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Kempson02's avatar
Kempson02
Joining in
2 years ago
Solved

Outlook link to Virgin email

Until Friday evening I was happily using Outlook as my main email system in sync with the underlying Virgin email. When I switched on on Saturday morning I had been locked out of my Virgin email completely and Outlook was not able to send/receive. A call to 150 revealed that I was one of many in this situation as Virgin had implemented a change to their security system overnight. I was required to change the email address by which I access Virgin (not the one I use publicly) and the password and by Saturday afternoon the underlying Virgin email system was working again through my browser.

However, I still cannot get Outlook to talk to the Virgin email. I have changed the Outlook settings to the new username and password as instructed by the 150 team and it doesn't work. A further call to them today resulted in them transferring me to an outfit called the "Gadget Rescue Team". The agent who transferred me omitted to tell me that you have to pay for the GRT to do anything for you but that quickly became clear talking to the GRT agent. I don't see why I should pay when Virgin caused the problem in the first place with their action on Saturday morning.

Please can anyone advise how I should get Outlook back syncing with Virgin email.

  • 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

  • Graham_A's avatar
    Graham_A
    Very Insightful Person

    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

    • Kempson02's avatar
      Kempson02
      Joining in

      Thank you so much Graham - this advice coupled with the advice on which email to use in the post below has enabled me to get Outlook up and running on my PC. Unfortunately I still can't access my email on my Android mobile phone. I've changed the password in the Server settings to the same password as on Outlook but it won't accept it. Are you able to help with this problem please?

       

    • novmsupport's avatar
      novmsupport
      Joining in

      I have got a similar problem.  Bought a new PC and trying to set up Outlook client with no success. Have always set up Outlook before with no problem using the IMAP and SMTP server settings and before that POP3 settings but fails this time around. You would expect info on how to connect Outlook to VM e-mail servers would be published on a help page and known to support staff but not found official guidance or anybody in support prepared to advise on setting up Outlook.  I have been deflected by being asked to try another device or a different browser which I did with no success but why should I be asked to experiment!  I was able to access e-mails from my phone but after eventually getting through to VM (experiencing a high volume of calls ..as always)  the support person changed something to fix it and changed e-mail password now even my phone doesn't work.  Web site explains how to fix a mail unavailable problem but manage e-mail password isn't present on my account settings or account details so I have no way of changing e-mail password.  It's terrible  to be told wait for a call in a few days (maybe) whilst still can't get at my e-mails.  I wish VM had insightful support people who have the means to tackle the issue straight away.  And another thing, it's totally crazy to have to use 'another' e-mail address that's not blueyounder to change my virgin media password. If we didn't have google what would we do! 

      • coenoby's avatar
        coenoby
        Very Insightful Person

        novmsupport wrote:

        "You would expect info on how to connect Outlook to VM e-mail servers would be published on a help page" 


        I'll say at the outset I am not defending VM but just trying to offer some (hopefully) useful advice.

        There is a Helpsheet from Virgin Media which has a lot of information about using VM's email service including a section on "How to set up my Virgin Media email on a device" which takes you through the necessary steps.

        Sadly. that is not easy to find but here's a link to it https://www.virginmedia.com/help/broadband/manage-email-account 

        "the support person changed something to fix it and changed e-mail password now even my phone doesn't work. Also. it does not specifically"

        That sounds as if that they did not explain to you about the need to generate a "mail app" password for Outlook ans any other email apps that you use. However, I see that Graham_A helped you with that when you posted back in September but I have repeated it here again for the benefit of anyone reading this for the first time.

        It does seem that many VM support staff appear to be unaware that VM now insist that you use the mail app password in the email settings of all your email apps.

        The Helpsheet in the link explains how to generate a new mail app - see the section "Setting your app password to use an Email app".

        Just for completeness, to access your VM email account directly on the VM website you now need to enter the third party (non VM) email address as the username and the "normal" password that has just been reset.

        "manage e-mail password isn't present on my account settings or account details"

        Sorry, I cannot offer any solution to that although I know a lot of people are currently experiencing it. All I can say is that I have also experienced that on My Virgin Media account a few times. However, I found that it always came back when I have refreshed the web page a few times.

        Coenoby

    • hotrod's avatar
      hotrod
      On our wavelength

      Thanks Graham! Wife's phone and Outlook up and running. Hopeless trying to get the required info out of the call centre people. NEED to talk to a techy here in the UK to resolve techy problems!

      My wife had received quite an obscene email supposedly from her email account so VM locked it after which they sent out an email stating why it had been locked and how to unlock it, yes after it was locked so we didn't see it until the account was available again. Well done VM on the ball as usual!!

      • Carley_S's avatar
        Carley_S
        Forum Team

        Glad to hear this is all working for your Wife again hotrod 
        My apologies that the email with the information about the access was sent to the locked email. 

         

        Please let us know if you are having any further issues or have any questions at all. We'll be here to help on the community forums if needed :). 
         

  • 用心棒's avatar
    用心棒
    Very Insightful Person

    Kempson02 wrote:


    However, I still cannot get Outlook to talk to the Virgin email. I have changed the Outlook settings to the new username and password as instructed by the 150 team and it doesn't work. …


    Just to add to Graham_A's good advice, with email clients, i.e. Outlook, you must continue to use your Virgin Media email address as the username. For example, if my email address is richard.branson@virginmedia.com and I change the Sign in Email Address to richard.branson@example.com then:

    • the former would continue to be used as username when configuring an email client's settings
    • the latter when signing into My Virgin Media or webmail

    -- 
    I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more
    Have I helped? Select Mark as Helpful Answer or 🖒 Kudos to say thanks

    • Kempson02's avatar
      Kempson02
      Joining in

      Thank you for this - together with Graham's advice above it worked on my PC but unfortunately I'm still having problems picking up emails on my Android phone.

      • coenoby's avatar
        coenoby
        Very Insightful Person

        Kempson02 wrote:I'm still having problems picking up emails on my Android phone.

        There is a trick that often resolves a multitude of problems with updating email apps such as the one on your android phone.

        Rather than updating the existing email settings in the app try deleting the VM email account from the email app. Then set it up again in the email app as a new email account.

        Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that you delete the email account from the VM website just delete the email account from the settings in the email app on your phone. Set it up using the VM email address and the mail app password that you used in Outlook.

        Setting the email account up again from scratch in the app, effectively as a new account, often works when trying to update the password in the existing app settings fails. If successful the app will then pick up all the existing emails in you webmail account so it will be the same as it was before.

        Try doing that an see how it goes.

        Coenoby

    • Reece_MH's avatar
      Reece_MH
      Forum Team (Retired)

      Hi Kempson02 👋

      Thanks for posting, and welcome to the Community Forums.

      I'm glad to hear you've been able to get things working on your PC, but I'm sorry to hear you're still experiencing issues after attempting the fantastic advice from both Graham and 用心棒.

      To clarify, are you seeing any specific error messages when attempting to sign in on your Mobile? Can you confirm what app you're using to access the Mail (e.g. Outlook, Android Mail, etc.).

      Cheers,

  • Ianpb's avatar
    Ianpb
    On our wavelength

    I have just today realised that the MS Outlook I use has not been sending emails through the smtp.blueyonder.co.uk server for the past week. Instead, they have been piling up in the Outlook Outbox, unable to be sent. I can receive emails perfectly normal, but not send them. Any suggestions?

    • Megan_L's avatar
      Megan_L
      Forum Team

      Hi Lanpb, 

      Thanks for posting and welcome back to our Community Forums 😊
      Sorry you're having this issue with your emails! 

      I'd like to ask some questions to get a better understanding of the problem - 

      • If you log in to your Blueyonder email can you send them directly from there?
      • Have you tried sending the emails on different devices or browsers? 
      • Do you have a VPN active? 

      Thanks,

      Meg

    • coenoby's avatar
      coenoby
      Very Insightful Person

      Ianpb wrote:

      MS Outlook I use has not been sending emails through the smtp.blueyonder.co.uk server for the past week. Instead, they have been piling up in the Outlook Outbox, unable to be sent.

      . Any suggestions?


      Without knowing what error message or messages you are getting from Outlook it's difficult to know exactly what is causing the problem.

      However many people have be posting here that they cannot send VM emails via Outllook. They are getting the error message 0x800CCC78 and the text includes "The server responded: 530 5.1.0 Authentication Required (VM401)'

      If that is the case with you then take a look at my recent post here https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Can-t-send-emails 

      That was in respect to a virgin.net email account but the same issue applies to all the VM domains including Blueyonder.

      Regarding "smtp.blueyonder.co.uk server "

      You should really be using the virginmedia.com servers rather than Blueyonder.  For many years VM have been recommending that their customers use the following settings for all the VM email domains:

      IMAP settings (recommended)
      Host Name: imap.virginmedia.com
      Username: your full Virgin Media email address
      Password: your Virgin Media email app password
      Advanced settings
      SSL Encryption: Enabled
      Port: 993 (this may be automatically chosen by selecting SSL encryption)

       

      POP3 settings
      Host Name: pop3.virginmedia.com
      Username: your full Virgin Media email address
      Password: your Virgin Media email app password
      Advanced settings:
      SSL Encryption: Enabled
      Port: 995 (this may be automatically chosen by selecting SSL encryption)

       

      SMTP settings
      Host Name: smtp.virginmedia.com
      Username: your full Virgin Media email address
      Password: your Virgin Media email app password
      SSL Encryption: Enabled
      Port: 465 (this might not be selected automating by enabling SSL, so please check)
      Authentication: Password

      Coenoby