Ntlworld email suddenly won’t send.

[Dellilah]

Hi,

since yesterday morning (Monday) I’ve been have the same issue. I can receive email on all 4 of my ntlworld accounts but can’t send from any of them, either on my laptop or my iPad. I receive the error message that ‘the username or password is incorrect’. 

I’ve checked all my settings and they are the virgin media settings, (the pop and smtp settings) so that’s not the reason, and I’ve changed NOTHING from my end so this has to be an error st Virgin media’s end. 

I’ve been using these email addresses for about 25 years so this would be a real blow if I can’t get them working again. 

[Dellilah]

And I’ve just double checked: I can send email from ntlworld addresses via webmail, just not from my Mail apps on my laptop or iPad.

I originally posted this on someone else’s thread and it was suggested I start my own as it becomes confusing. Was also advised to

‘check whether your email addresses are linked to your current Virgin broadband account, because this will affect the outcome.’

I’m not really sure what this means. I’ve had the same Virgin broadband account for over 20 years hence the old ntlworld email addresses. So I’m pretty sure they’re linked and everything was working as it should until yesterday morning when I could still receive emails on all of them but can’t send on any, including the primary account. I’m getting worried as when this has happened in the past from time to time it would resolve itself within hours - which would indicate an error at the Virgin media end - but this time it isn’t resolving itself.

Very grateful if anyone can help,

[Graham_A · Accepted solution]

You should be able to to check via your My Virgin Media account.  A password change should help.

Sign in to My Virgin Media, go to My Profile and/or Manage Accounts depending on whether the account concerned is your primary account or an additional one. Select the account concerned and then click on Change to the right of password if a primary account or View/Change then change to the right of password for secondary accounts.

If you don't immediately see the My Profile tab click on the update settings then  account details buttons to get there.

[Dellilah]

Thanks for that, Graham, but I don’t understand why I should have to change my password at all. The email is receiving as usual, it just won’t send and I get that error message. Yet this has happened spontaneously - I altered nothing so why is it telling me that either my password or settings are wrong? They’re just the same as they were on Sunday night. 

[Dellilah]

I changed my password and it did nothing. Still getting the error message.

[Dellilah]

Hi again, Graham. 

I'm not entirely certain why this has happened but I’ve just had a fiddle about with two of my passwords: my primary and one of the secondary accounts, and I can now send email again. It doesn’t really explain *why* my passwords stopped working or needed to be changed when I’d altered nothing, but for now (fingers very much crossed) they’re sending again.

For anyone else experiencing this issue out of the blue, do as Graham suggested and change your passwords. I think changing the primary one was key.

I hope it doesn’t happen again! Thanks for replying Graham. 

[Graham_A]

@Dellilah  I know it sounds like odd advice but over the last 12 years or so of helping out here it has become apparent that the VM password servers sometimes get in a mess. A change of password more often than not resolves this.  In fact if it is a simple database issue rather than an account being locked then resetting the password using the same one is usually successful.

[Kain_W]

Thanks for the update Dellilah,

Do let us know if you need any further assistance.

Take care,