Resolving false "Incorrect Password" messages after MobileMe to iCloud migration: fixes for iPhone, Outlook, and Windows Live Mail
Since moving 6 iPhones from MobileMe to iCloud back on October 12th, my extended family has had some sporadic nuisance errors that seem to come up randomly. Not finding anything useful as I Googled around for fixes to these issues, figured I'd post what worked for me, in case it can help others. Apparently it has, with over 10,000 page views in the 5 months since iOS 5.0 was released.
While the Outlook/Windows Live Mail fixes seem to be permanent, the iPhone 4 fix seems to only last for about 4 to 6 months, then crops up randomly again. Rebooting the phone doesn't help. At least until the problem is truly solved, the below procedures do seem to work great, from the feedback I've gotten from worldwide visitors.
Oh yeah, once you fix you're email issue, if you're also interested in printing from nearly any iOS app, to nearly any brand of printer, read this post about Fingerprint.
1) iPhone 4 with iOS 5.0 or 5.1 claims "Incorrect Password"
(even though the password is correct and sending and receiving email usually works fine)
Add imap to the beginning of the servername, and adding @me.com to the end of the login name, ensuring SSL is on, and saving changes, that's it. Here's the details:
Tap Settings
Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars >
Tap your primary iCloud account (probably ends in @me.com) >
Tap IMAP Account name >
Add imap to the beginning of the servername, and adding @me.com to the end of the login name:
Before:
After:
Next, scroll to the bottom
Tap Advanced >
Incoming Settings
Use SSL ON
Saving changes, it may warn you that you haven't verified the settings, save the changes anyway, that's it, check your inbox and email should start flowing in again.
2) Outlook 2010 (32 bit or 64 bit) / Windows Live Mail 2011 - displays variety of errors occasionally
Even though email sending and receiving usually worked fine, I got occasional errors, requiring me to restart Outlook or Live Mail to get it to settle down and allow send/receive again. Errors included:
"Your IMAP server wants to alert you to the following: Moved: http://me.com/move"
"Enter your user name and password for the following server."
You can go to your iCloud account:
http://www.icloud.com/#mail
and use your known-good username and password there as as test, and it works fine. Yet your email client software is still randomly displaying errors.
Here's the fix that apparently works for me, which is basically to point to new mail servers and add @me.com to the username, described in detail here, with one notable exception, choose TLS for the Outgoing server (SMTP) on Outlook 2010:
support.apple.com/kb/HT4864
So in my case, I just changed my Outlook and Windows Live Mail Account settings on my extended families many computers, and we were all set, problem hasn't occurred again for over 5 months now.
Basically, you click "File" "Account Settings" "Account Settings" and select the me.com account and click Change, moving from mail.me.com to imap.mail.me.com, and added @me.com to the username.
The errors popping up have vanished for months at a time. Much clearer of the actual steps when viewing the detailed Outlook screenshots below, followed by detailed Windows Live Mail screenshots.
Fix for Microsoft Outlook 2010/2013 (32 bit or 64 bit)
Fix for Microsoft Live Mail 2011
Mar 12 2012 Update:
Some folks are having a similar issue, outlined here at discussions.apple.com:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread/3109623?start=195&tstart=0
where Darmo wrote the following:
Try this:
within the email accout settings – add new account with the follwing :
p01-imap.mail.me.com > incoming
p01-smpt.mail.me.com > outgoing
check remember password and SPA
then go to “more settings” > “Advanced” tab and enter
For IMAP Port :”993″ or just choose SSL from the encrytion dropdown
For SMTP Port : “587″ and choose Auto from the encrytion dropdown. (do not choose SSL)
then goto outgoing server tab
check first box …SMTP
OK
Hope it helps !
