reybo
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Q: snow leopard mail won't save password

Using gmail to log in to my account, I must enter the password manually. That's new. It used to be automated - the login name and password were there and all I had to do was enter. Now only the login name is there and I must type in the password. I want it automated. Google tells me this is an Apple issue, not Google.

 

Gmail or whatever software will no longer access the keychain on this MacBookPro to get the password. This is new since updating to Apple's OS X 10.6.8. Under the older OS, this never happened and logins to the gmail account were automated. No setting in gmail, OS X or Keychain will fix this. Tried them all. And the keychain access data for google is 100% correct.

 

And there's another weirdness. My Mail program account preferences has a line for the gmail account password. It rejects (will not save) the correct, working password. There's no question it's the correct password, since I can login to gmail in the browser, enter the password that MAIL rejects, and go right in.

 

ONE ODD thing to note: when the gmail login box appears on screen, the password is in the proper place for a fraction of a second but then instantly disappears and must be entered manually. So it seems this is software that's awry.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jul 26, 2014 11:56 AM

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reybo

Q: snow leopard mail won't save password

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jul 27, 2014 9:10 AM in response to reybo
    Level 9 (74,172 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 27, 2014 9:10 AM in response to reybo

    Try going to Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access and deleting the password from there.

     

    Try running Keychain First Aid.

     

    Keychain Reset

     

    Also check Mail/Preferences/Accounts and make sure the password is there.

  • by reybo,

    reybo reybo Jul 27, 2014 9:21 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 27, 2014 9:21 PM in response to Eric Root

    Did all that, Eric, and no go. Even changed the gmail password after deleting all the keychain entries for gmail. Didn't help. 

     

    And there's another problem I haven't mentioned, The Mail program 4.6 has stopped communicating with gmail. It's fine with another email account at a local ISP, but it's dead for gmail. I may be able to bring it back if I can learn the incoming and outgoing ports Google needs, and if either of the SSL boxes should be checked. Those setting may have been corrupted.

     

    BTW, Saturday night I reinstalled Snow Leopard and all the updates. No change.

     

    On a related issue, have you ever deleted an email account in Mail? Not just took it offline, but actually deleted it? When you begin that process, a drop down box warns that this will delete forever all the mailboxes and messages on your computer associated with that account. That's what the programmers who wrote the code for Mail say. OTOH I had two guys in Apple tech support try to get me to delete an account, and insisted, contrary to the drop-dpwn box warning, that this wouldn't touch my mailboxes or messages. I sided with the programmers and refused to delete it. But that doesn't make me right.

  • by Eric Root,Helpful

    Eric Root Eric Root Jul 28, 2014 7:35 AM in response to reybo
    Level 9 (74,172 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 28, 2014 7:35 AM in response to reybo

    Gmail Settings

     

    Gmail with Apple Mail

     

    Gmail with Apple Mail (2)

     

    Gmail with Apple Mail (3)

     

    Gmail with Apple Mail (4)

     

    Gmail with Apple Mail (5)


    You can export your mailbox if you are worried about losing the mail. Based on what I've read here, when you add the account back, the mailboxes normally reappear.

  • by reybo,

    reybo reybo Jul 28, 2014 1:32 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 28, 2014 1:32 PM in response to Eric Root

    Appreciate the links, Eric. Very helpful.

     

    Because pop mail was easier, that's the account I set up at gmail years ago. Everyone agrees IMAP is better, but I haven't found an explanation how to convert gmail pop to gmail imap.

     

    Not that this change will solve my problems, but at least I'll be simpatico with more help links. 

     

    Rey

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jul 29, 2014 7:44 AM in response to reybo
    Level 9 (74,172 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 29, 2014 7:44 AM in response to reybo

    Mail/Preferences/Accounts - try changing the incoming and outgoing servers to the IMAP settings in the 1st linked article in my last post. For the outgoing, click the button and select Edit, then close use only the server.

     

    Or delete and add the account back.

  • by reybo,

    reybo reybo Jul 29, 2014 3:51 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 29, 2014 3:51 PM in response to Eric Root

    Changing settings didn't improve things.

     

    Deleting the account deletes all mail boxes and messages. That would open a can of worms called selective Restore from Time Machine and that's a headache I don't want. A pity Apple's programmers didn't have the smarts of the programmer who wrote FASTBACK, a DOS back-up program. FB had a terrific menu beyond anything Apple ever created.

     

    When no programmer is personally accountable to the users, the interface generally *****. Time Machine is a good example.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jul 30, 2014 7:26 AM in response to reybo
    Level 9 (74,172 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 30, 2014 7:26 AM in response to reybo

    Export the mailboxes to your Desktop before deleting the account. Mail/Mailbox menu.

  • by reybo,

    reybo reybo Jul 30, 2014 10:14 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 30, 2014 10:14 AM in response to Eric Root

    That version of Mail has no export function. Apple didn't discover export until later.