Dylanmusic
Level 1 (9 points)
Mac OS X

Q: POP E-mail account password

My POP mail account is not working. I've had this computer a long time and I intend to get a new one

because it's so out of date but in the mean time I need to get this problem fixed. The problem is with the

password. I NEVER had to type it in. It was always in there in mail preferences/accounts (all in asterisks*****)

For reasons I can't figure out, the password is no longer there. In keychain access there is no

indication of any mail account and password.When I click on "get mail" I get a prompt that asks for

a password. I have no idea what it is! My e-mail server is Time Warner Cable. They have no idea

what I'm talking about. I opened a g mail account just so I can do some e-mailing but I hate the format

and I want to continue to send and receive e-mails at my POP account and Time Warner e-mail address

as I have many business cards with that address on it. How can I fix the Pop e-mail account password

problem? Should I contact Apple and pay to ask them a question? I'm really perplexed. Even though

"mail" is not in my keychain access list, I tried to look at other passwords for other things and a prompt

asks me for a "keychain access password". I never had one! But that's a different issue. For now I'll settle for

a solution to my POP password problem.

iMac G5 (20-inch iSight), Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on May 12, 2014 6:57 PM

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Dylanmusic

Q: POP E-mail account password

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  • Helpful answers

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua May 12, 2014 7:07 PM in response to Dylanmusic
    Level 10 (123,905 points)
    May 12, 2014 7:07 PM in response to Dylanmusic

    Hi,

     

    Open Keychain Access in Utilities, use Keychain First Aid under the Keychain Menu item.

     

    Resetting your keychain in Mac OS X...

     

    If Keychain First Aid finds an issue that it cannot repair, or if you do not know your keychain password, you may need to reset your keychain.

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1544

  • by Dylanmusic,

    Dylanmusic Dylanmusic May 12, 2014 9:14 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 12, 2014 9:14 PM in response to BDAqua

    How will reseting the keychain help if my POP mail is not listed in the keychain list?

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua May 12, 2014 11:45 PM in response to Dylanmusic
    Level 10 (123,905 points)
    May 12, 2014 11:45 PM in response to Dylanmusic

    Not sure what ere dealing with, it can't hurtI I don't thimk.

     

    Any chance there are diffrnt accounts you use on this Mac???

  • by Dylanmusic,

    Dylanmusic Dylanmusic May 13, 2014 5:57 AM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 5:57 AM in response to BDAqua

    Thank u for your suggestions. I'm the only one who uses this computer but I do have another mail account with g-mail which I only opened after the POP account failed. I repaired the keychain access to no avail but it did say that there was "no problem" with the chain. I reset the chain and I still can't send or receive e-mails from my POP account. I called Time Warner cable and they said they thought there could be a problem on their end and they

    were checking it out. But the problem remains that even if they fix the problem that is rejecting my e-mail password, I now have no e-mail password to type in. It used to be saved in Preferences and now it's no longer there. If I can't retrieve the password from somewhere (it's not on my keychain access list) I don't know how to get the password or create a new one. As a result of resetting the keychain I now have a keychain access password. But there's no POP account or any mail app in the keychain list to use it with.

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua May 13, 2014 9:56 AM in response to Dylanmusic
    Level 10 (123,905 points)
    May 13, 2014 9:56 AM in response to Dylanmusic

    It used to be saved in Preferences and now it's no longer there.

    Preferences of what/where???

     

    Besides your personal Keychain, did you check the Login Keychain?

  • by Dylanmusic,

    Dylanmusic Dylanmusic May 13, 2014 10:38 AM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 10:38 AM in response to BDAqua

    Under mail preferences/advanced there is a box called "password" under POP Account. This is where there

    was always an encrypted password since the day I bought the computer 8 years ago. Recently it vanished. But I am happy to report that Time Warner finally figured out the problem and gave me a temporary password which I can change at any time. I typed the new password into the box I mentioned and all is working perfectly again. Keep in mind how old this computer is. I'm sure that all configurations like the one I referenced under mail preferences are continually changing from year to year. The funny thing is that this was the 3rd call I made to

    TIme Warner over 3 days of no e-mail service and the first two tech guys gave me a total runaround like "It's an Apple software problem-call Apple" and other excuses. On the 3rd call called "Jane" knew exactly what to do.

    Right on, Jane!

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua May 13, 2014 11:38 AM in response to Dylanmusic
    Level 10 (123,905 points)
    May 13, 2014 11:38 AM in response to Dylanmusic

    Whew, good to hear... is there now a password in your Keychain?

  • by Dylanmusic,

    Dylanmusic Dylanmusic May 13, 2014 3:24 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 3:24 PM in response to BDAqua

    YES!

     

    I still intend to eventually get a new MAC computer but I'm concerned that the many GB3 songs I have stored in the computer as well songs I have stored on External disk drives will not be compatible with the much updated

    GB in the new computer. Oh well, one day at a time. ;-)

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua May 13, 2014 3:40 PM in response to Dylanmusic
    Level 10 (123,905 points)
    May 13, 2014 3:40 PM in response to Dylanmusic

    Good, that only leaves the one mystery then!