Email migration to office 365 doesn't work - help!!!!!

[rossco]

Hi,  

Hoping that some-one will be able to help me find out how I can get my outlook 2007 mail client to start receiving emails again after BT migrated our office mail server over to the new 365 system.  thus far no-one has answered any of the phone numbers that I dial for the BT 'support', and all the information on the BT website appears to give the wrong server setting details.

Any help greatly appreciated as its been a couple of days now that I can-not download my emails.

Ross.

[Snowbird · Accepted solution]

I also spent a fruitless hour flogging through the BT and MS systems to sort this mess out. The BT configurator for Outlook (2010 in my case) was useless. It left the settings as follows:

Pop3: pop3.btconnect.com port 25 no encryption

SMTP: smtp.btonnect.com port 10 no encryption

That sent OK but didn't receive e-mails, which is what you found, Kuerten. So I then searched through Office 365 help and found the following settings:

Pop3: pod51017.outlook.com port 995 SSL encryption

SMTP: pod51017.outlook.com port 587 TLS encryption

That received but didn't send! It gave an authentication failure connecting to the SMTP server. So I searched through the BT help information and found the following:

Pop3: pop.outlook.com port 995 SSL encryption

SMTP: smtp.outlook.com port 587 TLS/SSL encryption

That received but again didn't send. Further investigation showed that SSL is NOT an option for SMTP. It MUST be TLS. But it still didn't send; again I get an authentication failure. So then I tried an extra setting in Outlook:

Go to Account settings/Change Account/More settings/Advanced/Outgoing server.

Make sure that "My outgoing (SMTP) server requires authentication" is ticked.

***Now make sure that the radio button "use same settings as my incoming mail server" is ticked. ***

It wasn't, in my case, and THAT was the problem.

Eureka! It all worked! I hope it does for you, too.

[Beryl]

Hi PeggyS,

I run a small business, and I have the same problem as you now, but previous to that couldn't even get it to up grade, after waiting over 20mins on phone I was informed it wouldn't work on Google Chrome !!! so had to install Mozilla, eventually got the e-mail settings sorted, but now receiving e-mails no problem BUT can not send e-mails. Spent most of yesterday trying to speak to BT (WHAT A JOKE !!).

At least after reading your post I know I'm not the only one.

Did you manage to resolve the problem or have you had to upgrade your Outlook 2003?

[ArmitageD]

We too have a small business with 2 btconnect e mail accounts, on 2 different machines. One machine runs Outlook express 6, and can send and receive no problem since the enforced "migration" to Office 365. The other PC runs Office Outlook 2003...........which is not compatible with Office 365......This is stated on both the BT and Office 365 websites. We have had BT's help desk dialled in to the problem PC, and a very helpful IT assistant tried altering various account settings and downloaded patches from Microsoft. All to no avail.

It looks as though we will have to change our e-mail client from Outlook 2003. (Using web mail is not an attractive option, as we prefer to download and store/back up our e-mail locally). One option would be to install a free client, such as Live Mail.....however Microsoft doesn't support importing messages from Outlook into Live Mail....obviously they would prefer us to use a paid for product over a free one. The best option would be to upgrade our version of Outlook to the latest version (2010 I think). Obviously this would entail a cost.

What I would like to know is are BT going to fund this.......since our e-mail was all working perfectly satisfactorily before this enforced migration.

[neil3030]

Spoiler

Spoiler

I had the same problem and the following solved it in Outlook: Here is the "idiots guide" as I don't care why it works as long as it just does.

go to Tool on the title bar / account settings / double click you BT account

Change Incoming mail server to: pod51017.outlook.com

Change you Outgoing mail server to: pod51017.outlook.com

Click on more settings and select Outgoing server tab

tick My outgoing server requires authentication

tick use same settings as my incoming server

Click on Advanced tab

Incoming server (POP 3) change to 995

Outgoing server (SMTP) change to 25

Use the following type of encrypted connection: select TLS

Press OK

Press Test Account Settings to see if it has worked.

Press Next and then Finish

[ArmitageD]

What version of Outlook were you using?

I tried what was suggested, and it doesn't work with Outlook 2003.

[GSanger]

Pathetic, isn't it.  The frustration this creates is staggering.  I have not done any work today, so far.  It's the feeling of helplessness that makes me so angry.

[DanSmith87]

There seems to be a bit of inconsistency in the details going around.

Firstly, the E-Mail Settings are as follows:

Login: username@btconnect.com

Password: password1 (etc)

Incoming Mailserver: pop.outlook.com

Port: 995

Secure Connection: SSL

Outgoing Mailserver: smtp.outlook.com

Port: 587

Secure Connection: Auto/TLS/SSL

Outgoing Mailserver Requiries Authentification: Same as Incoming.

If, in Outlook 2003, the test details work correctly, however, you're still unable to send E-Mails it is usually because you aren't using the latest version of Outlook. Installing Office Service Pack 3 and the latest updates will usually remedy this. It's also worth checking your Security Software; Avast, McAfee and Norton, to name a few, have mail scanners which check mail sent via SSL and the associated ports. It may have worked when you were using the pop/mail/smtp.btconnect.com servers, but you would neither have been sending using SSL and the details have now changed.

The above is more or less the situation as it is. The situation with mobile devices is more...interesting, to say the least.

The above details are correct, however the way that mobile devices synchronise with the servers can be different not only to a mail client, but to each other. BT state that it should be almost trouble-free with an iPhone as it recognises Office 365 for autoconfiguration, if you have that enabled. In the middle there are Android phones and, ironically, Windows phones that are a little hit-and-miss. This is mainly due to the fact that the majority of BT's Business user-base operate under iPhone and, moreso, Blackberry. This is also where BT know they have a problem.

The way that a Blackberry will try to sync up is to ask you for your basic details and autoconfigure. Where this falls down is that it autoconfigures using the btconnect.com servers. Not helpful. There doesn't seem to be an official solution to this at the moment, but what some have stumbled upon in error is that if you enter a fake or invalid E-Mail address, autoconfigure fails and will allow you to enter your details manually.

With regard to the podxxxxx.outlook.com addresses that some have posted, this is the address of the 'destination' server group where your E-Mails are stored. Some autoconfigurations are bringing them back directly. They do work - for now. In my own experience with providers who use a proxy address, it's usually because whatever's behind them is highly secure (partly) but also because host addresses are subject to change. This way, if pod12345.outlook.com changes to pod67890.outlook.com only the proxy (pop/smtp.outlook.com) has to update, not a half-a-million users. While an autoconfigured phone would be fine here as it would just autoconfigure again and update, it would not be adviseable to use these details in a mail client.

Just touching back to what some people have been saying about Outlook 2003 not being compatible with Office 365. Technically, this is correct, as the full package that BT are advertising at http://www.bt.com/businessemail is a premium service that, among other things, includes a single user license of Outlook 2007 to allow it to use the added functionality of the full service. Among other things, this particular service comes with a 25GB mailbox. As those that have been moved to the Office 365 service have probably noticed, what BT are calling their 'Lite' equivalent comes with what is still an improved 500MB storage. This service should be more than happy using the Microsoft platform if up-to-date and properly configured; especially considering that it works just fine on the even older Outlook Express.

Hope this helps.

[ninajane]

I have managed to set it up on my PC but cannot get it working on either my Blackberry or my I-poad - I have followed all of the help articles but none have done it - it is an absalute nightmare and really caused me problems yesterday not being to access e-mail from my BT account while I was out and about. All of my other e-mail accounts connected to my work which are not BT are working fine but the BT e-mails just dont come through anymore. I have had to transfer my BT e-mails through another account in order to receive them but this is very unsatisfactory. I am also finding the whole thing very slow. I dont know where to go for help on this as I actually went to T-mobile last night and they couldnt do it either.

[TefnutCLoud]

Hi ArmitageD

As you have already stated, office 365 will not work with Outlook 2003 as it is unsupported, this the unfortunate problem with the P1 plan, as an office 365 reseller and tech 300 technician, I personally don’t offer the P1 plan, if you are serious about using the cloud Office 365 E3 is the plan you will need, you are provided with a full copy of office professional plus 2010, including outlook 2010 fully integrated with Sharepoint online and Lync online, if you need any free support please feel free to contact Tefnut cloud on admin@tefnut.onmicrosoft.com we will do our best to help you.

Steven Torbet

www.tefnut.co.uk

https://twitter.com/Digitaltor

[gugaguga]

Good luck on this Armitage. Hope you'll find what you're looking for.