Mail doesn't ask for password

Question

Level 1

8 points

Mail doesn't ask for password

Hi,

I have changed my email passwords and I am now unable to access any of my account.

What is really confusing is that even if I let the password fields blank for my accounts, Mail doesn't ask me to type in my password when trying to connect to my accounts...

For info, I am sure the passwords have been changed and my email settings are correct as I am able to check my email accounts using webmail services.

So my question is: How to force Mail to ask for my passwords when checking my emails?

Thanks

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5), same issue on Mac Mini with Montain

Posted on Jun 17, 2013 6:12 AM

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Answer 1

sanjampet

Level 5

7,988 points

Jun 17, 2013 10:49 AM in response to SEB-APPSTORE

SEB-APSTORE,

Next try this, aplliactions>utilities>Keychain Access, click keychain access in the menu bar, Keychain First Aid.

Enter your admin password, select repair, start.

These can be troublesome and require a step by step approach.

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Answer 2

SEB-APPSTORE Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2013 11:20 AM in response to sanjampet

Just did on both computers

Repair started

Checked login keychain

Checked default keychain

Checked keychain search list

Checked contents of ~/Library/Keychains/login.keychain

Checked contents of ~/Library/Keychains/Microsoft_Intermediate_Certificates

No problems found

Repair completed

No problems found on both computers

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Answer 3

SEB-APPSTORE Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2013 12:53 PM in response to sanjampet

Yes.

There are not Yahoo, Hotmail or Me accounts. Theses accounts are associted to my website/domain.

The passwords have been changed succesfully as I am able to access these account susing webmail service like SquirrelMail.

I am in touch with my website provider to see if there is nothing wrong on their side.

What is really confusing is that even if I let the password fields blank for my accounts and Keychain doesn't have any password for the accounts, Mail doesn't ask me to type in my passwords when trying to connect to my accounts...

Also, I don't have the spinning activity indicator when I click the new messages in all accounts button with the Mac Mini running Lion Mountain.

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Answer 4

Jun 17, 2013 1:03 PM in response to SEB-APPSTORE

In settings in mail, go to accounts and go to the account settings tab (for each mail account). The passwords will be shown as little rows of circular dots (bullets).

Just delete them. Then you will be prompted with a dialogue box to manually enter the password each time mail boots or your internet connection is reset.

___

At least, that's what's meant to happen. Might be that you've got a dodgy file, maybe some sort of locked permission or something. You probably need to find that file and get rid of it, much like a corrupted plist.

You could also try adding the accounts again from scratch to see if the behaviour is duplicated, or if the new versions of the same accounts behave as they should.

___

Do you know whether you are using POP or IMAP, and that all the various port settings are default or require some unusual setup. Usually from a server's cpanel you can get all of the requisite information.

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Answer 5

SEB-APPSTORE Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2013 1:32 PM in response to da bishop

The password fields are all empty (no bullet at all), but still no window pops up asking for my password whatever I do. This is definitely not the expected behavior.

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It could be a dodgy file but how could this happen on both of my computers? A local dodgy file could corrupt plist files on one computer but unlikely on both.

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I am in touch with my website provider to see if there is nothing wrong on their side, and if the ports set can be used. I have POP and IMAP accounts with different ports. Currently none of them works whereas they were all working before I changed their passwords.

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Answer 6

Jun 17, 2013 2:04 PM in response to SEB-APPSTORE

Both computers?

In that case the finger is pointing at your web hosting provider. It's probably not even authenticating to the point of prompting for the password when Mail tries to contact the mailserver.

You might want to try using "connection doctor" from the window menu and see what that turns up.

You could also try turning on console logging for mail, and have a look in there to see where the issues are occurring. http://macs.about.com/od/usingyourmac/ss/Troubleshooting-Apple-Mail-Using-Apple- Mails-Troubleshooting-Tools_3.htm

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Answer 7

sanjampet

Level 5

7,988 points

Jun 17, 2013 2:16 PM in response to SEB-APPSTORE

SEB-APPSTORE,

I had a similar issue this how I dealt with it.

older version it may be creating problems. (they just did this starting 6/10)

WRITE DOWN ALL INFO IN ALL EDITABLE PANES IN CASE NEEDED LATER

I had this issue with passwords before and I first went and changes the password with the ESP, then I went to keychain access, passwords category, there you should see 2 mail entries imap. mail.xxxx..., and another with your email @ xxxx....

They should say application under kind column

Double click one one of them to open, then click show password, it will prompt you for the admin password, and probably again with user as well as password. Enter that info and it should show you the password, delete the password and re-enter to match the web based mail password, click save.

Repeat this for the other one, basically the same drill as above.

Then launch mail and sent something to yourself, like test, it may now prompt you for your password, enter it and click remember in my keychain, then click get mail it may a minute or two for the server to pass it along but it should come.

It took me a while to remember this, as I did it quite some time ago, when my esp changed the mail, previously.

Hope this helps

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Answer 8

SEB-APPSTORE Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2013 2:35 PM in response to da bishop

Yes on both Mac.

The thing is I can access my accounts with my iPhone and with the webmail so the accounts are working somehow.

I did try the Connection Doctor; it says my POP and IMAP acounts can not connect to the server.

It might have any issue with my provider, but I also think there is something wrong with Mail.

Mail should ask for the passwords when the password fields are left blank.

Now, it's like Mail doesn't actually send the requests to the server.

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Answer 9

SEB-APPSTORE Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2013 2:54 PM in response to sanjampet

I have already checked the password in Keychain.

However, it says Internet Password under the Kind column and not Application (Keychains->login, Category->Passwords).

Do you think that could be the problem?

I have changed these passwords to match the new ones -> doesn't work.

I have left all the passwors blank -> doesn't work and no window pops up asking for the passwords.

I have tried with wrong passwords -> doesn't work and no window pops up asking for the passwords.

If I try to send myself a test email, no window pops up asking for the password; the only window that shows up asks me to select another smtp server as Mail is unable to connect to the default ones (I have the same results whether the account has a password set or not).

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Answer 10

SEB-APPSTORE Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 18, 2013 5:47 AM in response to SEB-APPSTORE

It turned out it was a problem on the ESP side. It took them 5days to figure out my IP address has been blocked after I changed all my passwords at once. Everything is now working fine since they unblock my IP address...

I presume Mail attemped to connect to my all accounts after I edited a first account, then the server saw many attempts to connect to my accounts using incorrect login information (the ones that I haven't had a chance to change yet), and then blocked my IP with no warning or message from the ESP.

The good news is I am finally able to access my emails. However, I still don't quite understand why Mail wasn't asking for my passwords when all the password fields for all my email accounts were left empty/blank... this wasn't the behavior I was expecting, hence this question.

Anyway, thank you guys for your help, much appreciated.

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