Unable to access my emails in Outlook or Blueyonder webmail

[Kirsti]

I am completely stuck:

Outlook no longer works because it refuses to accept my Virgin Media password which previpusly worked perfectly.

Microsoft were unable to help me because they said this was a Virgin problem (they tried, remotely).

I am no longer able to access my Webmail either, and unable to change the password because now the system refuses to accept my Blueyonder email address, which as been my main address for 20+ years.

I am desperate to get this sorted.

Please help!

Kirsti 

[goslow · Accepted solution]

Are you currently a VM broadband customer?

[Kirsti]

Yes I am. My current contract ends in December 2024.

I have been with VM since the beginning and have been relatively happy overall.

But, with the service worsening day by day, and the prices increasing, I may consider leaving VM after 20+ years with the company.

Why is there no chat service (like Microsoft and Norton do), where technical problems could be dealt with promptly, and remotely?

I have tried phoning VM several times in the past, unsuccessfully.

Not good!

Kirsti

[goslow]

VM has changed some of its security requirements and server settings which has stopped some email clients from working if they are on old settings.

Have a look at the info here

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/broadband/manage-email-account

in particular the use of an app password (for email clients like Outlook) and also the required server settings (in particular SMTP authentication)

A screenshot of the required SMTP settings from Outlook is below

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Can-t-send-emails-and-can-t-access-my-webmail-or-my-broad...

Finally, each VM email account is now managed through its own 'My Virgin Media' account.

In the past the primary 'My Virgin Media' account could administer secondary email accounts for things like password resets. Now a password reset or creating an app password has to be done through the corresponding 'My Virgin Media' account for each email address. VM may also require you to set up a third party email address as part of any password reset process, explained below

https://www.virginmedia.com/dpb/help/change-my-virgin-media-email-address

Bottom line is (once you have regained access to your VM email) it would be best to start the process of switching your email requirements to a third party email provider for better reliability, better security and better features. If you plan to leave at the end of 2024 you would lose your VM email 90 days later so it would be best to do any email switching under your own terms and timescales rather than those imposed on you by VM.

[Kirsti]

Thanks for this, but I am a non-techy OAP and have no-one to help me with technical problems.

This is why I love Microsoft and Norton: they offer practical hands-on help and sort out problems remotely for me.

Does VM not have ANYONE on staff who could ring me and talk me through this?

Another reason for leaving VM, I guess?

Lack of proper customer care!

Kirsti

[Kirsti]

PS Thanks for your ruthlessly frank assessment of VM:

"Bottom line is (once you have regained access to your VM email) it would be best to start the process of switching your email requirements to a third party email provider for better reliability, better security and better features. If you plan to leave at the end of 2024 you would lose your VM email 90 days later so it would be best to do any email switching under your own terms and timescales rather than those imposed on you by VM."

I didn't understand much of your instructions, but this last paragraph fills me with dread!

I have stayed with VM out of loyalty ("better the devil you know"). That was clearly a BIG MISTAKE!

I can just imagine my life's work and livelihood vanishing into thin air in January, unless I put a plan in action NOW to prevent chaos at the end of the contract period.

VM clearly could not care less for what happens to me or my work and documents.

Kirsti

[goslow]

Are you still able to access the primary 'My Virgin Media' account (which allows you to see your bills, contract information etc.) for your VM package?

[jpeg1]

You are in fact very lucky not to have had your "life's work and livelihood vanishing into thin air" already.

VM do not promise to keep your data forever, and have no backups in case their systems fail.  I'd second the advice already given to get an alternative going as soon as possible.

As to their lack of customer support, VM are very well known for it. 

[Kirsti]

I have muddled through the instructions, and seem to have things working at the moment (touch wood).

It seems that the problem was this: after 20+ years of using my Blueyonder address only, I thought I better give VM my Gmail address, too, so they have a way of connecting with me if Blueyonder stops working.

Unknown to me, and quite without prompting, they made the Gmail address my primary email address.

This of course meant that I was no longer able to log into Outlook, or even my VM webmail.

I found no way of removing the Gmail address from my VM account, so have accepted the fact that everything now operates via that address, rather than Blueyonder. 

I guess as long as it works, it doesn't matter how?

Especially if I intend leaving VM in December in any case!

How can I migrate all my emails from VM to Google? I better start thinking about that soon, as there will be thousands to migrate over a period of 20+ years.

Kirsti

[goslow]

If you leave VM, you should not really migrate all your historic VM emails into a Gmail account. Using an email account as a storage system is not really a good idea and doing so will instantly eat up a big chunk of your storage allowance on your new mailbox.

You would do better to archive your VM emails to a device you own so you can refer back to them when you need to and keep a backup of the device you store the archive on.

If you are already using the Outlook desktop app, the program will already be storing some data for you on your computer.

Past Outlook configurations would store this as a PST file on your computer. More recent arrangements of Outlook would use an OST file. You can archive old messages to a PST file for long term storage and you can open PST files in Outlook if/when you need to refer back to any past info.

Here are some links

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/introduction-to-outlook-data-files-pst-and-ost-222eaf92-a...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/create-an-outlook-data-file-pst-to-save-your-information-...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/export-emails-contacts-and-calendar-items-to-outlook-usin...

The exact processes may vary depending on which version of Outlook you are running. It is also possible to set up auto-archiving to free up storage space in your mailbox.

If you have support with Microsoft they should be able to help you with the archiving and storing of your VM data as/when/if you decide to leave VM.

In any event though, start the process of gradually migrating all of your email needs away from VM now under your own terms and onto a new third party email address.