Forum Discussion

MiDu's avatar
MiDu
Tuning in
26 days ago

No Access to NTLWorld Web Mail

I am a paying customer of Virgin Media and "NTLWorld.com" is my main email account. I would normally have access to "NTLWorld.com" emails in two ways:
- via the Thunderbird email client installed on an old WIN10 desktop PC (perfect access to the "NTLWorld.com" emails as we 'speak'...!)
- via "NTLWorld.com" WEB MAIL on the said old PC and an old WIN10 laptop

Sadly the access to the WEB MAIL has stopped working 9-10 weeks ago showing the same one-word message 'FORBIDDEN'. I've tested repeatedly my old PC and my equally old WIN10 laptop plus two borrowed WIN11 laptops... getting the same failure message, the word 'FORBIDDEN'.

How did I proceed to the web mail page? I get to My Virgin Media page and I sign in with My VM username and password... then I go to Quick Links and choose Virgin Media Mail and this should open my Virgin Media web mail inbox... but it doesn't and I only get a blank page with just this word, FORBIDDEN, within 4-5 seconds.

As I will have to replace both Win10 machines before October (Windows 10 will stop being supported by Microsoft) with a WIN11 laptop I would like to get access to my NTLWorld emails via NTLWorld Web Mail only. 

Does anyone know what is the problem with the access to the NTLWorld Web Mail? Please HELP.

6 Replies

    • coenoby's avatar
      coenoby
      Very Insightful Person

      MiDu​ 

      You can usually resolve the "Forbidden" error by following these steps:

      1. Sign In to My Virgin Media  (not your VM webmail account) with the affected email address and the current password.
      2. Go to “Account settings”, then "My Virgin Media Account details"
      3. Scroll down the "Security and sign in details " section and click on "Edit" to the right of password.

      Follow the prompts. If you have not already specified a non VM email address to act as your VM username you will be prompted to do so. That's now a security requirement of VM accounts. Your VM email account and address will remain the same but in future you will have to sign into VM with your non VM email address.

      You will also have to generate a "Mail app" password to use as the email password in your Thunderbird app but you should see that as you follow the password reset process. The use of a Mail app password when you access VM email acconts via email apps is another new VM requirement.

      The "Forbidden" error seems to be a way to "encourage" VM email users to implement VM's new security measures sooner rather than later.   (That's just my take on it, but I could be wrong.   😉)

      Try that and see how you go.

      Coenoby

  • [MiDu / further clarification]
     
    I had NTLWorld internet access and email account well before VM took over NTLWorld.com so, automatically, I became a paying customer of VM. I've been a continuous VM customer ever since.  

    • Gareth_L's avatar
      Gareth_L
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team

      Hello MiDu.

      Thanks for your post and welcome back to our community.
      Sorry to hear you are having an issue with your NTLWorld email address.

      Can we ask if you/ve been able to follow the excellent advice from coenoby 

      If so? How did you get on?

      Gareth_L

       

       

  • @Coenobi
    @Gareth_L

    Firstly I need to reiterate (see my first message) that I used to sign up to My Virgin Media page using a non-NTLWORLD account username (a GMAIL email address) and an established My Virgin Media password... next step was finding 'Quick Links' followed by selecting 'Virgin Media Mail'... thus resulting STRAIGHT into opening my NTLWORLD webmail. This operation has been working fine for over one year until several weeks ago... instead of opening my NTLWORLD webmail there was an empty page with just one word: FORBIDDEN .         

    I sincerely apologise for my delayed return to the forum; unfortunately, due to a personal problem, I could not apply straightaway the fix proposed by @Coenobi and also supported by @Gareth_L from the Forum Team. Good thing though, I got a Windows 11 laptop a few days ago so I could start to check and apply (where needed/possible) @Coenoby's kindly advice given earlier this month.

    This is where everything got complicated for me because after signing in to My Virgin Media using the mentioned GMAIL email address and a 'beefed up' My Virgin Media password I could not find in 'Account Settings' the chapters and subchapters named by @Coenobi. Here is the content of My VM:
    - Identity & Security settings 
    - Marketing and contact preferences [not in scope] 
    - Online Security [not in scope]
    - Virgin Media Mail Settings 
    - Provider Switch [not in scope]

    Only two chapters, 'Identity & Security settings' and 'Virgin Media Mail Settings', may have useful subchapters for the job as both chapters have the same TWO subchapters each... 'ID settings' and 'Security settings'. 

    I admit that my experience and knowledge in all things IT are pretty low so it would be great if somebody can get in touch with me in a more PERSONAL manner.      

    Many thanks to @Gareth_L (Forum Team) and @Coenobi.

    • Molly_T's avatar
      Molly_T
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team

      Hi MiDu 👋 Thanks for returning to the thread to keep us updated!

      If you head into the Identity & Security settings section there should be two tabs at the top (One for ID settings, and one for Security settings.) Open up the Security settings tab, then there is a list of Authentification methods. You will want the one for 'Password'.  (It may require you to verify again via an email link). 

      You can then manage your password to update it. 

      If you need to generate a 3rd party Mail apps password (for use with 3rd party client mails such as Outlook, Thunderbird, Applemail etc.) There's a slightly different process which is;

      Sign in with your Virgin Media O2 ID > Go to Account settings, and then ID settings > Tap Manage your products > Head to the Virgin Media account section and tap Manage email app password > Tap Get new password and follow the on-screen instructions - a new secure password will be generated for you.  You can then update any third-party apps that you use to access your Virgin Media Mail emails with this new app password

      Please note that as this password is separate from your sign in details for My Virgin Media (or any Virgin Media apps) this won’t affect your Virgin Media O2 ID password, if you have one.

      You can also find this guidance along with a load more helpful advice here 👉 https://www.virginmediao2.co.uk/help/identity 

      Please let us know how you get on this time! 🤞 We can then offer further assistance if needed. 

      Thanks for your continued patience and co-operation!🌞