Question: This is about moving email from Cox to Yahoo. I moved everything I could to an Outlook email account before the Cox switch. I was going to run both for a while. When I went to setup Yahoo (using the old Cox email) they tried to force me to use Yahoo software on my iPhones and computers. They only supported MAPI very weirdly where you have to go to their website to get a “one-time” password. So, it would work for one computer then you try to set it up on a second computer and it would not work. When you go to their website to get another “one-time” password for the second computer, the first computer would stop working. Effectively, they limit you to one MAPI connection. So, you have to run their Yahoo software on your phones and computers, and they feed you advertisements. Is there a way to not do Yahoo but have my old Cox email address forwarded to my new Outlook account?
– Josh L.
Niceville, Florida
Answer: If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to hit the column archive on my website and read the discussion there about this shake-up with Cox.com email addresses. There is only one clear path through the trees to get to the other side. For some, it has been an easy ride, and for others, they are finding it just about impossible to accomplish the change. From what I’ve heard, customer service can be of little help, with Cox blaming Yahoo! and vice-versa.
For my money, MAPI is definitely the way you want to go, but I don’t understand why or how “they” are trying to “force (you) to use Yahoo software.” At least on your phone, you are free to use the built-in Yahoo email facility to set up an account. And I will remind you that the only thing that is supposed to have changed is the name and address of the email server that hosts your mail account. In other words, your account will still be <your_email>@cox.net (or .com) but that account will be hosted on a server owned and operated by Yahoo!. To that end, it may not be possible to run both as you’re wanting to do, as they will probably shut down the one at Cox as soon as they detect that the one over at Yahoo! is up and running.
I can’t account for the “weird” MAPI support, but the “one-time” passwords are part of the transition process. You shouldn’t need to, and in fact should not do the transition on more than one computer. Once your account is rehosted to Yahoo, it’s there, and you can simply set it up on as many other devices as you like, using the Cox account, and the Yahoo! server on each device. The exact server settings and ports should have been communicated to you, but if they weren’t, just go into the settings for the first one you transitioned, and write down the information for use on the other devices. And remember, you’re supposed to keep using your Cox user name and password until and unless you establish one at Yahoo!
Readers, Josh wrote-in from an @outlook.com email address, so I presume that’s what he means when he mentioned having his old Cox email “forwarded to my new Outlook account.” Josh, I’m fairly certain that Cox and Yahoo! formed a business partnership where Yahoo! would host all of the Cox.com on their email server, allowing people to continue using their old email addresses that end with @cox.com. Therefore, I don’t believe it will be possible for you to continue to receive email @cox.com on any mail service other than @yahoo.com. For your sake, Josh, I’d love to be proven wrong. Does anyone else have the inside track on performing such an operation? I’ll be happy to post about it again.
Geek Note: For readers of the Northwest Florida Daily News, I’m aware my column has been missing from the print edition of the paper these last few weeks. I’ve been in touch with them, but I have no control over whether they publish what I write. Assuming they’ve started publishing it again, you can catch up on the issues you missed over on my website.
To view additional content, comment on articles, or submit a question of your own, visit my website at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com!)
