Outlook no longer logs into Yahoo Imap server

Hi HPFHPFH

Thank you for posting to the Microsoft community.  

In your case, I would suggest to reach out in-app team since they can help you diagnose the issue and with your help please relay your concern to them for further investigation. Rest-assured this will be taken cared of.

Kdinly click the link below on hwo to contact them : 

How to get support for Outlook.com - Microsoft Support

Thank you for understanding. 

Truly Yours, 

Fatima  

Microsoft Moderator 

Two weeks ago Outlook on my Windows 10 laptop stopped being able to download emails from my Yahoo email.

Each time Outlook tries to synch with Yahoo, Outlook asks me to sign in. It gives me a choice to sign in using their app on my phone or to enter my password. If I enter my password (my regular Yahoo password, not an app password generated specifically for Outlook -- that gets rejected as an invalid password), it sends me to the app on my phone for two-factor authentication. Not sure why it gave me this choice, since I have to use the phone app either way.

In either case, I then get the following message box whenever it tries to synch:

Sorry, we could not sign you in to YahooImap.

Please try again later.

Cancel.

Cancelling the box brings up the same box three more times. After the second Cancel, Send and Receive errors says:

Task "*** Email address is removed for privacy *** - Sending" reported error (0x800CCC17): "Unknown Error 0x800CCC17"

My guess is that this is just a catchall error code for the update process terminating without success.

Yes, I know this is an error in sending not downloading -- I've got an email in my Outbox. But deleting it only changes the place where the error occurs in the process and the error code (as well as the cycle time. The new Sending and Receiving error is:

Task "*** Email address is removed for privacy *** - Folder:Inbox Check for new mail." reported error (0x800CCC0E): "Outlook cannot downlead folder Inbox from the IMAP email server for account *** Email address is removed for privacy ***. Error: Cannot connect to the server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISO)."

Once, the error code was 0x800CCC0F instead.

Every 5 minutes or so, it asks me to sign in to Yahoo again as part of this cycle.

Windows/Office Update ran shortly before this problem happened, and I'm guessing that that's the source of the problem. But since Outlook on my desk computer still downloaded Yahoo emails, I figured I'd just wait until Microsoft fixed whatever problem was created by its last update.

Windows/Office Update ran on my Windows 10 desk computer, installed stuff and rebooted overnight last night. Now I'm having the same problem with Outlook on my desktop computer.

Here's what I've tried, but no solution:

1. I confirmed all the IMAP and SMTP settings were correct. 

Incoming Mail (IMAP) Server

• Server – imap.mail.yahoo.com

• Port - 993

• Requires SSL – Yes

• Requires logon using SPA -- No

Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server

• Server - smtp.mail.yahoo.com

• Port - 465 or 587

• Requires SSL - Yes

• Requires authentication – Yes

• Use same settings as my incoming mail server – Yes

• Log on using user name and password – No [choosing Yes here doesn’t change anything – same “could not sign you into YahooImap message” as in 3 below]

• Requires logon using SPA -- No

Your login info

• Email address - Your full email address (*** Email address is removed for privacy ***.)

• Password – Generate App Password

• Requires authentication - Yes

  
  

2. I tried repairing the Yahoo account in Outlook automatically.  That caused the following message box:

Something went wrong

Something went wrong and Outlook couldn’t repair your account. Please try again. If the problem continues, contact your email administrator.

3. I tried repairing the Yahoo account in Outlook manually.  That caused the same error box as the original (“can’t connect to YahooImap”), followed by another error box that said:

Something went wrong and Outlook couldn’t save your account settings.  Please try again.

4. I deleted my Yahoo account in Outlook and tried to recreate it.  When I entered my Yahoo address in the Outlook wizard, it said:

Something when wrong and Outlook couldn’t set up your account.  Please try again.  If the problem continues, contact your email administrator.

Troubleshoot problems setting up your account.

-> Not XXXXX.yahoo.com?

-> Change Account Settings

-> Troubleshoot

The Troubleshooter sent me to some Microsoft and Yahoo web pages that mentioned things like setting up the account manually and the two-factor app password fix below.

I tried setting up the Yahoo account again in Outlook manually, entering my Yahoo address, selecting IMAP, signing into Yahoo, and going through two-factor authentication on my phone.  Outlook then gave me the same “Sorry, we could not sign you in to YahooImap.” message as at the top of this post. Clicking on cancel then gave me the same three choices.

So the only effect of all this was wiping out all the already received Yahoo emails in my Outlook Inbox (yes, I backed up the PST file first).

5. I checked that my Outlook version is the most up-to-date. 

Desktop:          Microsoft® Outlook® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2307 Build 16.0.16626.20134) [32 bit – not sure why]

Laptop:            Microsoft® Outlook® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2307 Build 16.0.16626.20134)

The desktop computer version updated only this morning.  Things were working with Yahoo before that.  The laptop version was installed on July 16, which was about when things stopped working with Yahoo on the laptop.  After repairing Office 365 apps below in 12, the new laptop version is:

Laptop:            Microsoft® Outlook® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2307 Build 16.0.16626.20134)

6. I’ve restarted Outlook multiple times.  No change.

7. I’ve rebooted multiple times.  No change.

8. I’ve turned off my Antivirus/Firewall.  No change.

9. I read about Yahoo requiring an app password for two-factor authentication in Outlook, though it seems like that change happened a while ago, and things were working up until two weeks ago on my laptop and yesterday on my desk computer.  But I still generated a new app password in Yahoo settings and used that in the Outlook settings for the Yahoo password (dropping the spaces in the password). No change.

10. I reviewed the Yahoo mail settings in my Outlook profile.  I clicked on send me a test email.  It asked for a password, and I provided a newly generated app password.  Outlook accepted that, processed the test email successfully, and then said:

You’re all set!

We have all the information we need to set up your account.

I can see the test email in my Inbox in Yahoo Mail or on my phone.  But I still get the same “could not sign you in to YahooImap” error box from Outlook.

11. I set up a new Outlook profile, using a newly generated app password for Outlook.  Outlook couldn’t log on to the Yahoo server or send a test email.  Error message:

We’re sorry, we couldn’t set up your account automatically.  To try setting up the account yourself, click Next.

So I tried setting up the account manually, using the same newly generated app password, but changing the Advanced settings to make the ports and SSL settings needed for Yahoo.  Outlook accepted that, processed the test email successfully, and then gave me the same “You’re all set!” message as in 10.  Again, I can see the test email in my Inbox in Yahoo Mail or on my phone. 

I then restarted Outlook using the new profile.  Yahoo prompted me to log in and put me through two-factor authentication on my phone.  But I then got the same “could not sign you in to YahooImap” error box.

12. I repaired Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise in Control Panel/Programs and Features.  First,  I did Quick Repair.  It said it was doing some repairing.  When it was done, I opened Outlook and tried to add my Yahoo account using my original Outlook profile.  I got the same result as in 10 above.  I then tried Outlook with my new profile, and got the same result as in 11.

So I went back to Control Panel/Programs and Features and did an Online Repair.  It updated Outlook to the newest version, listed in 5 above.  But the result was the same as with the Quick Repair.  No change; no signing in to YahooImap.

13. I checked Windows Update.  No further pending updates to Office 365.  No mention of Yahoo email problems.

14. “Try the New Outlook” is off, though it still appears as a toggle switch in the upper right corner of Outlook.

15. I doubt Yahoo’s mail server has been down continuously for two weeks, especially since I could get emails on the desk computer until today.  And I can see all the test messages from today on my phone.

16. I’m going to contact Yahoo support, but I’m not hopeful since (i) these seems to be a problem caused by a Microsoft update to Outlook, and (ii) not sure how much support Yahoo is going to give to a consumer user of their free email unless I pay them $4.99 per month.

I have the same issue. However, error only occurs in outlook accessing my sbcglobal.net account and not outlook accessing my att.net account - both are att/yahoo products

Exact same issue here. Since a few days Outlook returns the error it cannot connect with YahooImap.

But this is only the case with "Outlook for Microsoft 365" installation. The exact same Yahoo login credentials work fine with Windows "Mail" and the new "Outlook for Windows".

So it's a bug introduced in one of the recent updates of "Outlook for Microsoft 365".

Thanks to Steve McIntosh1 on another thread, Outlook is now working with Yahoo Mail again for me. Here's what worked for both Steve and me:

1. Go to Control Panel/Programs and Features.

2. Select Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise - en-us.

3. Click on Change in the bar above the list of programs.

4. Choose Online Repair in the popup box.

5. After it runs for a while and says things are repaired, open Outlook.

6. I had to reactivate your subscription/license or relog into your Microsoft account. I didn't have to do this when I tried this previously.

7. Outlook now magically connects and starts downloading a week's worth of new emails. No login to Yahoo Mail. No reentering login settings.

Not sure why this works. I did this a couple of days ago, and it didn't. I also tried repairing Outlook a different couple of ways (through Control Panel and through Settings) and a couple of times, before it worked. Steve had to do the same. Bizarre.

It does look like an update to Windows 10 was installed yesterday (August 9 - Update for Microsoft Windows (KB50258951)), plus a Security Update (KB5029244), and the date on Microsoft 365 is now today (August 10 - 16.0.16130.20694).

So it does seem that this was a Microsoft problem. We'll see if it happens again. I was just about to abandon Outlook for a better email reader. I may still do that. I really wish I hadn't been forced to waste all that time trying to debug this.

Fatima,

Thanks for replying. See the solution I found below. I would be nice to know what's really going on, and whether this actually fixes the problem permanently. The person I got the solution from says that it reoccurs every time he reboots,. He then has to go through the same repair process all over again. We'll see what happens when I reboot next.

Hi!

Thanks for the proposal to fix it. I just did an online repair of the Microsoft 365 installation, which brought me from 16.0.16626.20134 to 16.0.16626.20170. At least it shows something has been updated.

Though the Outlook issue of no longer connecting to the Yahoo Imap server did not go away.

There's a note here about some recent changes in this software area. Don't know whether this is related, but since it's no longer working and the timing fits...

I have the same issue as of last week - tried the Online Repair as suggested but it didn't fix things

Hi all,

Sorry for the issues you are seeing with your Yahoo accounts. The main thing that has happened that is triggering the sign-in prompts is that Outlook Desktop has enabled OAuth support for Yahoo. We posted some guidance about it here, How to add a Yahoo IMAP account to Outlook Desktop without an App Password - Microsoft Support.

There are two ways to sign into the Yahoo account:

1. When you get the OAuth sign in prompt use your normal password that you use for accessing your webmail. This applies especially if your server settings are the main Yahoo server settings e.g. imap.mail.yahoo.com, IMAP server settings for Yahoo Mail | Yahoo Help - SLN4075. Even for AT&T accounts, Outlook sets those with the Yahoo server settings during auto account configuration.

2. If for any reason OAuth is not working you could manually configure the account with the server settings. If you have @att.net, @sbcglobal.net, etc use the AT&T server settings here, POP3 and IMAP Email Settings - AT&T Email Customer Support (att.com). If you use these settings you will need to create a Secure Mail Key. Go to the web page you use to access Web Mail, go to Account Info, look for Manage secure mail key and click it. Create a new "secure mail key" and use this for your password in Outlook when you update the server settings or manually add the account to Outlook.

You will not be able to use the Secure Mail Key with this dialog. Only use your normal web mail password with it. If you use the AT&T server settings you will get the normal sign in to use the Secure Mail Key password.

We are still looking into issues so some of my steps might change but this is what I know for now.

I too was having the same issue.

The workaround that eventually did the trick for me was:

1. Add new email account in Outlook

2. Type in your Yahoo! email account address

3. Press connect

4. It will take you to the Yahoo! connection portal (which we know doesn't work)

5. Press on the X at the top right hand corner of the connection portal window to cancel.

6. The connection portal will pop up again.

7. Press on the X at the top right hand corner of the connection portal window AGAIN to cancel.

8. This time a new window will appear saying "Something went wrong" and "Account setup was canceled".

9. Press on the change Account settings

10. Change the incoming mail setting to: android.imap.mail.yahoo.com

11. Change the outgoing mail setting to: android.smtp.mail.yahoo.com

12. I think you should tick the secure authentication boxes too then press connect.

13. A new generic IMAP dialog box will open called 'Internet email' - the server name (android.imap.mail.yahoo.com) and user name (your Yahoo email address) will already be filled.

14. For the password, you will need to generate an app password by Signing in to your Yahoo Account Security page through your internet browser and clicking on Generate and manage app passwords.

15. Use this specially generated password and hopefully this will connect normally.

Essentially, you're trying to force it to use the login with an app specific password instead of the login portal. This is how I remember setting up originally anyway (before the Yahoo! login portal was created). I think the problem is in the login portal which is clearly much more convenient when it works but seems not to be working. By using the android.imap.mail.yahoo.com server, it no longer tries to use the Yahoo! login portal and instead give you the generic one.

Just so that you understand what I'm talking about, see pictures below.

This is what I mean by the Yahoo! connection portal (which doesn't seem to work properly):


Whereas this is what I mean by the generic IMAP dialog box called 'Internet email' (which does work):

I updated windows and I updated Microsoft 365 to current, rebooted and tried again. Yahoo screen popped up again and asked for my email and password and I put it in and miraculously it worked. This feels like MS made updates that broke the integration with yahoo and it just would have been nice if this was tested for and communicated.