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MatWork's avatar
MatWork
Joining in
2 months ago
Solved

Outlook won't connect to IMAP

Hi,

Today, my blueyonder.co.uk email stopped syncing in Outlook (on a Windows 11 Laptop). I removed the account in Outlook and tried to set it up again as IMAP. Outlook says 'Waiting for you Email Provider' and then it fails with the message 'Sign in failed. Please try again in a few minutes. You may need an app password'. I am using the app password. In fact, I went into My Virgin Media and created a new app password to use. I can access the emails on my android phone and tablet using this new app password, but it is only failing in Outlook.

If I then click on 'Troubleshoot', it shows the error code INVALIDCREDENTIALS TEMPORARILYUNAVAILABLE.

I have a business email account (via another provider) and that is connected tOutlook fine via IMAP, so it is an issue with Virgin.

Anyone know what is going on?

Thanks.

Blueyonder
IMAP
outlook
  • MatWork's avatar
    MatWork
    2 months ago

    Hurrah! Just connected the IMAP account this morning (27/10/2025) and has connected successfully. Looks like VM fixed it.

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  • KimNewman's avatar
    KimNewman
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    I have this too.  All day yesterday - then resolved for about half an hour yesterday evening but went out again and still out.  I happen to have an earlier, obsolete version of Outlook on my desktop and - bizarrely - that still works properly.  

    • Bookworm3's avatar
      Bookworm3
      On our wavelength
      2 months ago

      We had this problem with my husband’s NTL account not being recognised by Outlook. We were changing his computer but had the same issue so we managed to download Outlook classic and it installed fine!

      I'm having the same issue (see earlier post) and tried to install it on the Outlook app - straightforward no issues! Yet on my Win 11 computer it won't!

  • davidbalerno's avatar
    davidbalerno
    Dialled in
    2 months ago

    Same problem, my VM blueyonder account in Outlook has no emails received since the one at 2.22am today, others from earlier are showing. but there are several more today when I log in to VM directly in google. My gmail account IS working fine in Outlook. Searched for Outlook not working and seems it is fine.

    • davidbalerno's avatar
      davidbalerno
      Dialled in
      2 months ago

      Update - chatted with VM online, agent advised there is a problem with email and is escalating my issue to IT Team.

  • mr_pete's avatar
    mr_pete
    Dialled in
    2 months ago

    Also this.
    Started 22nd Oct.  Now it's "blacklisted" me.
    Worse, one app I use uses the BY address and I need to get an email to it to reset a password, which I can't get (even though it's set to fwd emails to my gmail, nothing is getting there)

     

  • bigarch39's avatar
    bigarch39
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    I can access my ntlworld email account via the Virgin Media website but can't access it through various clients such as Outlook, Gmail or Blue mail. Is there a problem with settings for these client software apps e.g. port settings. This problem started this morning. 

    • Paulyboy's avatar
      Paulyboy
      On our wavelength
      2 months ago

      I can access my ntlworld account   through my phones GMAIL email app but through Windows 11 laptop. Very odd .

  • KGB's avatar
    KGB
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    I'm encountering exactly the same issue, I keep going round and round and getting nowhere, VM have overcomplicated sign in imho

    • Bookworm3's avatar
      Bookworm3
      On our wavelength
      2 months ago

      I, too, am having the same problem with one of my NTL accounts, but the other 2 sign in fine in Outlook. I've generated a new app password, but get absolutely nowhere, yet it's all fine on my tablet or webmail.