Email not working on apps after password change

[djpaterson]

Had a problem sending emails from my pc (Outlook) and phone (Bluemail). After browsing these boards it seems my IP has been blacklisted for suspected spam. Started doing some investigation (which had only got so far) but that's created a new problem. Changed my Virginmedia password in case I'd been hacked and now cannot get Bluemail or Outlook to work. Tried both the new password and the VM generated app password but to no avail. Generated a new app password, but still won't connect. Email is working fine online, it's just the apps I'm having a problem with. Oh, and the suspected spamming. Any ideas gratefully accepted! 😀

[coenoby · Accepted solution]

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@djpaterson wrote:

Had a problem sending emails from my pc (Outlook) and phone (Bluemail). After browsing these boards it seems my IP has been blacklisted for suspected spam.

Changed my Virginmedia password in case I'd been hacked and now cannot get Bluemail or Outlook to work. Tried both the new password and the VM generated app password but to no avail. Generated a new app password, but still won't connect. Email is working fine online, it's just the apps I'm having a problem with.

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If you have changed your password and generated an app password then you have obviously  gone through the processof  supplying a non VM email address to use as the username for accessing your VM accounts via the VM website.

One thing to bear in mind is that (rather confusingly) it now means that:

• you have to use your non VM email as the username for accessing your VM email account in VM's webmail service. If VM webmail works then you obviously already know that.              However.........................
• you still need to use your VM email address as the username in the email settings of email apps and clients such as Bluemail and Outlook.

If you are already doing that, then there is a second thing to bear in mind. When you update the password in an email client settings most email clients such as Outlook will try to validate that by sending a test email message. If your IP address has been blocked by VM then the client will be unable to send that test message and so will come up as a fail.

Just to clarify something else. If your IP address has been blocked by VM you will still be able to send emails using VM's online webmail service. It is only emails sent from email apps and clients that will be blocked.

Finally, if you have access to a Windows 10 or 11 device you can check the exact error code that VM are reporting when you try to send an email. Sadly. mail apps don't give that level of detail.

Follow these steps:

1) Copy the following line of command text and then paste it into a MS Word document (or which ever text editor you prefer)  so that you can edit it.

curl -v smtps://smtp.virginmedia.com -u username:password

2) Once you have pasted it into Word, replace "username" with your full Virgin Media email address,  and   "password"  with your current VM mail app password.  So that part should now say something like     "youremailaddy@xxxxxx.com:dead.tame.fate.tail"   (but without the " ").   It is important to keep the colon  :  and the spaces before that piece of text exactly as per the original line of text in step 1).

3 Type cmd into the Windows 10 or 11 search bar, press Enter and then open the Command Prompt app.

4) Copy the full line of text that you just amended in step 2 from the Word document and paste it where the cursor is blinking in the Command Prompt. Then press Enter.

That will generate many lines of output but all you need to look for towards the end of the output is either:

235 2.7.0 SMTP350 Authentication successful           

or an error message such as

535 5.7.8 Authentication Credentials Invalid (VM300) 

Post back here to say either that authentication was successful or, if not, just post the error message line as per the example above. The VM3nn code is the key piece of information.

Don't post the full output from the Curl command. That output includes your password in a form that can easily be decrypted.

Coenoby

[djpaterson]

Thank you, coenoby

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If you are already doing that, then there is a second thing to bear in mind. When you update the password in an email client settings most email clients such as Outlook will try to validate that by sending a test email message. If your IP address has been blocked by VM then the client will be unable to send that test message and so will come up as a fail.

 I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I had tried both my VM and non-VM email addresses, but to no avail (although could access webmail okay). Just tried again (after having Outlook switched to offline for a few days) and VM emails now working fine - including receiving a Microsoft Outlook test message.

Have not found any reason for spam being sent from any devices on my network, but it appears the block as been lifted. If it reoccurs, I'll follow the steps you have kindly detailed.

Many thanks for sharing your expert knowledge - it is greatly appreciated!

DJP

[coenoby]

@djpaterson 

It's good to hear that things are now working as they should.

IP address blocking is usually an automated process so If your IP address was blocked that may have been down to a false positive result by the detection software. In other words there were no spam messages. However, if it happens again you are already prepared. 😉

Coenoby

[djpaterson]

Thanks, again!