FreeMan wrote:
This is a new Win XP install.

Win7 ng removed in reply. If you want to pose the question in another
newsgroup, I suggest on the news.mozilla.org news server group
mozilla.support.thunderbird.

This is a new Thunderbird install.
I have four GMail and one Outlook account all imap.

Why does it take entering the Master Password three times to get it
allow access ?

- it isn't 'necessary' to have a master pass at all
- if you DO have a master pass, then you should be aware of what it
MEANS to be so configured.

Here is one explanation of what it means:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Master_password Master password

See the Using par

I like/prefer moz kb articles over the alternatives such as moz support.
That article was last mod/ed 2017 May and has been accessed almost a
million times. Often some 'old' content can be found in moz kb
articles, such as references to Tb 2.0.0.24 3 transition.

Example of moz support which has higher general search engine ranking
and you also get if you use Tb Help function:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb...aster-password

I carefully enter the correct Master Password each time !

Why doesn't TBird allow seeing the password I type as an option ? Most
all other apps have that feature. Stupid on their part.

There is a Tb add-on to help with the multiple master prompt problem

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thu...startupmaster/ Asks
for the master password at startup (fixes multiple password prompt)

(Add-ons have numerous 'reviews' which also contain valuable info for
solving problems with the add-on, as does this one)

--
Mike Easter