adding account to outlook

Question

i am trying to add my cogeco email to outlook and i am getting this

{"SessionId":[Moderator note: Removed PII],"Timestamp":[Moderator note: Removed PII],"Error":"INVALIDCREDENTIALS TEMPORARILYUNAVAILABLE"}

Answer 1

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Hello Tim Koabel

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand you’re trying to add your Cogeco email account to the New Outlook for Windows and Outlook is returning that error message. This usually happens when Outlook cannot successfully authenticate with the email provider’s servers.

Could you confirm whether you’ve tried the steps mentioned in the Q&A Assist reply under your post? If yes, did you face any difficulties with those steps?

Please try these steps:

1. Make sure your Cogeco account supports secure app sign‑in

Many third‑party email providers require: an app password or specific incoming/outgoing server settings (IMAP/SMTP) for Outlook to connect.

2. Add the account manually using IMAP/SMTP

In New Outlook for Windows:

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Add account
• Enter your email, then select Advanced setup
• Choose IMAP
• Enter Cogeco’s server settings exactly as provided by them

If any field is incorrect (port, SSL, authentication method), Outlook may return the error you’re seeing. You can see this official guide: Add an email account to Outlook for Windows - Microsoft Support

3. Check if the provider is temporarily rejecting connections

That error message can appear if:

• the provider is limiting sign‑ins,
• there's a temporary service issue on their mail servers,
• too many failed attempts recently triggered a security block.

Try signing in to your Cogeco email on their webmail site (if possible) to confirm that it works normally. If webmail also shows issues, the provider may need to fix on their side.

4. Confirm no security block on the Cogeco side

Some providers block connections when:

• IMAP is disabled,
• access from new apps/devices requires confirmation,
• a CAPTCHA or security unlock is pending.

Check your Cogeco webmail settings to make sure IMAP is enabled and no security alert is waiting.

Please feel free to let me know how it goes, I’ll be happy to guide you further. Thanks a lot for your understanding!

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Answer 2

The error message you're encountering, "INVALIDCREDENTIALS TEMPORARILYUNAVAILABLE," suggests that there might be an issue with the credentials you are using to set up your Cogeco email in Outlook. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue:

1. Check Credentials: Ensure that you are entering the correct email address and password for your Cogeco account. Sometimes, a simple typo can lead to authentication issues.
2. Account Settings: Make sure that you are using the correct server settings for your Cogeco email account. You may need to check Cogeco's official support documentation for the correct incoming and outgoing server settings.
3. Temporary Unavailability: If the error indicates that the service is temporarily unavailable, it might be worth waiting a little while and trying again later. There could be a temporary issue with the email server.
4. Network Connection: Ensure that your internet connection is stable. A poor connection can sometimes lead to issues when trying to authenticate your account.
5. Outlook Profile: If the problem persists, consider creating a new Outlook profile and adding your Cogeco email account there. This can sometimes resolve issues related to corrupted profiles.

If you continue to experience difficulties, you may want to contact Cogeco support for further assistance or check their service status to see if there are any ongoing issues with their email service.