Pacbell/Yahoo Migration was a pain

[Wacko]

Today I recieved a letter from pacbell through the snail mail. It gave me an online web address to go to for the migration, and tells me that it will only take me minutes.

So, I go to the page, and get started. During the process it tells you that you don't need SBC/Yahoo software for this to work, and lists Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express as ok to use instead. I decided not to use their software for personal reasons, but after I finished the IE short cuts wouldn't work anymore. I would click on them, and they would start, but then kick me back to the desk top. I decided to try calling the 1-877-SBC-DSL5 just to see what they would tell me.

DSL Tech support: told me that I would have to call Microsoft for tech support to setup the program to run right.

Me: I explained that it was running just fine before I migrated my account over.

DSL Tech support: They said that I would have to contact Microsoft Tech support.

Me: I asked why would it change when I migrated? Does the migration change something?

DSL Tech support: No, so you will have to contact Microsoft tech support.

I said thank you, and hung up.

Ok, so that didn't work. I then decided to try a certian message board in the pacbell forum. The best that they could come up with was to either reinstall Internet Explorer, or use the fix feature. They did say that they weren't aware of anything that is changed during the process.

I decided to try downloading the SBC/Yahoo software to see what whould happen. I clicked on the link, and a pop up box comes up telling me that a program needed to finish before I could start the download process. I restarted my computer, but the links were still broke. I went ahead, and downloaded the new software, and now everything works just fine except for a bunch of bloatware on my computer that I will never use.

I'm thinking that the process must download something to your computer during the process, or else it wouldn't have told me to restart my computer. Now that means that something was changed, but no one seems to know what.

Has anyone migrated over to SBC/Yahoo, and tried to use IE, and OE? If anyone can shed some light on all this I would much appreciate it, thanks.

Now for the rant part: If you download the Software it adds Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger, a bunch of short cuts on your desk top, and in the start menu. The Internet program that it adds is IE6 Yahoo with a yahoo bar, yahoo link, changes your home page to yahoo, and adds a bunch of links to Favorites. I hate the idea of all this extra BS that I will now have to remove from my computer to keep things neat, and clean. Why not give a person the opertunity to accept, or decline all the extras that they won't need. Instead the force it all on you. Yes, I'am a bit miffed about all this. They told me that it would only take a few minutes, and several hours later it finally works. What a pain!

[Paladin]

I got that mail. Being a Tech I figure I'd try it first on someone else's account. It's an old fixed IP basic account that has been in use for over 3 years. Needed the account name to migrate. So 3+ years after getting the account I get it registered.

The upgrade program reaches out and touches your stuff -- changes your e-mail servers to match the new ones. {GOOD!} Changes your start page. {BAD} I opted for the Brittanica option -- pitiful!

Then I did Valkyre's account and two more company accounts. Somewhere along the line I loaded the SBC-Yahoo browser skin onto my laptop. About a day later I scrape it out.

I use IE and OE, mainly 'cause OE will handle the 13 e-mail accounts I check daily. I really didn't have any big problems. As far as I can tell the only real changes are the mail servers and the dial-up access numbers. I did all the migrations for all four accounts from the one laptop so as to not mess up the settings on any other computer.

[Coot]

I've been aware of this migration option for a bit now.

Hmmm...are there a list of changes one can do themselves to accomplish the migration? Having the email finally working properly would be a big plus...other than that I'd rather not put up with the rest of it, as my experience has always been that big migrations like this are somewhat akin to shoving needles in your own eyes ;)

Of course, having only one windows box it would be less traumatic if that got hosed. What about Linux users? I'm pretty sure they dont' have a convenient download to 'migrate' that also. All the settings should be available.

[mikeky]

You guys have probably already checked out the BBR PacBell forum, but if not, looks like it has some information about the change.

[Wacko]

Been their done that mikeky, but thanks.

Looks like so far it's just my computer that had the problem with it. Maybe it was just a fluke, lol. We all know how screwed up software can get. Oh, well such is life.

[mrRT]

I thought that the only "real change"necessary in the migration was email server addresses. It may change your login to the 'new' format, but all the rest of the migration is BS i think.

As I recall that was the main complaint about the migration,the reconfiguration of your browser to add all that unecessary clutter..and the failure rate for customers doing the migration (which usually wasn't the customers fault). Another fine piece of software from your friends at SBC....hehehehhe

may be wrong on this one..

[Paladin]

Use to go to postoffice.pacbell.net/mail.pacbell.net. The dial-up logon changed a while back from username/password to username@isp/password to accomodate pacbell.net and sbcglobal.net users with the same name. I don't remember if the mail logon had changed. (I have trouble remembering yesterday.)

I use Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000, settings should be similar with any mail program. Login name is username@ISP. Once setup I go tools-accounts-servers-check [x] my outgoing server requires authentication.

If you don't have a personal web page allready at pages.sbcglobal.net or home.pacbell.net or whatever I strongly recommend doing so *before* migrating. I think they're dropping the real webpages in favor of GeoCities -- with advertizing! Existing pages get grandfathered, at least for a while.

[Techie2000]

From what I've seen, migration in the SNET region has been smooth, although i haven't migrated my SBC yet...

[Wacko]

Well, I'm about to call Pacbell tech support. It seems that two of my email accounts are working right. I'm not getting any mail at all. I have checked, and rechecked every more than a few times. It's just not working for some reason. So, maybe tech support can figure the darn thing out. Actually I will probably post on that other forum first in the pacbell area to see what they can figure out.

Ok, keep telling yourself "I'm going to be civil, I'm not going to yell, scream, jump up and down, and I'm not going to throw a fit. I will be civil, I will be civil"......;-);-) Besides it's probably something that I missed, lol. better yet I can blame it on mr gates...;-)

[Paladin]

Once migrated, you can send/receive e-mail via the web by logging into Yahoo. If you can get mail over the web but not with your POP mail program you likely have something wrong on your end. If you can't get into your mail via Yahoo it is most likely their problem or a log-in problem.

[Wacko]

Thanks Paladin. I'm thinking that it's on my end. Just gotta go back to the basics, and look at everything once again. I will go try it at Yahoo just to make sure. Thanks

[Wacko]

Ok, all fixed. At one spot in during setup it didn't take the user name for some reason. I spent a bit talking to tech support on the phone, and then I figured it out. The tech rep was like "Duh", lol. In all fairness it was 4am, so she was half asleep. Anyways, the part that didn't take for some reason was the User Name. It should have been Username@pacbell.net, and then passward in the box below. For some reason it kept changine it to just the User name without the @pacbell.net. Strange, but once I figured the darn thing out it works great. Now for the testing process, lol. Still a pain...;-)