Outlook 2016 repeatedly asking for Password for gmail account

Anonymous
2022-10-03T04:14:03+00:00

Today, I've had to clean re-install Windows 10 and, therefore, also had to re-install Office 2016.

Everything is working fine except that I can't configure Outlook to retrieve emails from my gmail account and have been browsing/searching the subject for hours.

Have had the same problem a few times before and solved it by changing the following gmail settings:

(i) to accept "less secure apps" (which option, by the way, is no longer available),

(ii) turn off "2-step verification".

Those settings have not been changed since, but Outlook is repeatedly asking for a password and I can't set up the account. I get the same result if I let Outlook configure the account or if I do it manually using the settings from the gmail page or via the mail link in Control Panel.

Have also checked that Microsoft apps & services has been given access to gmail.

The only new thing I found was this: https://accounts.google.com/DisplayUnlockCaptcha and I confirmed.

Question: Is this a Microsoft problem or a gmail problem . . . each not trusting the other's security?

Anyway, whichever it is, I would be most grateful for suggestions.

Many thanks in advance.

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business

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Anonymous
2022-10-03T05:04:36+00:00

Hello JohnTCI

Hi, I'm Karl and will be happy to help you today.

What you need to do is enable 2 factor authentications on your Gmail account and then generate an <App Password> to be used as the password or the email account in Outlook. This is a Google change that took effect June 1, 2022

Recap of steps

#1 - enable 2 factor authentication for the GMail account

Turn on 2-Step Verification

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1858...

#2 - generate a Google <App Password> for this account (do not turn off 2FA fter generating the <App Password>)

Sign in with App Passwords

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/185833?h...

#3 - Change the password in Outlook for the email account to use the <App Password> you generated in step #2 (suggest using copy ;n paste - the <App Password> is a contiguous 16 character string - no spaces)

*** for an account already configured in Outlook, to change the email account password

#4 - press CTRL+ALT+S to bring up the Send / Receive dialog

#5 - Select the <Group> (most people only have one) --> click on ,<Edit>

#6 - Select the GMail account --> click on <Account Properties>

#7 - paste the <App Password> for the email account password

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-10-07T02:52:18+00:00

    Hi Karl,

    You're right I didn't like your response, ha ha! but, between the lines, it told me that my problem probably had to be a default setting that normally wasn't important but wouldn't work with 2-step verification turned on. This thought spurred me into seeking a solution under every mat and behind every door in both Windows and Chrome until I went boggle-eyed.

    However, it appears that, finally, I may have cracked it on my main PC and my laptop . . . but, embarrassingly, as I had changed so many settings, I can't tell you specifically which one worked, nor whether it was a setting in Windows nor in Chrome. Herewith, screenshots of just 3 of the settings that I "fiddled with" . . . when I say fiddled with, I mean that I toggled them repeatedly on and off and constantly logged out and back in again, including restarting the apps and the devices:

    (1) Windows

    (2) Google Chrome:

    (3) Google Chrome:

    The most annoying thing is that these 3 at least are all set exactly as before I started fiddling.

    However, something seems to have worked, so I'll keep fingers crossed.

    Kind regards,

    John

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-10-07T03:01:36+00:00

    BTW: Although it's solved in Chrome and both my Google A/C and Gmail A/C no longer need 2-step verification when I sign in each time . . . that is not the case in Edge. Although I rarely use Edge, I would like to use it more, so, so if you have any idea which setting(s) need changing, I would be most appreciative. I confess that I gave up after about an hour of fiddling.

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  3. Karl Timmermans 3,685 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2022-10-07T03:26:08+00:00

    Hi Karl,

    You're right I didn't like your response, ha ha! but, between the lines, it told me that my problem probably had to be a default setting that normally wasn't important but wouldn't work with 2-step verification turned on. This thought spurred me into seeking a solution under every mat and behind every door in both Windows and Chrome until I went boggle-eyed.

    However, it appears that, finally, I may have cracked it on my main PC and my laptop . . . but, embarrassingly, as I had changed so many settings, I can't tell you specifically which one worked, nor whether it was a setting in Windows nor in Chrome. Herewith, screenshots of just 3 of the settings that I "fiddled with" . . . when I say fiddled with, I mean that I toggled them repeatedly on and off and constantly logged out and back in again, including restarting the apps and the devices:

    (1) Windows

    Image

    (2) Google Chrome:

    Image

    (3) Google Chrome:

    Image

    The most annoying thing is that these 3 at least are all set exactly as before I started fiddling.

    However, something seems to have worked, so I'll keep fingers crossed.

    Kind regards,

    John

    There are only two differences between your settings and mine

    1. Windows - my <Restart Apps> is <Off> as opposed to you being <On>
    2. Google - I use a password manager so it over-rides the Google Setting. That said, my default setting is on since when I want Chrome to save a password I disable my password manager

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  4. Karl Timmermans 3,685 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2022-10-07T03:35:00+00:00

    BTW: Although it's solved in Chrome and both my Google A/C and Gmail A/C no longer need 2-step verification when I sign in each time . . . that is not the case in Edge. Although I rarely use Edge, I would like to use it more, so, so if you have any idea which setting(s) need changing, I would be most appreciative. I confess that I gave up after about an hour of fiddling.

    You're not going to like this answer any more then my last reply 😊

    Don't have any special settings I can think of. Edge worked just as seamlessly as Chrome did when accessing the account, Would make sure that

    • you have password saving enabled
    • cookies aren't being cleared

    Might also try the following (if you haven't already)

    #1 - Clear your browser and cookies

    #2 - Log into the Gmail account and go through 2FA process

    #3 - Close your browser without signing out of the GMail account

    #4 - restart Edge and just go to <gmail.com> (that's all I do and it goes directly to my Gmal account - no sign-in required, just opens right up

    Isn't all this hi-tech stuff grand? 😊

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