Virgin Media webmail no longer works
Hello,
I'm seeking support to try to resolve an issue that has recently started happening. I can't be the only one who is experiencing this, so if this is resolved others can benefit too. I'm not a complete novice, but neither do I claim to be an I.T. expert.
I use my ISP's webmail service to access my emails. I'm aware I could use an email client, but I prefer to access via a web browser and have done so for many years. About a week ago, I was no longer able to sign in to my webmail. I thought it may be a problem with my provider, so I checked using other web browsers - Safari on iOS which worked and Microsoft Edge (using the same internet connection, same desktop PC) which also worked and continues to work without issue. I can only think it must be something wrong with Firefox? I can access the sign in page as normal using Firefox and select my email address, but after attempting to login I always get the same error message:
Sorry, we can't sign you in just now
Don't worry, it's just a quick pause to help keep your account safe.
Instead:
Use a device you've signed in on before Try again from a familiar connection If you're on a VPN, switch it off and have another go
Still stuck? If this keeps happening, get in touch with us (quoting reference IDF-12B) and we'll help sort it.
I have 2 extensions installed in Firefox - Adblock Plus and Ghostery. I have already added the specific URLs to the allowed websites list (first is the sign in page, second is what it redirects to):
mail2.virginmedia.com oauth.virginmediao2.co.uk
I have searched around for possible solutions, to no avail. Virgin Media advise only signing in on their main home page, but I've never done this as its just another step and extra unnecessary clicks. I don’t want to constantly be bombarded with news, offers and promotions every time I want to check my email, so I only use the direct webmail sign in.
I have tried clearing cache, cookies, etc. Then I tried to refresh Firefox, none of which worked. I also tried uninstalling Firefox, then using CCleaner to perform a clean up and registry scan to fix any possible issues, followed by a clean installation. To my surprise, I was able to sign in to webmail OK. However, the next morning, I got the same error. The only other settings I have tried tweaking is adding exceptions to turn off "Enhanced Tracking Protection" and "Block pop-ups and third-part redirects" on those 2 web addresses.
Any suggestions or options to try would be appreciated.
Alle antwurden (7)
Hi Steve
What happened when you contacted them using the previously advised reference?
Hello Paul, thanks for the prompt response.
As mentioned, I tried searching online for a solution to this issue, but could not find anything definitive. As is typical with large corporations these days, whenever you have a problem they would prefer you didn't contact them. I very rarely have issues with my ISP, but I know their Help/Contact Us section includes mostly self-help topics and FAQs. If its nothing that matches your issue, you eventually find an alternative method, then have to try to get past their AI chatbot to contact a real person. Then after waiting for an age, you connect to an agent but they don't offer real technical support. As for contacting their outsourced call centre support line. No thanks - been there, done that. You wait an unspecified indefinite about of time to connect, only to be greeted by someone with no real knowledge of the issue and they can only read from a script. If you try to deviate, you get nowhere.
I did some more research and found other people having the same error message when trying to login. They contacted VM about the issue, and as I suspected, all they get is a generic set of options to try:
Please ensure you're not on a VPN, or if you're running screen recording software. If this has not worked, are you able to clear you cache/cookies or try another device/browser.
None of this applies to my situation and its the same old stuff that I'm well aware of and have tried. It works fine in other browsers I have tried, just not Firefox. It seems something in Firefox is not compatible with their system, I just don't know what it is.
For now, I will have to continue using an alternative browser.
Hi please don't use the URLs as shown they are subdomains, and often the security is else where
Try virginmedia.com and virginmediao2.co.uk
i.e. always remove any sub domain as many website use many subdomains and you want to cover them all
Thank you for the additional info.
I added both virginmedia.com and virginmediao2.co.uk to Adblock Plus and Ghostery, just to see if that made a difference, but it did not. Also tried clearing cache and cookies once more, but no change.
I may have found the issue - I decided to disable Adblock Plus and Ghostery and I can login via the subdomain the same as I have been doing in Microsoft Edge. Now I need to figure out which extension is causing the issue, and then work out what settings I need to tweak or change to make it play nicely.
Strange how I have been using this same setup for years and never had this issue in Firefox with both extensions enabled and specific domains added to the allowed list.
Not solved yet, but it seems the problem is with Firefox and/or the extensions.
Thank you for that information. Very informative and could point to the reason why is has been working without issue until a recent Firefox update.
As suggested, I disabled Enhanced Tracking Protection by clicking on the shield icon to the left of the address bar at the sign in page. That did not solve the issue. I did also go to the Advanced settings and under Cookies changed to Allow all cookies (which untoggles the Cookie option), but still not working. Additionally I added some exceptions on those 2 domains and subdomains (not really sure if this is necessary).
Next on the list to try was restarting Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode, which surprisingly worked - even though the 2 extensions should have been disabled on those URLs. So now, I have just tried restarting Firefox in normal mode and can sign in to webmail without issue.
I'm going to give it a few days and multiple logins before I call it fixed.
I have an interesting update on this which may help other users in a similar situation to me.
My webmail access carried on working normally in Firefox, but then randomly stopped working again. I was scratching my head trying to think of any reason why it seems to do this - then I realised that there seems to be a correlation between accessing webmail on my smartphone and then desktop access not working. I have tested the theory more than once and can confirm what is happening. I have made no further tweaks or changes to settings in Firefox since my last update.
- Access webmail sign in from my usual saved bookmark https://mail2.virginmedia.com/ - Login as and when needed - working normally, sign out when done. - Access the same VM webmail sign in from the same bookmark on my smartphone using Safari on iOS (standard setup, no add-ons) on 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi, sign in as normal (using Face ID for authentication), sign out when done. - The next time I attempt to sign in using Firefox on my desktop PC, it always fails with the same IDF-12B error message as initially mentioned. If I then try using Edge with the same sign in process it works normally, even when Firefox does not. - If I go back to Firefox, restart in Troubleshoot Mode and sign in, it works normally. Sign out and close Firefox, reopen in normal mode, sign in and it now works - that is until the next time I access webmail from my smartphone. When this happens, I then have to repeat the cycle by restarting Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode to reset it.
The only difference between the way I access webmail on a desktop PC using Firefox and my smartphone on Safari, is that my smartphone authenticates with Face ID, where as the desktop always initially asks me to insert a security key in the USB port (which I've never had or setup), so I always choose the option to sign in another way and select the password option.
So now I know how its happening, just not why.
Thank you for that update. The best people to help you with this would be Virgin Media.
Jo moatte jo oanmelde by jo account om op berjochten te antwurdzjen. Stel in nije fraach as jo noch gjin account hawwe.