apple mail

Question

Level 1

12 points

apple mail

I changed the password on a CenturyLink e-mail account. After I updated the password in the Account Preferences in Apple Mail, I get an error that Apple "Can't Connect to the account . . . Enter the password for user . . . Unable to verify account name or password." I have reentered the password for the Incoming Mail Server and Outgoing Mail Server. I still get the same error message.

I go to CenturyLink's website and I can sign-on to the account using the new password. I also have a second CenturyLink account for which I changed the password at the same time and it is fully functional.

Does anyone have any insight into why Apple Mail is having a problem with this one acocunt and how to resolve the conenction problem?

Thanks,

Terry

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Aug 7, 2016 7:26 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Eric Root

Level 10

685,299 points

Aug 7, 2016 7:53 AM in response to K1PHD

Delete the password from Keychain Access (Applications/Utilities). While there, Keychain Access menu First Aid.

Keychain Issues - Resolve see post by Kappy

Reply

Answer 2

K1PHD Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 7, 2016 8:41 AM in response to Eric Root

Thanks Eric,

I cannot complete the list of tasks you indicated. When I get to the dialog box for Keychain Access, Preferences, there are two tabs: General and Certificates. Neither tab has a First Aid option. I scanned all menu options and did a Help search for "First Aid", which came back with no hits.

Thanks again,

Terry

Reply

Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Aug 7, 2016 10:01 AM in response to K1PHD

Are you still running 10.8.5, First Aid was removed in some later version of OSX?

Did you at least delete the 2 entries for CenturyLink & enter new PW when prompted?

Reply

Answer 4

K1PHD Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 7, 2016 10:36 AM in response to BDAqua

I am running OS X 10.11.6. I deleted four CenturyLink entries, then tried signing in and still getting the same error message. Then I made things worse. Looking at the previously referenced "Tutorial: Resolving Keychain Issues" I followed the second option and deleted the Keychain file. Now, all e-mail accounts are not functioning.

Reply

Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

685,299 points

Aug 8, 2016 8:39 AM in response to K1PHD

You are welcome. Keychain First Aid was removed in 10.11. Have you tried deleting the accounts and adding them back?

Reply

Answer 6

K1PHD Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 8, 2016 11:15 AM in response to Eric Root

Hi Eric, Yes, I did and that did resolve the issue. I have previously changed the password on my non-iCloud accounts (gmail, CenturyLink, and corporate e-mail where I volunteer) that are configured in Apple Mail and I did not have this much trouble. I expect either I did something wrong, or the process has changed with a recent upgrade to either OS X or Apple Mail.

If anyone has captured the steps to change a non-iCloud e-mail account password without causing the system to require the accounts to be deleted and then added back, and you're willing to share, I would sure appreciate it.

Thanks,

Terry

Reply

Answer 7

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Aug 8, 2016 11:28 AM in response to K1PHD

Just wondering… after deleting the entries in Keychain Access, did you Restart OSX?

Seems Persistent Caches can hang on forever without a Restart.

Reply

Answer 8

K1PHD Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 12, 2016 6:56 AM in response to BDAqua

I probably did not restart the computer immediately after I deleted the keychain file or immediately after I created the new keychain file. I suppose that could be the cause of the minor and irritating problems I'm still working through when I send e-mails.

Reply