Email password change problems

[HappyChappie]

I use Outlook 2016 on a tower computer as well as Apple Mail on an iPad to collect and manage my email messages. I occasionally login to webmail.  Like many others, my VM email address has been blocked "for security reasons" and I have been requested to change the password.

I am a long-long-time customer of VM so when I first joined them you could have multiple email addresses, which I took advantage of.  I currently have four, one primary linked to my VM account and three secondary.

I received the "security" message for one of my secondary addresses a few weeks ago, followed the process to change password, was allocated a VM-chosen password and all was well with Outlook BUT I have since been unable to log-in to webmail using either the old password or the new VM-generated password.  I would like to change the password to one of my choice but can find no means of doing so as I cannot login to webmail.

I have now received the "security" message for another of my secondary emails - one which I use quite prolifically both via Outlook and webmail.  I am hesitant to go through the password change process until I can fully understand the consequences.

So, my understanding is if I wish to continue using an email client (Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.) to collect and manage messages, I need to create a new password and change it in the account settings for that client.  I will be asked to login in to the email address in question, click the forgotten password link and follow the instructions to change the password.  I will be asked for an alternative (non VM) email address for a verification link to be sent to me which will provide me with a VM-allocated password.  This password is then entered into the email client settings and all is well.

So, having done all that, how can I login via webmail to my various primary and secondary emails?  There does not appear to be an app for me to download on to my tower pc so where do I go from here?

Sorry, several questions here - hope someone can answer all of them and many thanks in advance!

[mybusiness]

"You cannot change the auto generated app password to one of your own choice"

This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE !! It is totally unacceptable that VM believe they have the right to dictate the authentication password we use for OUR emails! The auto generated passwords are WEAK and PATHETIC passwords, which just makes the arrogance of this new change unbelievable! I use a strong password generator for my email authentication but when I recently mistakenly changed it and forgot what I had used, I had to use VM's incredibly unacceptable weak auto generated password.

Also.. HOW DO WE KNOW VM ARE NOT STORING OUR PASSWORDS SOMEWHERE? They are provided in PLAIN TEXT and so it would be totally possilbe for VM to be keeping OUR PASSWORDS on their database. I do not trust VM and they need to be investigated. I will be CONTACTING OFCOM and informing them of this totally unaccepable practice.

CHANGE THE PASSWORD CREATION BACK TO USER CONTROLLED. The email data BELONGS TO US, only WE should have the right to choose our passwords.

I am DISGUSTED at this change!!!  VM email is now relegated to a SECONDARY email. I REFUSE to use this INSECURE email system for my personal email.

[Graham_A]

@mybusiness Whilst contacting Ofcom regarding this you might want to mention that Microsoft also operates an app generated password policy where the user cannot set their own app password.

[Steven_L]

Hey mybusiness,

Welcome to the community and thanks for taking the time to post here on the forums.

I'm sorry you feel that way about the password system that we are now using for email clients, I will be sure to pass on your feed back to the appropriate teams involved in our security areas. 

Kind Regards,

Steven_L