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Exchange Account Keeps Disappearing from Internet Accounts on macOS Mojave

I just upgraded to macOS Mojave. Previously, I was unable to add my Exchange account because we require 2FA and disable app passwords, and the prior macOS didn't support the newer Web-based 2FA (unlike iOS).


Anyhow, so now it lets me add it just fine--opens the Web window, I sign in, I approve 2FA notification. I choose Done to add all the different things (mail, calendar, etc.). Things start showing up--mail, calendar items, etc.


Then randomly, sometimes within seconds, other times minutes, even like 30m-hr once, the account just disappears.


I suspect, maybe, this was due to prior failed attempts to set it up on prior macOS, and somehow the commands to remove the failed account are out in the iCloud system (you know, it asks if you want to Remove from All when removing..).


I can't imagine a way to tell it, no, really I really want this account no really. I just keep re-adding it, hoping it will eventually take, but it's pretty annoying.


Any other suggestions?

MacBook Pro TouchBar and Touch ID, macOS Mojave (10.14), Late 2018

Posted on Sep 24, 2018 12:39 PM

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Posted on Oct 24, 2018 8:07 PM

I'd been having this problem, too, this week, and wound up chatting with Apple support about it. They said a new internal document today was suggesting the screen recording, and set up a call for later today after I'd made the recording.


But actually, once the support desk called me to connect me with engineering, they were able to help me fix it without escalating it further. They had me reset my keychain completely, then restart the computer. Once I did that, I was able to re-add the Exchange account, authenticate with third-party oAuth, and even turn iCloud Keychain back on. So far, seems to be working well.


Hopefully they'll have pushed a new update out before the next time I have to change my Exchange password, which I think is partly what triggered this whole glitch on my end. Good luck to anyone trying it for themselves, too!

45 replies

Jan 9, 2019 9:12 AM in response to tlc1234

I was finally able to get it working by performing two tasks:


Read this post - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/exchange-account-keeps-deleting.2143129/#post-26970593


I deleted the OATH keys from keychain, added the Exchange(O365) account back but left Contacts unchecked, opened Contacts and saw a duplicate name for the account I was adding, removed it, and enabled the Contacts, from within the Contacts Preferences, for the newly added Exchange(O365) account, and finally it stayed and was not removed. Going on two days now.


Hope it works for you.

Jan 11, 2019 3:16 AM in response to jeff.collier

@jeff.collier This partially works for me. If I do not select the 'Contacts' option when adding the Exchange account in Internet Accounts in the main system preferences, then the account adds fine and doesn't seem to disappear. I was also able to download all my mail and calendars also work, so far running 15 hours and the account hasn't deleted. However, I just tried to 'enable this account' in the Preferences/Accounts tab of the Contacts preferences and within a few seconds the account was deleted again.


So this does look to be an issue with the Contacts app somehow. I also did not reset my keychain and did not turn anything off in iCloud settings, the only thing I did was not select Contacts when adding the account.


Interestingly, in your Step 4 above you say it took you to the system preferences to tick the Contacts option, but when I do it the 'enable this account' option is just available right there in Contacts and it doesn't take me to system preferences.

Jan 11, 2019 4:08 AM in response to PodgySamurai

A quick update on this....received a prompt from system preferences saying Mail needed by exchange password, and after successfully re-authenticating the account disappeared from Internet Accounts within a few seconds, even with Contacts still disabled. So although it seems possible to add the account without enabling Contacts, when you hit the 30 days limit to re-authenticate then it looks like there is still a problem.


Has anybody who has managed to get their fix to work re-enabled Contacts AND gone through a re-authentication process, with the account still not deleted?

Exchange Account Keeps Disappearing from Internet Accounts on macOS Mojave

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