IMAP email provider changes the backend

Eric Grunewald 20 Reputation points
2026-08-21T22:21:42.16+00:00

My Spectrum IMAP provider changed its backend settings. New Outlook now reports that I must remove the account from all Outlook devices and sign in again. However, the Spectrum account no longer appears under Settings → Accounts → Your accounts, so I cannot select “Remove from all devices.”

I have already performed Repair, Reset, and olk.exe --clearLocalState. The account still appears as a suggested account when I try to add it, but adding it fails. I also tried adding it to Outlook for iOS and it fails with “Unable to log in / check server settings.”

The Spectrum mailbox and password work correctly through Spectrum webmail and Apple Mail. Please clear the stale/orphaned Spectrum IMAP account configuration from Microsoft Cloud so I can add the account again with Spectrum's updated backend settings.

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For home
Answer accepted by question author
Victor1-V 13,020 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-08-22T08:07:45.4533333+00:00

Hi Eric Grunewald,

I understand that the Spectrum account no longer appears under Settings > Accounts > Your accounts, but new Outlook still retains it as a suggested account and prevents it from being added again.

Unfortunately, as fellow users on this public forum, contributors cannot access or clear account configurations stored in Microsoft Cloud. Since you have already repaired and reset new Outlook, cleared its local state, and confirmed that the Spectrum mailbox works in webmail and Apple Mail, please contact Microsoft Support as follows:

1, Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support  

2, In the search bar provided on the page, type "Outlook issue" and press Enter.  

3, Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.  

4, Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.  

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5, When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".  

6, For the category, choose "Outlook".  

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7, Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".  

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8, Confirm your personal email when prompted - this is the email Microsoft will use to communicate with you during and after the support session.  

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9, When connected, clearly explain your situation. Be concise but include all relevant details.

I hope Support can identify and clear the retained cloud configuration so that the Spectrum account can be set up again.

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