Newsgroup Passwords

[Greg]

The password system for these newsgroups is way over the top security wise.
Bring back a simpler way of retrieving a forgotten password - just send us
an email with the old password in it like every other organisation does,
rather than this convoluted process of having to setup a new password, it's
absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary. And even suggesting that if it is too
"weak" we may not be able to access certain things - really! How
patronising.

 

[Tiberius]

this newgroup does not have a password if you are using the microsoft free
server...

msnews.microsoft.com

 

[Tom Porterfield]

The password system for these newsgroups is way over the top security
wise. Bring back a simpler way of retrieving a forgotten password - just
send us an email with the old password in it like every other
organisation does, rather than this convoluted process of having to
setup a new password, it's absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary. And
even suggesting that if it is too "weak" we may not be able to access
certain things - really! How patronising.

How are you accessing this newsgroup. The group is hosted on a
Microsoft server and requires no password when accessed that way. Try:

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.vista.general

That is the direct link, no ID or password required.

 

[Greg]

Using MS Mail, and that news server. It told me I needed a password to post.

 

[Not Me]

You didn't accidentally put in two Ns?
msnnews.microsoft.com is different than msnews.microsoft.com

 

[DP]

I think the password is for posting via Microsoft Communities or something
like that.
It's not required, so ignore that prompt (which comes up via Windows Mail).
I don't remember if there's a "don't ask me this again" checkbox, but I know
I don't get that prompt any more and I'm not in MS Communities, or whatever
it's called.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

I think the password is for posting via Microsoft Communities or
something like that.
It's not required, so ignore that prompt (which comes up via Windows Mail).
I don't remember if there's a "don't ask me this again" checkbox, but I
know I don't get that prompt any more and I'm not in MS Communities, or
whatever it's called.

You may be right. To turn that off in Windows Mail select Tools,
Accounts. Under News accounts select Microsoft Communities (or the
account where the server shows as msnews.microsoft.com). With that
account selected click the Properties button and go to the Windows Live
ID tab. If you don't want to use the communities features, such as
rating answers and such, which does require you to enter a Live ID and
password (a hotmail account will do) then select the option to "Never
use Community features that require Windows Live ID".

 

[Greg]

Yes it is Microsoft Communities. Every now and then it insists on having
another one and I ignore it and it works. Like everything else to do with MS
it makes little sense. Thanks for the help.

I think the password is for posting via Microsoft Communities or something
like that.
It's not required, so ignore that prompt (which comes up via Windows
Mail).
I don't remember if there's a "don't ask me this again" checkbox, but I
know I don't get that prompt any more and I'm not in MS Communities, or
whatever it's called.

 

[Greg]

Thanks for that explanation. It would be nice if MS made these things
plainer and inutitive and sensible instead of obscure and illogical.

It was even entirely undocumented as far as I could see that Outlook no
longer handled news and that Outlook Express had become Microsoft Mail and
it took me ages even to find how to read newsgroups when I first booted up
Vista. How logical is it that the thing I use to read mail is called Outlook
and the thing I use to read news is called Mail? Who uses Mail to read mail?