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I have my email client set up to access my hotmail account via IMAP, using the server name "imap-mail.outlook.com" and the smtp server name "smpt.office365.com". It worked without problems until today but today when I suddenly started getting the error message: "login to server imap-mail.outlook.com with username [my email address] has failed." - with the buttons: "Retry/Enter New Password/Cancel".
I can log in to my hotmail account via my browser using the same password that is being rejected when my email client tries to log in via IMAP.
What could be causing this and how can I fix it?
Dave
NB - I don't use outlook but I couldn't find a usegroup for Hotmail so I'm posting herer.
Using classic Outlook for Windows in business environments
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
How I fixed it :
It started giving me a Auth failed error while on vacation. I changed the imap server to outlook.office365.com, same problem.
Changed it back to imap-mail.outlook.com and it's working fine now.
Reading through this thread, I'm having similar, but not identical issues with the Outlook desktop client. I keep getting re-prompted for credentials on all of my IMAP email accounts. These are Hover mail accounts, and not Microsoft accounts. I have several exchange accounts in the same profile and they are not having the issue.
The various IMAP accounts prompt for the password. The password is already filled in. So I am just clicking OK for the response. Sending and receiving mail is working fine on all of the accounts. It's just that the prompts are driving me nuts. The frequency is highly variable, ranging from a couple times a day to every minute or two. It is also not consistently all IMAP accounts. Sometimes it will prompt for just 1 account several times in rapid succession, sometimes a couple accounts.
I do not have the issue on the IOS Outlook client.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I have been having this exact problem like everyone in this thread.
Outlook is prompting for the Username/Password randomly when Outlook is open.
Trying the Username/Password combo finally works after about 5 attempts or so,.
The Username/Password will then come up again randomly afterwards. 5 attempts or so and it lets you into the mailbox.
While waiting for a Microsoft fix (hopefully), I tried those server names:
imap-mail.live.com
smtp-mail.live.com
Without the actual SSL ports listed, I was not able to connect to these using TLS or SSL on port 993 (imap) and 587 (smtp).
Either way, any updates are appreciated if they come around,
From not the forum crew:
How about these?
imap-mail.live.com
smtp-mail.live.com
They seem to have a more static ip than the imap-mail.outlook.com(smtp-mail.outlook.com) or outlook.office365.com(smtp.office365.com).
Seems resolved since late yesterday. At least I am no longer seeing these on my Thunderbird Portable after a week annoying error messages and many re-logins. Would Microsoft tell the reason?