Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: Thunderbird: error 'Peer using unsupported version of security protocol.'

Thunderbird error Peer using unsupported version of security protocol fix.

Quick Answer: Update Thunderbird to the latest version, and ensure the exchange server configuration is correct.

Thunderbird users who are trying to send emails through an old exchange email server may encounter an error message indicating that the peer is using an unsupported version of the security protocol. This issue affects users who have updated Thunderbird to version 78 and are experiencing problems with sending emails to their exchange server.

This error can be frustrating for users who rely on Thunderbird for their email needs, especially if they have already invested time in setting up their account configuration. However, there is a solution available that can help resolve this issue.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

  • The primary reason why this error occurs is due to the version of the security protocol used by the exchange server not being compatible with Thunderbird's updated version. Specifically, Thunderbird 78 requires a minimum version of the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol, which may be outdated on older exchange servers.
  • Another possible cause could be the configuration settings related to the exchange server. If the configuration is incorrect or incomplete, it can lead to errors like this one.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Updating Thunderbird's TLS version and adjusting exchange server configuration

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Open Thunderbird and go to 'Edit' > 'Account Settings'. Select the account that is experiencing issues with sending emails.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Click on the 'Advanced' tab and then click on 'TLS Version'. Ensure that the TLS version is set to 'TLS 1.2 (recommended)' or higher. If the option is not available, you may need to adjust your exchange server's configuration settings.
  3. Step 3: Step 3: Go back to the 'Edit' > 'Account Settings' window and click on the 'Security' tab. Ensure that the 'Use TLS version' dropdown menu is set to 'TLS 1.2 (recommended)' or higher.

Configuring exchange server for Thunderbird's supported protocol

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Contact your email provider's technical support team and ask them to configure the exchange server to use the recommended TLS version. They may need to update their server settings or provide additional configuration files.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Once the exchange server is configured, go back to Thunderbird and try sending an email again. The error message should resolve once the updated configuration takes effect.

💡 Conclusion

Resolving this issue requires a combination of updating Thunderbird's TLS version and adjusting the exchange server configuration settings. By following these steps, users can get their emails working again with their old exchange server.

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