General Mac software discussions forum: Mail - continously rejects passwords

One of my accounts does the same thing, and it seams to be a bandwidth issue. If I've got 2-3 downloads going on and the Mail app. tries to access the mail servers, the problem child will kick back the password like a champ. I have another that will only kick it back if the cable modem is in abuse speed. I just right click on the problem mailbox, and select "take xxx@mmm online" The next time the App. tries to connect, (if I'm done downloading) it performs just fine.

I think some servers are just less willing to wait for an answer to a password prompt, and if the Mail app. has to wait to get the password reply out, it gets the door slammed in it's face.

Lampie

I bought this new iBook 6 days ago, and everyday wasted hours trying to get Mail to work because I need POP to do my email stuff. I then got Thunderbird instead, and it also has the same password problem. I am at a loss of what to do.

I have gone back to my windows IBM laptop to do my email stuff with Outlook Express, which is certainly better than Mail, Thunderbird, or Netscape.

It's just too bad that Mail is so problematic when considering that emailing is a very basic "bread and butter" function of any computer. I bought the iBook with high hopes of doing all my emailing, but now it ends up just for websurfing. I had intended to get completely away from Microsoft stuff, and so it would be meaningless if I were to buy Entourage Mac. Alas, iBook, cute little laptop, but not useful for my most important need. sigh....

I have had the same problem of my Apple Mail application cotinuously rejecting my password.

After rcploring merous forums and discussion groups and emailing my ISP provider customer support and checking and re-checking keychains and passwords and so on, I finally gave up.

I switched to the Thunderbird e-mail client and that e-mail client is NOT rejecting my password.

So, even though I am not a techno type and know nothing about software, the fact that Thnderbird is not doing this and Mail is tells me it is an Apple Mail problem.

It is unfortunate. I like the Mail client better and I would like to stick with it but they have not acknowledged the problem or issued a fix, and so, here we are.

I am using the Mac OS 10.3.9 ....

And no ... my Thunderbird e-mail client has not yet displayed this irritating problem of continuously asking for the password.

In fact, for the past two days. I have conducted an experiment in which I had both my Apple Mail and my Thunderbird e-mail clients going at the same time to see what would happen:

The Thunderbird downloaded all my e-mails from the broadband server just fine ... no requests for passwords.

But Apple Mail client, for those same emails, demanded my password about a dozen times. Very irritating!!! I finally had to quit the Mail client and am using just the Thunderbird again.

Oh God. I'm not a techie and have been a bit too scared to try to create a whole new account from scratch...! What if I screw it up and then end up not being able to get any mail??

But I guess at this point, maybe I've got nothing to lose and should attempt that.

As to what's causing this problem, there are two possibilities that I can think of :

1) Is it possible that there is something that is in the Mail App that the broadband server that I use can't process properly? Perhaps something that is in Mail app but not Thunderbird ... and that my particular ISP's server doesn't accept?

2. The other possibility is that it might be a problem in my
Apple Mail account directory.

The reason that I am thinking this is because I went into my Mail and clicked on the scripts icon and clicked on "Display all Accounts and Settings" ...

When I did that, the one weird thing that I found was that in the part for "Account Directory" it says : /Users/rosesimone/Library/Mail/POP-simoner@mail.golden.net

This last piece ... the POP- followed by the address is strange because that's the name of my OLD email address from long ago when I used to have a dial-up connecction. I have since changed to a high speed connection and a broadband internet service provider and so this account directory name doesn't reflect my current e-mail address.

So I am wondering if the Mail App is confused because of that?

But then, if that is the case and the Mail application has a wrong directory name... you would think that I shouldn't be receiving emails at all!

But I am getting my emails --- it's just that I keep getting his password rejection that tells me that my broadband server (POP Rogers) is rejecting my password.

Anyway, I have tried to find my Mail account directory in my computer to see if I can change that but have not been able to figure out how to change the actual name of the account directory for my Mail App in Mac OS X ... it seems to be very well hidden!!

Alright! Thanks for your help!

I overcame my fear, followed the instructions and managed to delete my old Appl Mail account.

So now I have created a whole new account and it is downloading the mail....

But we shall see if this strategy works in terms of solving that password rejection problem.

I'll post back when I know if it solved the problem!

Hi
Still get password requests - but not as often. Now 3 of the accounts run reasonably happily day to day, but one likes to be reminded (about 5- 7 times a day) that I still love her.
Not sure what changed...
Cheers
LittleB

http://www.LittleBruiser.com.au is everything little boys love

Sorry the problem has returned (not gone away)

My version of Mail is Version 2.0.5 (746/746.2) which is found in 10.4

Let's see if there are any other posts for this problem


P

If your Software updates are up to date then I don't think that a fix is forthcoming anytime soon.
The move to 10.4 fixes a whole slew of problems and is a very stable system


P