Somewhere between September and October, Microsoft migrated from Windows Mail to Outlook for free. More features and such. I’ve not checked it out fully, but it may be a “lighter” version of Outlook, or it could just be a different version from what you’d get if you purchased Office. If you have more details you can post a reply.

This information is to make you aware of certain issues that could arise with this move by Microsoft.

Due to security reasons, many email providers use what they call “app passwords” to allow older programs – or programs that aren’t directly theirs – to access their email service. Yahoo! – AOL – Google – among others – support these features. The screenshot you’re seeing is from AOL. I had originally assisted this client with setting up their app password when it became an issue, and they have been using Windows Mail since then. Once the free upgrade/update/change to Outlook took place, they lost access to their AOL email. All others migrated properly.

The app password for AOL seems to have been tied to Windows Mail – it’s not transferrable to Outlook. Attempts to generate a new app password from within the AOL site failed – they’re having problems – and calls to support show that they’re aware. The only workaround currently is to use the browser to check mails. You’ll have to keep trying until the service is available again.

This is not unique to AOL, but it just happened that way in this instance. So be aware if you’re a tech or end user – it’s not that you’re doing anything wrong. It may just be the email provider.