[geargrrl]

and I don't even use it. (warning, rant and frustration)

You guys remember I set up a laptop for my stroke disabled sister in law? So far, so good. Yahoo is the default email that comes with her internet provider ( sbcglobal.net)

Well, in typical yahoo fashion it asked her to re-validate her username and id, and now it's locked her out as invalid. I know she did it right... same thing happened to me last year with a listserve I get and the only way I was able to regain access was to change the email address after a week of trying to log back in.

She found some sort of workaround, where she goes to my website, and uses the email link to me, which somehow opens it up yahoo mail bypassing the signin that's not working. But it's killing me to try and get yahoo to reset properly.

ATT has been great, they have an alternate login site for their customers... but trying to walk this gal through loggin out of yahoo, typing in a new URL and going to it.... is challenging. I had set everything with a series of bookmarks for her when I was down there. I know we covered URLs in our "lessons" but I guess it didn't stick. Gah. I am frustrated and I am not sure how I am going to fix this from up here.

thanks for letting me vent.

oh yeah, try and get tech support from yahoo? hahahahahahahahhahahahahahah It's probably illegal that they don't have an accessibility department. Even the phone number that the ATT accessibility dept gave me for yahoo doesn't work.

 

[LordOpie]

Sounds like more than just a yahoo mail acct. Sounds like some proprietary interface?

She should get an email account that's not linked or locked to anything. Another (seperate/independent) yahoo acct or a hotmail or gmail one?

 

[SkaredShtles]

Hmmm.... I've had Yahoo! mail for around 10 years now and never had any trouble with any sort of lockouts.

 

[LordOpie]

Hmmm.... I've had Yahoo! mail for around 10 years now and never had any trouble with any sort of lockouts.

ditto

Which is why i'm thinking it's not just "my.yahoo.com", but something different.

 

[geargrrl]

Sounds like more than just a yahoo mail acct. Sounds like some proprietary interface?

She should get an email account that's not linked or locked to anything. Another (seperate/independent) yahoo acct or a hotmail or gmail one?

It happened to me last year, I only use yahoo for a list, not email and one day it asked me to validate my email.... and never worked again until I created a new account.

I am sure I will get this figured out somehow. I am 4 states away, and there's no one to help her. Geek squad won't touch login issues - I talked to them as I've got $$ to pay for that if needed. The folks down there who said they'd help out in a pinch have not made themselves available.

Her brain function is slightly slowed and she was never really bright anyway, so the whole process of setting up new/different emails is more than she can handle, certainly more than I can do over the phone.

I guess I'm not really looking for answers, I am just frustrated and want to rant/vent because I want to fix this right now but that is not going to happen. I WAS going to ask what is the most simple email out there... but unless I can get it set up for her, what's the point?

carry on...

 

[SkaredShtles]

The only time I've seen Yahoo! do anything crazy is when the account isn't accessed for an extended period of time. They actually will remove the account/mail if you don't log in. I can't remember how long it has to be idle, though - I think it's several months.

 

[Kornphlake]

I had that happen to me when I moved, SBC had to switch my DSL account to a new phone number and my account got erased and re-established as I remember. I collected all my email through outlook express via pop3 (stored locally) so I don't remember if I lost the email that was stored on the server at that time. I don't understand why ATT would force you to validate your account, or whatever it is you say they did, unless the account was closed due to not paying the bill or some other request to terminate the service.

It might be a lot to ask but I'd think the ISP should have the ability to connect to your sister-in-law's computer remotely and sort everything out as long as the modem is working and there is a functioning connection, isn't a remote connection utility built into Windows XP somewhere? After spending a few hours on the phone with ATT's tech support myself, I already know it will take you months to get that kind service out of them and it may cost a crap load of money. Where is your sister living, maybe a monkey could help out.

One other thing you could try is to post on www.dslreports.com, there is an at&t direct forum where you can request service, only the techs can read and respond to the post and from what I've seen they will actually go out of their way a little bit to help you out. I had a tech call me at work to schedule a truck roll after I posted a request and he determined from his end that the problem needed a tech at or around my house. It took about 12 hours for him to respond and somehow he got my work number, my wife said that nobody had called the house asking for me and I think I listed my cell phone as an alternate daytime phone number. It seems like he got a truck to my house in about 3 days, a few months later I had another problem and needed a tech, I called ATT directly and the soonest they could schedule an appointment was about a week out.

 

[geargrrl]

hah, I knew I wasn't imagining this.

ATT has been great, I will say that. The trick now is to try and walk someone who doesn't think real clear and gets frustrated easily through the process of logging out on yahoo, logging on ATT and bookmarking it, over the phone. You don't realize how much we take basic tasks like "type in the new URL" for granted....

I also had the brilliant idea of talking to her 8 year old son, who visits once a week, and telling him what needs to be done.

 

[SkaredShtles]

hah, I knew I wasn't imagining this.

ATT has been great, I will say that. The trick now is to try and walk someone who doesn't think real clear and gets frustrated easily through the process of logging out on yahoo, logging on ATT and bookmarking it, over the phone. You don't realize how much we take basic tasks like "type in the new URL" for granted....

I also had the brilliant idea of talking to her 8 year old son, who visits once a week, and telling him what needs to be done.

Just get her a straight up Gmail or Yahoo! account. Completely divorce her from any email that is attached in any way to the ISP.

 

[geargrrl]

Just get her a straight up Gmail or Yahoo! account

that's what I should have done to begin with. (hindsight, yadayada) I see that you can set up gmail to act like a POP# server. This might just have to wait until myself can get down there again and walk her through it. Working with somewho is stubborn and a little bit simple over the phone is, well, challenging.

thanks for all the input guys... and yes, if anyone can tell me how to set up remote access for me, to her system that would be GREAT!!!! it's a XP system.

gg

 

[BadDNA]

I'd hook her up with a gmail account if you can. Sure they say it's only Beta still but seriously, how long has it been around... I've got plenty of invites if you want me to pass you one and then you can work on getting her hooked up next time you're there.

 

[SkaredShtles]

that's what I should have done to begin with. (hindsight, yadayada) I see that you can set up gmail to act like a POP# server.

IMO an email account tied to an ISP is a terrible option in today's tech world. I can't tell you how many times friends/family send me email asking me to change their email address because they've changed ISPs, their ISP has been purchased, or their ISP has changed names.