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Unable to access my Virgin.net emails from Microsoft Outlook

GC2024
Just joined

During the last month I have been unable to send and now receive my Virgin.net emails using an email 'client' app such as MS Outlook. My IMAP and SMTP settings as per: How to manage my email account | Virgin Media Help

For convenience I still wish to use MS Outlook as opposed to Virgin Webmail. 

I can see VM security change now requires a generated 'app' password to be used with email clients.  Also that the generated password is created via the 'My Virgin Media account' for the email address concerned in: account settings> account details. Generated passwords are in the format 'horse-moose-pony-dog'. Instructions:  Solved: Unable to access POP or IMAP - Virgin Media Community - 5481652

To obtain this 'generated password', it appears I have to use a separate email address for two-factor authentication (2FA) purposes, and the 'new' generated password for Outlook would be sent to my separate email address.

However, when I started the process, the automated verification message seemed to imply my *****@vrigin.net email address would be deleted and replaced by separate email address (which I thought was just going to be used for 2FA). 

I do not want to loose my *****@vrigin.net, as it would cause a lot of disruption.

Please can you help, and can someone point me in the right direction to resolve this problem without loosing my *****@vrigin.net emails!

Thanks in advance.

 

4 REPLIES 4

coenoby
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

@GC2024 wrote:
However, when I started the process, the automated verification message seemed to imply my *****@vrigin.net email address would be deleted and replaced by separate email address

That's not the way Virgin Media's new security set up works.

The non VM email address that you specify as part of that process will just become your VM username, not your new email address.

That means that in future

  • when you sign into your account on the VM website you will need to enter that non VM email address as your username, rather than your virgin.net address. However your actual email address will still be your virgin.net address so emails you send out will still use that address.
  • however, the email settings in Outlook will still need to use your virgin.net address, you just need to update the settings in the app to the new password to your new mail app password.

There is another bigger issue for you to consider however. You do still have a VM broadband account or is your virgin.net email account just a stand alone email account?

If your virgin.net email account is not linked to a VM broadband account then your email account could disappear at any time.

All VM email accounts, including virgin.net accounts, need to be linked to a live VM broadband account. VM stopped issuing new email accounts in May 2022 and since then they have been been closing down any VM email accounts that are no longer linked to a live VM broadband contract.

Posters who have had virgin.net accounts for 20 years or more regularly post here that their email account has disappeared.

Coenoby

I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media.

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Can virgin media just delete stand alone virgin.net accounts without informing you closer to the turn off date. This has just happened to me and have no access. How about data protection etc. A single complicated email over 2 years ago is not sufficient notice to just delete an account. You would expect several urgent email notifications warning you. I am stuck and look after 4 elderly parents financies via my email address. Virgin need to stop and think before they delete any more accounts. I am at a loss as to what to do.

Ps I have an account number but do not do any business with virgin media , yet I've just lost access

If you don't have an active broadband account with VM, it is likely your email has been deleted.

You would do best to stick to your own/original topic rather than multi-posting. It will confuse answers regarding your own topic and distract from replies to other people's topics.