[jwootton]

I wrote quite a long and detailed post about this, but it didn't get submitted and now I really don't want to write it all over again, I'll give you the coles notes.

I have 3 email addresses on a personal domain hosted by teksavvy. I set them up on my mac mini running snow leopard as well as setting up two of the accounts on my iPad. The two accounts that I set up on the iPad have this problem. It continually prompts for the password, the third works perfectly. At least it was until I set the third account up on my iphone, as soon as I did that mail prompted me again for that password.

There is obviously some interference with multiple devices accessing mail, but I have no idea why or what to do to fix this. I have had similar problems with different email addresses in the past with no solution, nor was I able to show that it was related to other devices. I know there are other threads on this topic, but no one has any suggestions outside of repairing permissions and resetting the keychain all of which seem to be bandages, but don't fix the underlying issue.

Has anyone figured out this longtime problem yet?

 

[Paddy]

This seems to be a rather common problem, judging by the number of threads and posts on it on the Apple forums and elsewhere.

This thread has some suggestions that might be worth trying:

Apple - Support - Discussions - Mail keeps asking for Password ...

Post #22 in this thread at macrumors has a solution that worked for him:

Mail Keeps Asking for my Keychain Password - Mac Forums

 

[jwootton]

Thanks, I know this is a pretty common problem, but have yet to find a solution that has actually worked. I will try this keychain suggestion in post 22 at macrumours and update this, but I would like to get to the root of the problem (why does accessing my mail from other devices prompt my mac mail to ask me for my password 20 times a day). There has to be something I can change on the mail server end as this seems to be where the issue must be actually happening. I have a feeling that the keychain thing might just be a kludge and not a real solution.

 

[jwootton]

Update: Since putting the mail account into my iPhone, my iPad now frequently says that the password for those accounts in not valid. It will say this, but 5 or 10 minutes later it will find the messages and download them without problem.

This is now starting to be more than just an inconvenience, sometimes these emails are time sensitive and who know which device will pick them up first.

I'm going to try the above keychain idea from the link above, but don't hold much hope

 

[chas_m]

Shaw (one of the big providers here in Victoria) is having these issues. I've received numerous reports from people having difficulty with their shawmail accounts.

 

[jwootton]

Well, good to know it's not an isolated problem, (well, good in the sense that there might be a fix with so many people affected). The Keychain stuff didn't work for me by the way. I really don't think it is an issue with the keychain. I think the mail client is somehow getting some interference on the server from multiple accounts and it interprets that as an incorrect password. So, where does the issue really lie, is it just a matter of Mac mail not playing well with POP servers, I'm not sure if I've ever had this issue through IMAP, but it be IMAP too. If I ever find a solution, I'll update this post.

 

[ajapierce]

Hello everyone, i am new to hear and have been reading through other support boards.

It would seem that APOP for the incoming email authentification is coming up instead of Password.

Most people state that when then change it back to Password everything seems to be ok.

My only theory on this is that there was a update install for Mac Mail, and it made account setting changes. It is like on a PC computer, if you use Outlook Express or Windows Mail while having Microsoft Office installed, everytime there is a Microsoft Office update, it defaults the email client back to Outlook.