Bitdefender Internet Security 2013 and Total Security 2013 both have a firewall, you might check that it is not blocking Thunderbird. Same goes for the windows firewall.

Thanks Matt for the quick reply, but as mentioned in my post, I am familiar with the firewall in Bitdefender and have ensured Thunderbird is included.

As mentioned in my post, I have also performed visual side-by-side comparison of all firewall and security settings between the two laptops - in both Bitdefender and Windows (they are literally sitting beside each other..).

For info, I am running Bitdefender Total Security 2014 only, which incorporates Internet Security.

Kind regards MIM1301

can you connect to the server using telnet? see http://kb.ctera.com/article/how-to-open-a-telnet-session-on-windows-7-or-windows-8-os-16.html

and

see the stuff on using telnet to diagnose pop3 and SMTP here http://usertools.plus.net/tutorials/id/21

Hi Matt, that brings back old memories.... how quickly we forget! Yes, I can connect using telnet, email count via telnet is correct. Still no luck getting Thunderbird to retrieve emails. Rgds

Well there is not much left. If telnet works then the path is clear and there is no hardware firewall blocking ports.

All that is left is software, so try windows safe mode with networking. A very handy way to eliminate software. it also actually disables most anti virus resident features and is preferred here because anti virus/security programs do not always disable or turn off when they say they have.

You might also try the McAfee removal tool. https://community.mcafee.com/thread/52788 I notice the rep said yes to both, they did not say not required.

Finally you could try creating a new profile, and see if it works just to exclude corruption of your existing profile. ( I doubt it but I am at the anything goes point)

Just as an aside, I have never had an email borne nasty and I for many years never even had an email virus scanner. So yes I think your a bit over cautious with mailwasher, if that is what your using it for. Thunderbird does not support scripting languages or flash, or most plugins in the email sandbox. The result is getting a virus from a mail in Thunderbird is really only possible, for all practical purposes, if you open that password protected zip from the young Russian woman and that is what the anti virus should be blocking anyway when the temp file is written.

Err, to back up.... Go to the Tools > options > security > passwords >saved passwords entry and delete any password for the account.

is it bigpond, optus or iinet that you are with? they are the big three I think.

iinet have had issues with "grandfathered" addresses in the past, those from ozemail and their other take over and buy out targets.

Bigpond just have no idea. I think Microsoft run their servers for them now. They certainly provide the mail system.

Optus have your money. Thank you.

Thanks Matt, appreciate your help! Yes it is Bigpond, and I am aware of some of the challenges with bigpond but will not change providers for a number of reasons which I will not go in to here.

For info, I am an enterprise architect by profession, specialising in the finance industry but have worked in the telco space in a previous working life, so I have a degree of knowledge of the Australian telco space, how they operate, and what infrastructure and services they use.

I tried the McAfee removal tool as suggested. Thanks for that as it seems Uninstall does remove all the McAfee components. Unfortunately, this did not fix my Thunderbird problem.

I tried creating a new profile, but no luck there either. Still worth a try though!

Starting in Safe Mode DID fix the problem and Thunderbird was able to successfully get emails. Unfortunately while this worked, it is not an acceptable ongoing solution, particularly as I am using a laptop and therefore power off frequently.

I hate to say it, but this adds to my suspicion of an incompatibility problem between Windows 8/8.1 and Thunderbird. Where to next? No idea, except being forced to add to the Microsoft fortune and purchase Outlook.....

A note on your aside regarding email nasties. Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with security risks and email nasties. Security architecture in the finance industry is a big part of my job and I am paranoid for a legitimate reason. Too many times I have seen the result of an unfortunate click in the wrong place at the wrong time - the damage is done before people realise and by then it is too late. If cyber fraud was limited to a 'password protected zip from a Russian woman' it would be much easier to deal with. Unfortunately these types of threats only come from very unsophisticated operators and because of this they are very easy to detect. Its the 'sophisticated' cyber criminals that I am concerned about.

Thanks again for your help

Oh, forgot to add that after success using Safe Mode, I reverted back to Windows normal mode, and the same problem. Can send, but still cant retrieve emails. So at this point, my money is still on an incompatibility problem between Thunderbird and Windows 8/8.1.

Cheers

except people are successfully running on windows 8 and 8.1 I would agree with you. So all I can suggest is bitdefender is lying to you.

When you look at what is not loaded in safe mode (you could compare processes I suppose), Bit defender does not get involved in mail scanning until standard/enhanced mode is started.

and there in lays the dilemma! Bitdefender and all associated settings works perfectly on Win7 with TB, so I can use the same argument and say it can not be Bitdefender.

Given the amount of traffic on the net regarding the exact same problem with TB and Win8/8.1, and lack of similar traffic regarding Bitdefender and TB.......

Thanks again for all your help Matt. Cheers

"Given the amount of traffic on the net regarding the exact same problem with TB and Win8/8.1, and lack of similar traffic regarding Bitdefender and TB......."

You can in the end decide what you will, sure there is lots of traffic on windows 8 and Thunderbird. it is the newest virus from Redmond and without a shadow of a doubt will be the popular problem child for some time to come. Personally the DVD has sat on my desk for about a year now. I still see nothing that it offers that is relevant to my use.

Very few of the people with a problem with their email; look at their anti virus program, it has trusted member of the family status so of course you do not see people complaining about Thunderbird and bit defender. It is their mail that is not working not their anti virus and we have these long winded argument with them insisting on a Thunderbird fix for a problem that Thunderbird is nothing more than an unwilling bit player in.

The bit defender forum is enligtening though. http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?s=a0d6673343556a3b23501708b8c1097a&showtopic=50664&view=findpost&p=214343 New version in April to stop freezing.

If Thunderbird runs fine in Windows 8 safe mode and does not in normal mode, looking for a third part application other than windows is the logical next step. All security software is suspect because by it's very nature it does not play well with others. and anti virus mail scanning is the single greatest cause of posts to this forum. It is also the single greatest cause of friction here because people simply do not believe bitdefender or Nortons or McAfee or whatever their choice is is fallible.

OK Matt, thank you.

I am simply trying to uncover what I am missing. I acknowledge many others are successfully using the combination of Windows 8.1 + Bitdefender + Thunderbird + POP, and all I would like to do is achieve the same outcome.

In summary, on the settings and configuration I have set up;- Windows 7 + Bitdefender + Thunderbird + POP = has worked flawlessly for nearly 3 years. Windows 8.1 Safe Mode + Bitdefender + Thunderbird + POP = works. Windows 8.1 Normal mode + Bitdefender + Thunderbird + POP = only partially works...

I am obviously missing a setting somewhere and need help finding what I am missing. Particularly as others are successfully using the same combination that I can not get to work fully.

Unfortunately this thread now feels like a personal attack. So thank you again for your time and effort, but I will not return.

Regards

Yes you are missing something.

Windows safe mode disables bit defender

So it really is Windows 8.1 Safe Mode + Thunderbird + POP = works. Windows 8.1 Normal mode + Bitdefender + Thunderbird + POP = only partially works...

Do I know about bitdefender .... No, all I can do is advise you on licating the application causing the issue. I suggest you ask the supplier or manufacturer of bitdefender how to stop their product causing such an issue.

I want to add my name to the list of people who have used Tbird and LOVED Tbird for years with no problems... until we "upgraded" to Windows 8/8.1. (That was not my choice, by the way.)

Tbird simply freezes a lot of the time and doesn't download email at all. I'm not running any virus-protection software other than the native Windows stuff, so that's not the problem. Our IT staff have confirmed that I am using the right server settings for POP/IMAP or whatever. They have no idea.

It looks to me like the problem has to be with Thunderbird. I wish we could get some support from Mozilla on this so that I could go back to being in love with my email client.

Thank you.