Add Security Exception

[mallomar]

I'm using the free version of Avast. Windows 10. I'm using Thunderbird.

I got this popup (see attachment) and I can't access my email.

I think I need to get a certificate from Avast and add it to Thunderbird, but I can't figure out how to do it. I can't get the popup to go away, so I can't do anything with Thunderbird.

I got as far as Mail shield: Export certificate in Avast Geek, but now I'm stuck. If that's the right certificate, how do I get it into Thunderbird?

I'm old and have limited computer knowledge. I've done this before, but I can't remember how to get the certificate into Thunderbird. I've clicked on everything on the popup but it won't go away.

TIA!

[Pondus]

https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/Troubleshoot-invalid-email-certificate/

[mallomar]

Thanks for your response. I can get as far as exporting the certificate from Avast (and saving it to my hard drive), but I can't import it into Thunderbird, because I can't close the "Add Security Exception" popup.

And if I can't close it, I can't access Thunderbird. I've tried clicking on every option in the "Add Security Exception" popup, but I can't get it to close.

As long as that popup is sitting on my Thunderbird screen, I can't do anything in Thunderbird.

It's entirely possible that I'm making some stupid mistake (repeatedly), but I've tried the procedure several times and can't get it to work.

[Pondus]

. I've tried clicking on every option in the "Add Security Exception" popup, but I can't get it to close.

And if you restart computer?

[mallomar]

I couldn't shut down Thunderbird before restarting, so I had to just let the restart process force-shut it down.

Relaunched Thunderbird and the "Add Security Exception" popup did NOT reappear. But I suspect it will reappear at some point, because I could not do the export/import procedure. I was able to export the .der file to my desktop. But I couldn't import that file into T-bird. The attached photo shows what happened when I tried.

Alert
This personal certificate can't be installed because you do not own the corresponding private key which was created when the certificate was requested.

I have no idea what this means or what to do about it.

[Pondus]

I have no idea what this means or what to do about it.

Same here. 

Anyway i use webmail because it is problem free. 

[DavidR]

I've tried clicking on every option in the "Add Security Exception"

This part concerns me as the instructions in the link given by Pondus in Reply #1 doesn't mention adding a Security Exception, but "Import the Mail Shield certificate."  See attached images in my Thunderbird settings (following the avast guide). 

You appear not to have clicked the Authorities tab (in your image), before trying to import.

Now it should be a case of pointing thunderbird at where you exported the certificate, then you should be able to complete the rest of the process.

[mallomar]

This part concerns me as the instructions in the link given by Pondus in Reply #1 doesn't mention adding a Security Exception, but "Import the Mail Shield certificate."  See attached images in my Thunderbird settings (following the avast guide).

You appear not to have clicked the Authorities tab (in your image), before trying to import.

Now it should be a case of pointing thunderbird at where you exported the certificate, then you should be able to complete the rest of the process.

Thanks for your response. It's entirely possible that I didn't click the Authorities tab. My brain doesn't work as well as it used to. I followed your instructions and ended up with the attached image. So it appears that the certificate is where it's supposed to be. I hope it stays fixed, at least for a long time. I think I had this problem in April, and I was hoping not to run into it again.

So was the problem in Thunderbird, or Avast, or a combination of the 2 programs trying to get along?

Um, I just checked my original post from last April, and you're the one who bailed me out! I had kept notes and screen shots, but obviously I failed to document everything I would need to bail myself out if the problem occurred again. Sorry I had to drag you into this again! But I really appreciate it.

Thanks again.

[mallomar]

Anyway i use webmail because it is problem free.

I think I used webmail a long time ago, but I might be thinking of something else. It didn't work for me because I have multiple email accounts and I don't want to be constantly logging in and out to check all of them. I let Thunderbird do the work.

[DavidR]

<snip quote>
Thanks for your response. It's entirely possible that I didn't click the Authorities tab. My brain doesn't work as well as it used to.

I followed your instructions and ended up with the attached image. So it appears that the certificate is where it's supposed to be. I hope it stays fixed, at least for a long time. I think I had this problem in April, and I was hoping not to run into it again.

So was the problem in Thunderbird, or Avast, or a combination of the 2 programs trying to get along?
<snip>

Thanks again.

You're welcome.

I just wonder if you had scrolled down the list of Authorities in the Certificate Manager, it might have been there.

Computers can do funny things, perhaps a recent thunderbird or avast update, but I haven't run into it and thunderbird Avast free are my choices also.