Strange server connection timeout error

[MJLogan]

I'm receiving a strange connection timeout error.
TB version 52.5.2
I am receiving and sending emails just fine, however this error keeps popping up.
Connection to server host2.getsimple.net has timed out.

Well that's nice, except I haven't had an account at getsimple in a long time. None of my accounts are there.
Why is TB trying to connect to a server that I don't use?

I was poking around and discovered this folder in my default profile
AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\bswl0mm5.default\ImapMail\host2.getsimple.net
With a modified date stamp of 11/28/2017.

Any idea what is going on?

~MJ

[DanRaisch]

Whatever method was used to remove that GetSimple account did not delete all of the references to it from Thunderbird. Check under Tools->Account Settings and review the left hand pane to make sure that the GetSimple account does not appear in the list of accounts. Also check under Tools->Account Settings->Outgoing Server (SMTP) to ensure that there is no reference to that account among the SMTP server definitions.

If you find no such references in either location, you could close Thunderbird and make a backup copy of the file prefs.js in the Thunderbird profile. Then open that file in a text editor and locate and delete any lines referencing GetSimple in that file and saving it to disk before launching TB.

[MJLogan]

Whatever method was used to remove that GetSimple account did not delete all of the references to it from Thunderbird. Check under Tools->Account Settings and review the left hand pane to make sure that the GetSimple account does not appear in the list of accounts. Also check under Tools->Account Settings->Outgoing Server (SMTP) to ensure that there is no reference to that account among the SMTP server definitions.

If you find no such references in either location, you could close Thunderbird and make a backup copy of the file prefs.js in the Thunderbird profile. Then open that file in a text editor and locate and delete any lines referencing GetSimple in that file and saving it to disk before launching TB.

First, thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction.

There was nothing referencing GetSimple in the Account Settings, so I went to the prefs.js file, which turned out interesting and enlightening. Definitely a good policy to back up that file. When I did this, it removed two of four mail accounts from TB. I restored the file and am back to where I started, which is good. I will have to dig some more and figure that file out.

I found four separate mail.identity.id# sections, two of those sections had GetSimple in them. I only deleted the lines containing GetSimple.
And
I found seven separate mail.server.server# sections and only deleted lines with GetSimple.

It appears to me that the GetSimple information is in the file and TB is attempting to connect to it and failing. However, it retrieves and sends my mail just fine. So to cure the problems means starting over. Or something. Digging into that file will be fun. When I have the time.

Meanwhile, mail works and I'll figure it out now that I know where to look. I'll try to come back and report the final solution. Maybe others will benefit.

IIRC, when I migrated what I did was copy all my emails from the server to local folders. Then I changed the server settings to reflect the new server, and copied everything back to the new server. I never actually deleted any accounts.

What I will try is to back everything up. Then I will delete the TB accounts with the references to GetSimple and set up new accounts. Then I'll go back to the prefs.js file and remove anything that remains of GetSimple.

It will probably be next week before I get to this as I am traveling from tomorrow until Monday.

Thanks a ton!!!

MJ

[MJLogan]

Stopping back to report on this even though it's been three months since I first posted.
Thanks to DanRaisch for pointing me in the right direction on this.
Initially, when I deleted all the lines with references to getsimple in the prefs.js file, the issue did not stop immediately and I thought I had to dig further.
However, when I returned from my travel and fired up the computer, the reboot/hard start/ whatever apparently had some effect and the issue disappeared entirely.

If anyone else runs into this problem, backup the prefs.js file, get rid of any lines that contain the server. Delete all your temporary files, cookies, munchies, and rub your lucky charm. Do a hard shut down and restart.
In essence, that is what I did to resolve the issue.

MJ

MJ