Solved Microsoft's POP3 email problem

To deal with emails/AppPasswords on an android cell phone see YouTube video


Question is: I got to the part where it accepts my email/password. Then Google says "Match the number...To make a long story short, it seems one has to have a computer up and running in order to get to Google to generate an AppPassword and then it still involves a lot of back and forth INCLUDING having to deal with Google not accepting your password!! This is insane!! By the time you get to the end of the 2:22 video you realize it might or might not have anything to do with AppPasswords!

One big problem is that Google seems to have two modes: 1) It accepts your password; 2) It rejects your password 3) It rejects your password and then on the second try, accepts it 4) It consistently rejects your password despite having accepted it minutes earlier.

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Every time I read something on this thread, I come away shaking my head

So do I!

z3r010 said:

Every time I read something on this thread, I come away shaking my head

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Just wow.
OP, why are you insisting in trying to make gmail a POP3 account, use IMAP? Gmail can easily be accessed in your browser or phone by just logging in to gmail, but you must already know this.

But if you want to use a gmail account with Microsoft Outlook here's how:
How to read your Gmail messages in Outlook
And yes I do have a POP3 email account with Microsoft Outlook 2021 using Windows 11 for my ISP's email at comcast.net. I don't need this since I can access my comcast email from their website by logging into comcast but I find it more convenient to use Outlook.

I have no problems running a pop3 account in Outlook. (Except, before, all that AppPassword stuff...) What I do have a problem with is Outlook itself (never used to happen). Outlook is costantly screwing up most of the items in its view menu (getting columns to show up; to format correctly AND TO HOLD THEIR FORMAT; to lose the Calendar Notification window that should show up; to get the calendar to show up as configured; practically anything that can go wrong seems to...

thecaretaker said:

1. Go to your Google Account.
2. Select Security.
3. Under "Signing in to Google," select 2-Step Verification.
4. At the bottom of the page, select App passwords.
5. Enter a

6. thecaretaker said:

   Enter a name that helps you remember where you’ll use the app password.

   Click to expand...

   
   
7. .
8. Select Generate.
9. To enter the app password, follow the instructions on your screen. The app password is the 16-character code that generates on your device.
10. Select Done.

If you’ve set up 2-Step Verification but can’t find the option to add an app password, it might be because:

• Your Google Account has 2-Step Verification set up only for security keys.

Click to expand...

Because I was uninstalling OneDrive, I had to move my outlook.pst file. Outlook is set to use the file but complains that it can't find it (even though the file location is exactly correct). So I'm assuming that it's an app password problem.


Now I'm trying to create an app password using your excellent instructions:
- Step 4 There is nothing on my Google Account page that says App passwords

thecaretaker said:

• Your Google Account has 2-Step Verification set up only for security keys.
• You’re logged into a work, school, or another organization account.
• Your Google Account has Advanced Protection.

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I have no idea what 2Step Verification set up only for security keys is!! (Do I even have Security Keys????)
What the devil is Advanced Protection?

thecaretaker said:

Enter a name that helps you remember where you’ll use the app password.

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Under Recent Security Activity There were 9 app passwords that were removed. Now there are only 2 app passwords. None of these passwords have a "name that helps..." or if they do, Google is doing its damn best to hide it.

Nor do I know if this is even an App Password issue!!!

I thinks there's a lot of misunderstandings going on here coupled with a lack of knowledge of how things work.

1) Microsoft is NOT responsible for improperly configured POP/IMAP settings. You'll need to follow ISP's settings.
2) The default location for .PST files is not OneDrive and the only way it would be in OneDrive is if you placed it there. Additionally, you can place the PST file anywhere you want and simply point to it from the Outlook app as I do.

I think a bit of understanding what you're using would go a long way in alleviating your frustrations. Perhaps you need to gain a better understanding of the Password Manager you're using, and a better understanding of why you need it???

Additionally, I'm at a complete loss as to how a Password Manager could be causing you issues with setting up a POP/IMAP account, and what it has to do with a PST file?

Dru2 said:

1) Microsoft is NOT responsible for improperly configured POP/IMAP settings. You'll need to follow ISP's settings.

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I never said Microsoft is responsible "for improperly configured POP/IMAP settings". And, BTW the ISP is not responsible for POP/IMAP settings. If they were one wouldn't be able to look up how to properly configure a POP/IMAP setting on the Internet (and a Microsoft T-support person would not be able to configure an Outlook profile.

Dru2 said:

2) The default location for .PST files is not OneDrive and the only way it would be in OneDrive is if you placed it there. Additionally, you can place the PST file anywhere you want and simply point to it from the Outlook app as I do.

Click to expand...

The default location for .pst files is usually the Documents folder and OneDrive does take all the Documents entries and includes it in its mayhem.
We agree that we think one should be able to place the PST files anywhere.
I put my .pst file somewhere and correctly referenced ("pointed to") it.
Now you tell me why trying to send/receive an email I get the message:
View attachment 71839
Actually I really envy you. You're so lucky to be like 95% of the rest of Windows users who have never heard of/ had to configure App Passwords and who don't have to confront their Google Security page or try and format decrepit apps like Microsoft Outlook.

Dru2 said:

I think a bit of understanding what you're using would go a long way in alleviating your frustrations. Perhaps you need to gain a better understanding of the Password Manager you're using, and a better understanding of why you need it???

Click to expand...

I don't need to gain a better understanding of any Password Manager because I don't use any. (My passwords are algorithmic.)
Using a computer to do something someone with a minimum of intelligence can do is just allowing another mayhemic procedure into the process.

Dru2 said:

Additionally, I'm at a complete loss as to how a Password Manager could be causing you issues with setting up a POP/IMAP account, and what it has to do with a PST file?

Click to expand...

I can think of many ways a password manager could be causing issues setting up a POP/IMAP account. For example: some idiot could be under the impression all those settings one needs to input into the configuration forms need to have passwords put into them.

jro11 said:

I never said Microsoft is responsible "for improperly configured POP/IMAP settings". And, BTW the ISP is not responsible for POP/IMAP settings. If they were one wouldn't be able to look up how to properly configure a POP/IMAP setting on the Internet (and a Microsoft T-support person would not be able to configure an Outlook profile.

Click to expand...

This tells me everything i need to know about your level of competence with email systems.

Now can we finally get to what I asked the questions about.

Namely, how to associate an App password with my Outlook problem.

Or, if you think you know how to deal with the problem:
1) I've moved my Outlook.pst file to my _Documents directory
2) I've set up Outlook using the same profile it was using the day before yesterday (the day before I uninstalled OneDrive)
3) Outlook is properly pointed to the Outlook.pst file.

When I try and send/receive emails I get the message


What would YOU do to be able to SEND/RECEIVE email?

jro11 said:

And, BTW the ISP is not responsible for POP/IMAP settings. If they were one wouldn't be able to look up how to properly configure a POP/IMAP setting on the Internet (and a Microsoft T-support person would not be able to configure an Outlook profile.

Click to expand...

Perhaps you need to revisit your understanding of where those server addresses and setting (password, server address, ports) to get your mail comes from??? Here when I say ISP - that also means the service provider you get your email address from

They, NOT Microsoft is responsible for providing the credentials - password, server address, and ISP settings....


Those settings are provided by the account provider (ISP), NOT Microsoft - Server settings you'll need from your email provider - Microsoft Support. You need to visit the email service provider to insure you have the correct credentials to connect, especially the server address, and password.

jro11 said:

The default location for .pst files is usually the Documents folder and OneDrive does take all the Documents entries and includes it in its mayhem.

Click to expand...

You are correct. And yes, if OneDrive moves the Documents folder, then yes, the .pst files will go with it.

That said, depending on Outlook version, and or whether or not one uses POP3. You may not even get a default .PST file, but instead an .OST file that resides in you user profile (C:\Users\user-name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook). Here the only time a pst file would be created is if the user manually created or imported one.

Since I run Office 365 with the Outlook app and only use IMAP, I get a .OST file as my default data file. However, I instead import a previous .PST file that I use as my default data file (Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, etc.. That PST file can be put anywhere, and all I need to do is point Outlook to it.

jro11 said:

Actually I really envy you. You're so lucky to be like 95% of the rest of Windows users who have never heard of/ had to configure App Passwords and who don't have to confront their Google Security page or try and format decrepit apps like Microsoft Outlook.

Click to expand...

I guess I am considering that's not a necessity to run and use Outlook.

And BTW, I also have a Gmail email account attached to Outlook. Instructions are rather easy to follow... Set up Gmail accounts - Microsoft Support

jro11 said:

I don't need to gain a better understanding of any Password Manager because I don't use any. (My passwords are algorithmic.)

Click to expand...

Yet you mentioned it and posted images of it in post# 101.

I'm lost...

Edwin, that makes two of us.

MIND YOU, not all of what my friend Drualso says is wrong.

But just to cut to the quick:

If I am using the latest version of Outlook, that was working just two days ago, and that has the same user profile configured to my POP3 account, configured in the same way, and pointing to the same .pst file as it was when it was working then one might assume all that was in order. And the next thing one might feel a need to do would be to investigate the realm of App passwords, since so many people on this forum have said that an app password (a 16-digit monster, usually generated by Google--and, if one looks it up, remembered by Google for fast lookup purposes) is essential (and, oh, if you ever encounter Microsoft t-support they always--as a matter of course--generate that Google password) then the reasonable thing one might do would be to generate that password--AND THATS WHAT THREAD PARTS 106 -> PRESENT ARE ALL ABOUT.

Actually three of us. And Z said it all

Edwin said:

I'm lost...

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Are you talking about adding a Google account to Outlook, or am I missing something???
What's this app password you're talking about???

Edwin said:

Are you talking about adding a Google account to Outlook, or am I missing something???
What's this app password you're talking about???

Click to expand...

Don't just get caught up in my replies, look at the overall thread to include the very top post

Dru2 said:

Don't just get caught up in my replies, look at the overall thread to include the very top post

Click to expand...

Okay, got it! Sorry for the interruptions, I'll stay out of it now.

gee thanks...so now no one's ever heard about App Passwords...

Edwin said:

Okay, got it! Sorry for the interruptions, I'll stay out of it now.

Click to expand...

Don't put that on me! I'm simply pointing out that there's more to the story then my replies indicate. You do what you do.

Anyway, I'm out as I gave my suggestions.

Peace

I'm just here for the entertainment!