Ntlworld email

[Fific]

Hi

I need to reset my password and have been unable to access the account through the virgin media website, as it’s saying the account doesn’t exist. I’ve had the email address (well actually there’s 3) for 20+ years and I had a short period (a few months) where I wasn’t a customer (I am again now), but the email account is still active (I send and receive email daily). Any ideas how I can reset please? 

[coenoby]

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@Fific

Sorry to go on at length now 🙄  but I am going to paint the big picture around your simple request for a password reset.

"have been unable to access the account through the virgin media website, as it’s saying the account doesn’t exist."

Do you get that message when trying to access it via this link https://mail2.virginmedia.com/  ? If you enter the ntlworld address and then the password that should take you direct to the account on the VM website. If you don't know the password just enter the email address and try the "Forgot your password link" when prompted for the password.

"I had a short period (a few months) where I wasn’t a customer (I am again now),"

If by "a few months" you mean longer than 90 days (3months) it means:

1. that ntlworld account will have become what VM refer to as an "orphan account", that is one that is not linked to a live broadband account and so liable to be deleted after 90 days
2. even if it is less than 90 days since you left VM, the Ntlworld address will not automatically have been linked to your new VM broadband account and so is still at risk of being deleted.

"but the email account is still active (I send and receive email daily)."

If you access your Ntlworld emails via an email app or client rather than directly from the VM website there is an explanation for that.

When VM "delete" an orphan email account, their first step seems to be to remove access to the account via the VM website. However, they  leave the mailbox itself still live and VM seem much slower to delete the mailbox itself. Email apps and clients access the mailbox directly rather than via the VM webmail account so they still continue to send and receive emails.

As I read what you have posted, it seems to suggest that is the situation with your account.

"Any ideas how I can reset please? "

Well, if my explanation is correct, only VM staff can reset the password for you. But...........there is yet another issue.

Unless something is done to link that Ntlworld address to your new VM broadband account it could be disappear completely at anytime. VM do seem to be having a bit if a clear out of these old accounts.

Sorry to say there is an even bigger issue that you might like to consider.

VM no longer offers email accounts. New customers do not get one and existing customers cannot create new ones. VM clearly do not see an email service as part of their business model going forward.

VM say that they still support the email accounts of existing VM customers but who knows what the future holds for VM email accounts.

It would seem that you still use this Ntlworld address but my advice would be to move on to using an email account from one of the many free email services that are available.

One of the Forum Team (VM employees who support this forum) will contact you via this thread in the next day or so. They can take your details by Private Message and advise you of the options regarding the old Ntlworld account.

If you are intent on continuing to use that Ntlworld address you need to make sure that VM have (or will) link it to your current VM broadband contract. Unless that happens it could disappear completely at any time. Sadly there have been many posts on this forum from people who have lost old VM email accounts that they have used for 20+ years.

Coenoby

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[czure]

 I know this is a few months on from your reply but wanted to say I appreciate the clear and concise info' & explanations you've provided on this matter, it would seem OP forgot to do this! so thank you.

The info' may not have allowed folk to regain access to old @ntlworld email accounts (unless after speaking with VM someone has been successful, though I very much doubt it & certainly haven't seen anyone saying they've done so on here or the internet searches I've done, unless they're not the sharing kind).

 Been in similar situ' myself for years now after a short time in hospital when Virgin account was shutdown for just under a year, but I knew the @ntlworld email was still active due to the forwarding to my Gmail still happening, I now know why this is the case even though all other access etc is blocked thanks to your reply.

Main issue is accessing a handful of accounts & apps from way back that require codes or verification links sent to the old email as many of the codes etc only seem to get forwarded after they've expired, yet strangely the plentiful spam & phishing has no problem getting through regularly, obviously I failed to correctly set up filtering & blocking etc as I was far less knowledgeable back then regarding such, got it sorted in my Gmail now though. Another reason to gain access would be to have the account & associated email address entirely deleted for security purposes once I'd finally been able to transfer the stuck accounts etc, or even delete those accounts if access was granted.

 I've managed to change most after contacting the parties concerned via their messaging, but there's still that handful which insist on refusing to reply to any address other than the one currently registered which is plain stupidity to be honest, they're rarely used but still needed accounts or apps for the most part and some have info saved in them that I would like transferred across or deleted so I'm still kind of stuck waiting for the day when the login code etc arrives for any or all before they expire.

[coenoby]

@czure 

Thank you very much for your kind words. I do try to be clear but I am not sure I'm always concise 😯

Regarding your current issue re these verification emails. If you are getting emails forwarded from these old VM accounts it may be possible for you to access them via na email app or email client even though you cannot access the accounts directly via the VM webmail service on the website.

However, that would rely on you still knowing the passwords for these email accounts.

If you do know the passwords, do you have a Windows 10 or 11 computer?

If so that should come with a free Microsoft email app called "Mail".

Here are Microsoft's instructions on how to add email accounts to that app:  https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/set-up-email-in-the-mail-app   Just follow the instructions under the "Add a new email account" heading.

If successful that will allow you to pick up all the emails (received and sent) by your VM email accounts. However, as I said earlier. it does rely on you knowing the correct passwords. Also. it is not a long term solution to enable you to continue using these VM email accounts - they will disappear completely in due course.

The forwarding function in VM emails is not immediate but if you can set up these email accounts in the Mail app they should arrive there straight away with no inbuilt delay.

If you don't have the Mail app, there are other free ones you could download but give Mail a try first.  

See how that goes, I hope it helps.

Coenoby

[czure]

Thanks Coenoby. I do as I say get them coming through to my Gmail but almost always with the delay, often so long the codes have expired, so are you saying that with the Mail App on my Windows that delay doesn't happen? If that's the case it would allow me to finally change everything and then ask VM if they can once & for delete the old email account to stop the junk & dispose of any possible security risks.

[coenoby]

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@czure wrote:

so are you saying that with the Mail App on my Windows that delay doesn't happen?

If the emails are being forwarded to Gmail then yes I am. That's because the Mail app will pick up those emails straight from your VM email account rather than waiting until they are forwarded.

Mail has an icon at the top of the screen that looks like this  and when you click on that, Mail will go away and check for new messages that have arrived in your VM email account and download them straight away.

"If that's the case it would allow me to finally change everything"

It would but it relies on:

• you knowing the passwords for the VM email account because Mail requires to specify the email address and password for each email account it manages.
• that the mailbox for your VM email account is still available and accessible by an email app. The fact that you are getting emails forwarded suggests that is the case but I still cannot guarantee it will work.

Give it a try and see, you have nothing to lose.

Coenoby

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