TB no longer working w/Hotmail. Skype the problem? (Linux)

User Help for Mozilla Thunderbird
Post Reply
toadwarble
Posts: 3
Joined: September 7th, 2017, 10:18 am

TB no longer working w/Hotmail. Skype the problem? (Linux)

Post by toadwarble »

I have a friend whose laptop was completely annihilated by viruses and such.

It was clear that nothing she did was Windows-dependent so over a year ago I shifted her computer to Ubuntu Linux and her mail (a hotmail account) onto Thunderbird. She soon got used to it all and enjoyed a virus-free existence.

Just recently her 10-year old laptop started to misbehave and I copied all her files in one monster "tar cfz" onto a memory stick got her a new laptop put the same version of Linux on it and just unloaded her home directory onto the one on the new laptop.

All seemed fine, her desktop with all the settings, Firefox with all the settings and passwords. Thunderbird seemed to be fine in terms of loading all her mailboxes.

The only exception seemed to be that I had to load a new version of Skype, which I did. I thought I'd got everything working but she told me that she couldn't send mail only receive it.

I set up a VM on my machine copied her files (which I still had on the memory stick) onto it and was able to read and send mail from her account. (I did warn her). (Some of the comments she had made about me in her sent folder were - errrr - interesting)

So all was well there. I went to her house and removed her whole ~/.thunderbird directory and started from scratch but still it didn't work - twice.

Panicking, I fired up her old machine and I couldn't send from there either.

The only thing I could think of which was different was the version of Skype (although it was the old version on her old machine, but I hadn't started it).

I did try firing up Hotmail on her copy of Firefox and had to go through a bit of an interrogation about whether I wanted to merge Skype and Hotmail accounts which she didn't. I could send from Fixefox fine after I'd done it. When I come back home and tried it from the VM all was fine - no interrogation. She reports she gets the same questionnaire every time she goes into Hotmail from Firefox.

I wondered if the reason T'bird can't send it could be that it's getting the same interrogation so to speak when it tries?

Is there anything I can do? She definitely doesn't want to merge her Hotmail and Skpe accounts as all her friends know both of them. She would prefer to stick with Thunderbird as that gives her the filters to put all her correspondents into the right folders.

Thanks for any advice.
Last edited by DanRaisch on September 7th, 2017, 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: (Linux) added to subject.
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: TB no longer working w/Hotmail. Skype the problem? (Linu

Post by tanstaafl »

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Hotmail

hotmail or outlook server settings?
hotmail or outlook domain in the email address?
what is the full text of the error message when she tries to send a message? (replace the email address with something generic if its mentioned in the error message)
what is the full text of the interrogation you went through when sending mail via webmail?

Thunderbird doesn't know how to deal with a captcha. That is normally worked around by logging into webmail, which clears it. I haven't heard of skype related messages when trying to send, which is why I asked for the exact error message.

Have you considered using a different email providers smtp server with the hotmail account as a workaround? However, if you use the gmail smtp server with it "The Gmail SMTP server will ignore whatever From: address you supply unless you add it in the Gmail web page at Setting -> Accounts -> Add another email address. "
toadwarble
Posts: 3
Joined: September 7th, 2017, 10:18 am

Re: TB no longer working w/Hotmail. Skype the problem? (Linu

Post by toadwarble »

I put in the hotmail settings but T'bird changed them to outlook which I didn't argue.
If she tries to send a message it just sits there forever not doing anything - no message. I end up clicking "cancel" and then it just says message failed - no details or anything.
From webmail it gives a set of dialogs about merging Skype and Hotmail and does she want to do that - she doesn't.

The thing is T'bird works *perfectly" from my VM but I haven't got Skype running on that. And if I use the webmail thing I don't get the interrogation. The only thing which seems to be different is the new version of Skype on her new machine - but she can't send from her old machine using T'Bird so it looks like MS have set something at some point with the new version of Skype and being associated with her IP. (My VM is on a different IP from the one I have Skype running on).

I also have IPv6 on my machines but it doesn't look like Skype or Outlook use it.

I would suggest another email provider to her but she wants to stick with hotmail and I can't really argue.
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: TB no longer working w/Hotmail. Skype the problem? (Linu

Post by tanstaafl »

Use the advanced or manual settings in the new account wizard if you don't like the data it gets from the Mozilla ISP database. Or edit the existing setting in tools -> account settings. Just be sure to write down the "local folders" setting at the bottom of the accounts server settings window beforehand and restore it afterwards as it will automatically change if you modify the server name.

Normally a WIN32 based windows application doesn't explicitly decide to use IP4 or IP6 for tcp-ip connections. Which one is used is based on the settings (properties) of the default LAN adapter in Windows.

I repeat my request for the full text of the interrogation you went through when sending mail via webmail. I've never heard of your type of problem before and need data like that as a starting point to help me search. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Posting_a_scr ... _the_forum
toadwarble
Posts: 3
Joined: September 7th, 2017, 10:18 am

Re: TB no longer working w/Hotmail. Skype the problem? (Linu

Post by toadwarble »

I'll have to ask her to get it as it's on her machine and I can't get it to happen on my VM. I don't think she knows how to get screenshots. I'll see her later in the week maybe I can do it then.

I'll try running SKype in the VM first with my ID. I do know her Skype password but I'll hold that in reserve as I feel a bit guilty about snooping on all her communications - she clearly trusts me, I'll try to make sure it's not more than I deserve.

The settings for the account seem to be identical to be just the same they were before. I had tried jigging about with them in Manual Config without anything happening - remember it receives incoming mail OK, the problem is only with sending. It seems if you put hotmail.co.uk addresses there they kind of get rewritten as outlook.com or it just refuses to do anything.

I see she's just come online - I'll ask her to read out the interrogation. "Hang on".... She says she doesn't get the interrogation any more I got her to fire up Skype and try it again - still no interrogation. Trouble was I deleted the T'bird stuff so I can't get her to run that.

I suppose it could be her ISP doing something silly with SMTP stuff and nothing to do with Skype at all? I use a different ISP. If the problem persists I'll get her to bring the laptop round and try it using mine.

I do appreciate it's hard to figure out what's going on without too much info.

Thanks for the help you've been able to give.
Post Reply