird
makes it run with no errors.

2.) Android 8, 15:
	Simply changing data in the profile is leading to the error 'user is authorized but not connected'.
	Deleting the account within thunderbird and reentering the apropriate data leads to the same error.
	You have to rename the current account in android, delete this account, deinstall thunderbird and
	reinstall again.
	Then setting up the new mailaccount makes it run

3.) Linux
	Simply changing data in the profile makes it run with new account without any error.

Comment 2

[Anje]

You mention changing the 'Authentication Method' but do not mention all the other checks that need to performed.
There seems to be an issue between what Thunderbird uses to access server and what the Authentication method says to use and what the server is expecting. Sounds like you altered the Auhentication methods in Account Settings, but may not have performed other checks. When you completely removed all profile data you would have removed the passwords, but that method sounds rather drastic when the following has worked for many people.

Standard advise given in Thunderbird Support Forum:
When changing 'Authentication Method: from 'Normal Password' to 'Oauth', you need to do the following:

1. In Thunderbird - Update the 'Account Settings' for account 'Authentication Method for incoming and outgoing smtp
2. Access 'Settings' > 'Privacy & Security' and A) Set up to allow cookies and B) remove all stored passwords for the account.
3. Exit Thunderbird
4. Check computer does not have any programs using the localhost. Example: people who manage a website may be using Apache Xampp. All programs using localhost need to be switched off until Oauth has been set up.
5. Remove any 'app specific passwords', this may need you to access webmail to switch it off.
6. Start Thunderbird
7. At prompt enter required info - normal password and select to allow Thunderbird access if requested.