Forum Discussion

MHS1's avatar
MHS1
Joining in
2 years ago
Solved

Changing Virgin Media email passwords

On the Mac, using Mac Mail, if I go to Mail/Accounts/click the (secondary) account, (or System Preferences/Internet Accounts/click the account), the password is ‘dotted’ out, and is 8 digits. I know what this is, although I am unable to see it.  If I overwrite this password with another, I get the message ‘unable to verify account name or password’. So when I overwrite with the original password, AOK.

 

If I log in to My Virgin Media, using the (secondary) account for which I wish to change the password, the password is different to the one above (9 digits).  Why are there two different passwords, and which is the one I should change for security reasons, in the event that that the email account might have been compromised?  And how to I change it/them?

  • Graham_A's avatar
    Graham_A
    11 months ago

    Orphaned email accounts is a term used to define email addresses that are no longer linked to a current VM broadband account.

    If VM are telling you that the email addresses are not linked to your current VM broadband account then they should be able to get them permanently deleted for you.

  • Zoie_P's avatar
    Zoie_P
    Forum Team (Retired)
    2 years ago

    Hi MHS1, 

    Thank you for your post, I am so sorry to hear you are having issues with changing passwords. Have you received communication from us regarding a mailbox that needed a password change? Do you have this issue on other devices also? 
    Thanks,
    Zoie
     

    • MHS1's avatar
      MHS1
      Joining in
      2 years ago

      Thanks for your reply.  No, I have not had communication from you regarding a mailbox that needs a password change, but I do of course have the same issue on my iPhone and iPad.  

       

      • Alex_RM's avatar
        Alex_RM
        Forum Team
        2 years ago

        Hi MHS1,

        So we can get a few more details from you I've popped you over a private message.

        Alex_Rm

  • Lee_R's avatar
    Lee_R
    Forum Team
    2 years ago

    Hi MHS1 thanks for getting back to me privately.

    This is just a quick note to confirm you're satisfied with the response and efforts of the forum team?  Remember, if you ever need assistance in the future, our fantastic community and forum team are always willing to lend a hand. Please bear in mind, you can manage your account from here. Your online account, will give you access to your bills, show your package details, diagnose any possible faults and monitor any orders and appointments you may have. 
    Regards
    Lee_R

    • MHS1's avatar
      MHS1
      Joining in
      2 years ago

       

      Dear Lee

       

      Sorry to bother you yet again, but it appears that Virgin Media haven’t got back to me with their promise of finally resolving my email password issue.  This was after last week’s telephone conversation with ‘Subin’ (at Virgin Media), who at least managed to get me back logged in to My Virgin Media, using one of my google email addresses as a username, and creating a new password.  However, when it came to changing the email password for one of my email accounts in Macmail, he couldn’t manage to do it, and promised to contact someone else in Virgin Media who would get back to me.  Which they haven’t.

       

      So, I wondered if you’d be so kind to help me again, now there should be no problem with security!

      The email address in Macmail for which I’m trying to alter the password is:

      [MOD EDIT: PERSONAL INFORMATION REMOVED]

      As I’ve most probably said before, I’ve tried changing both the incoming and outgoing mail server passwords (Mail/Preferences/Accounts/Server Settings), but no joy.

       

      Thanks,

      Martin Smith

       [MOD EDIT: Personal and private information has been removed from this post. Please do not post personal or private information in your public posts. Please review the Forum Guidelines]

      • Graham_A's avatar
        Graham_A
        Very Insightful Person
        2 years ago

        MHS1  You won't be able to use the My Virgin Media password in email clients such as Mac Mail.  You have to use a generated app password for email clients.  In addition you need to use the full email address for the account concerned as the username not the third party username that you log into My VM with.

        VM have recently changed the log in requirements for accessing VM Mail via third party apps.

        If you change the password for the account in My Virgin Media > Account settings > Account details you will not be able to use the new password to access the account via an email client. Email client access now requires an app specific password which can be generated in the MyVM > Account Settings > Account details > Mailbox App password management

  • MHS1's avatar
    MHS1
    Joining in
    2 years ago

    Graham thanks for your message.

    I have no less than 4 separate virginmedia email addresses in Macmail, all of which I presume have their own different passwords. When I follow your recommended path above to Mailbox App Password Management and enter 'Manage', the email address which appears is one I no longer use.  The one I am trying to sort out is [MOD EDIT: Removed] If this appeared on this page I presume I would be able to generate a new password for it, which would be the one to use in Macmail.  How do I change this email address on this page? 

    • Graham_A's avatar
      Graham_A
      Very Insightful Person
      2 years ago

      Each email address now has its own My VM account.

      You need to make sure you are signed out of any other VM email address before signing in with a different one to generate the app password.

      Secondary accounts changes now have to be made via the My Virgin Media account for the secondary email.

      Sign into the account here: https://www.virginmedia.com/my-virgin-media using the email address concerned and the current password. Once logged in click on Account Settings then Account details. You should now see the options to change password etc.

      If that isn't available try https://www.virginmedia.com/my-virgin-media/forgotten-details/password

      If no security answers have been set for the email address concerned then you will need to call in for support and select technical issues> email

      As you have four different VM email addresses you will also need four different third party email addresses to set as the VM usernames.  And before you say it yes, I know that this is a bizarre setup that VM have decided to go with.

      • MHS1's avatar
        MHS1
        Joining in
        11 months ago

        Thank you Graham_A for your help.  I have since contacted Virgin Media wrt my problem, and was told that they had no visibility of the email account for which I was trying to change the password, even though I have been using it for the past7 years!!  I have read somewhere that this account may have been 'orphaned', whatever that means.  I have now deleted the email account from my devices within Mac mail, but suspect that that the address is live and people are still getting spurious emails apparently from me.  Is there anything that can be done to address this?  Martin

  • MHS1's avatar
    MHS1
    Joining in
    11 months ago

    Thanks again, Graham.  I rang VM and asked them to permanently delete the rogue email.  After a while I was told it will be done, but could take up to a month!  Let's hope this is the end of the story!