Questions about setting up a new e-mail client

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

My wife's desktop (running Windows 7) has been using Windows LiveMail 2012 and we had to switch from POP to IMAP to keep it going. Well, LiveMail is not accessing the ATT/Yahoo mail servers. ATT refuses to help. I can access her mail directly from ATT but she uses multiple addresses and one of them makes her register security info every every time which is a major hassle. This has gone on for months. ATT tech attitude is "yeah its a known issue, sucks to be you..."

Any suggestions in using Thunderbird?
Has anyone used Thunderbird and had problems?
Do you suggest another mail server?
Will I need to have the Secure Keys to access her mail or just the regular passwords?

masraum · 07-08-2022, 11:33 AM

I used to have email via ATT following several mergers. The problem is that mail is frequently hacked and then used for SPAM and malicious reasons, so they've been making their servers more secure. A lot of mail apps did not support the required security. If you get an app that does support the required security, you shouldn't need secure keys.

https://www.att.com/support/article/email-support/KM1240462

You need an app that supports OAuth. I don't know if there are any other than what's in the green box at the top.

What you probably DON'T want (and they'd probably prefer that you NOT use) are apps in the Red box. They will require the Secure key.

stomachmonkey · 07-08-2022, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

My wife's desktop (running Windows 7) has been using Windows LiveMail 2012.......

You need to fix that first but I suspect you know that and the wife is resistant?

7 is end of lifed and even security updates for it ended in Jan 2020.

masraum · 07-08-2022, 11:39 AM

I found some stuff online that seemed to indicate that newer versions of Thunderbird DO support OAuth 2.0. I think I saw something that said ">v68.0" or something like that.

So maybe you'd be good to go in the new Thunderbird (I think it's up to v102).

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Yea, she needs to move into the modern world. Win 7 is an antique.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

My wife despises technology and is resistant to learn. It took me a long time just to get her to use a desktop to search the Internet and read e-mail. Smartphones are right out. I'm working with what I got here.
Masraum: is the chart for apps or also PC desktop software?

masraum · 07-08-2022, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

My wife despises technology and is resistant to learn. It took me a long time just to get her to use a desktop to search the Internet and read e-mail. Smartphones are right out. I'm working with what I got here.
Masraum: is the chart for apps or also PC desktop software?

Yes, both. In the green box, from the top down, it's IOS devices (iphones and ipads), Android phones, MacOS PCs, and Windows PCs.

But, that chart seems to be old, since I have read that Thunderbird NOW supports OAuth.

You could give Thunderbird a shot.

TimT · 07-08-2022, 02:10 PM

I've been using Thunderbird as an email client from Win 7 until present 64bit Win 11...

I just noticed the version of Thunderbird I have is 32 bit.. but I did enable "run 32 bit on 64 bit..."

masraum · 07-08-2022, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimT

I've been using Thunderbird as an email client from Win 7 until present 64bit Win 11...

I just noticed the version of Thunderbird I have is 32 bit.. but I did enable "run 32 bit on 64 bit..."

That doesn't make it 64 bit. You're just running it in a backwards compatible mode.

You need to download the 64 bit version.

stomachmonkey · 07-08-2022, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

My wife despises technology and is resistant to learn. It took me a long time just to get her to use a desktop to search the Internet and read e-mail. Smartphones are right out. I'm working with what I got here.
Masraum: is the chart for apps or also PC desktop software?

I understand this. But it will only get worse.

A PC can run just fine on it's original OS for as long as the hardware lasts.

My media room server is still on Win 7 but it only serves one function that is self contained.

But to expect it to play nice with the constantly evolving environment outside its box is not reasonable.

Ironically, you will need to rely more and more on technology to sheild her from technology.

At some point you will be out of options and then what will you do?

Instead of having kept her current incrementally she will need to adjust to something that will feel to her like it's the first time she is using a computer.

I do get it, my wife is not dissimilar but you are not doing either of you any favors.

id10t · 07-09-2022, 05:43 AM

Used Communicator (Netscape 4.x) before it split and became what is now Firefox and Thunderbird for 22 years at work, across multiple addresses, domains, and server types (Netscape mail server, postfix, Office365). Only stopped when I had to move to IT department and was forced to either use webmail or desktop Outlook. I went with webmail.

Still use nothign but Thunderbird at home, currently have 3 accounts in it using 2 different providers.

masraum · 07-09-2022, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

I understand this. But it will only get worse.

A PC can run just fine on it's original OS for as long as the hardware lasts.

My media room server is still on Win 7 but it only serves one function that is self contained.

But to expect it to play nice with the constantly evolving environment outside its box is not reasonable.

Ironically, you will need to rely more and more on technology to sheild her from technology.

At some point you will be out of options and then what will you do?

Instead of having kept her current incrementally she will need to adjust to something that will feel to her like it's the first time she is using a computer.

I do get it, my wife is not dissimilar but you are not doing either of you any favors.

I stuck with Win 7 for a long time. It was rock solid and was working fine. I finally switched to Mac 2 years ago. I'm not suggesting that you switch your wife to Mac.

I don't know what the EOL date for Win 8 is, but I think there's a way to set Win 8 to a "classic" desktop. That may be similar enough to what she's used to so she doesn't have a melt down.

stomachmonkey · 07-09-2022, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

I stuck with Win 7 for a long time. It was rock solid and was working fine. I finally switched to Mac 2 years ago. I'm not suggesting that you switch your wife to Mac.

I don't know what the EOL date for Win 8 is, but I think there's a way to set Win 8 to a "classic" desktop. That may be similar enough to what she's used to so she doesn't have a melt down.

My wife is already on a Mac, has been for decades.

Her problem is she has an idea on how something should be done and when it doesn't work "her" way she will come to me frustrated and complaining "this **** doesn't work"

When I ask her to show me what's she's doing it's obvious it'll never work.

"no dear, that won't work, you need to do it this way"

But I don't like that way.

"but that's how it's done"

I like my way better

"but your way won't work, do it the way I showed you"

that way is stupid, why can't I just do it the way I want

"do you want it to work or do you want to continue to be frustrated doing it your way, which will never work"

forget it, I'll figure it out, I hate this ****, (storms off)

masraum · 07-09-2022, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

My wife is already on a Mac, has been for decades.

Her problem is she has an idea on how something should be done and when it doesn't work "her" way she will come to me frustrated and complaining "this **** doesn't work"

When I ask her to show me what's she's doing it's obvious it'll never work.

"no dear, that won't work, you need to do it this way"

But I don't like that way.

"but that's how it's done"

I like my way better

"but your way won't work, do it the way I showed you"

that way is stupid, why can't I just do it the way I want

"do you want it to work or do you want to continue to be frustrated doing it your way, which will never work"

forget it, I'll figure it out, I hate this ****, (storms off)

LOL. I switched my wife to Mac 8-9 years ago. She can use tech, but isn't super savvy. If my wife has a problem, and is OK with me doing it for her, that's OK. If my wife wants me to show/teach her how to do something, that's when things go south. The more frustrated and/or tired she is by the time she asks, the more likely things are to end poorly. Fortunately, we haven't had that problem in a while.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

My wife has an iPhone and iPad synced together and does all almost her computer stuff with those. On occasion she borrows my laptop for tasks that require a real computer and spreadsheet like Excel.

She can print to my laser printer for simple stuff. If she has a knitting pattern to print she has learned to email that to me, and set it up to print right. Printing from a web page almost always sucks, and makes no sense why it is so bad with default settings. She just wasted paper trying that.

masraum · 07-09-2022, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

My wife has an iPhone and iPad synced together and does all almost her computer stuff with those. On occasion she borrows my laptop for tasks that require a real computer and spreadsheet like Excel.

She can print to my laser printer for simple stuff. If she has a knitting pattern to print she has learned to email that to me, and set it up to print right. Printing from a web page almost always sucks, and makes no sense why it is so bad with default settings. She just wasted paper trying that.

She could technically do spreadsheet stuff on her iPad and iPhone. Apple has a free app called Numbers which is essentially Excel-lite. It's fine for most stuff, but not as fully featured as Excel.