Fix: Vueminder Pro won't Sync with Google Calendar

Infopackets Reader John C. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

Hope you are well. I have a calendar program called VueMinder Pro that I use on my Windows 8 PC. I also use Google Calendar on my smartphone, and VueMinder Pro syncs its information with Google Calendar so I can share information between devices. The syncing has worked great for a while, but lately VueMinder Pro keeps popping up with a window asking me for my Google account password. In other words, VueMinder Pro won't sync with Google Calendar. I have changed my Google password multiple times and disabled 2-step verification in my Google Account, but to no avail. I have also logged into my Google account many times to verify my password is correct, but VueMinder Pro keeps asking me for the password. Any ideas? "

My Response:

I had a sneaking suspicion that the problem was related to a Google Account setting, so I connected with John via remote desktop support so I could see what he was seeing. Sure enough, the VueMinder Pro window kept popping up asking for his Google Account password.

John logged into his Google Account so I could review his settings. During the login process, there was a message asking John to enable 2-step verification - and without any way to cancel the process. (It's worth noting that Google does this on purpose to "protect" people, but it in fact messes other things up, just as in this case). At any rate, we ignored the request and clicked the "Save and Continue" button in order to proceeded through the login. I then reviewed John's account settings, and saw that the 2-step verification was enabled again. I disabled it, logged out, then logged in again and wouldn't you know it, the setting didn't take.

This time, I decided to try something new. I set John's "recovery phone" number as blank, as this would effectively disable the 2-step verification (for those that don't know, 2-step verification sends a temporary unlock code to your cell phone to verify your account). After making the change, I logged out and logged back in to review settings and it was finally disabled. We tried VueMinder Pro again, but unfortunately, it was still asking for his password.

So, I went back to review his Google Account settings. There, I found a setting called "Access for less secure apps", and it was set to disallow. I changed the setting to "allow", and then tried VueMinder Pro again. That, coupled with the disabling 2-step verification, was the fix.

It's worth noting that although we were able to get the program to work properly, disabling these security features via the Google Account settings is not recommended unless you absolutely have to as they help to block password hacking and spam.

To make it simple for other people reading this article, I've summarized the steps needed to take in order to get VueMinder Pro to sync with Google Calendar.

How to Fix: Vueminder Pro won't Sync with Google Calendar

Here are the steps:

1. First, login to your Google Account and verify your current password is in fact working.
    
2. Once you've logged in you will be taken directly to your account settings. Scroll down and look for the "Signing In" heading. If you have a mobile phone number listed under "recovery phone", you will need to erase the number and set the field as blank.
    
3. Once the mobile number has been set as blank, scroll down a little further and look for the "2-step verification" setting and set it to "off". Underneath that, set the "Access to less secure apps" to Allowed. Your settings will automatically save as soon as they are changed.
    
4. Now, log out and back in of your Google Account to double check changes have been saved. To do so: go to the very top of Google Account page, then at the very right click on your profile icon and sign out of Google. Now, sign back in and scroll down to the "Signing In" heading and ensure that 2-step verification is disabled as well as the access to less secure apps is allowed.
    
5. Finally, go to your VueMinder Pro program and if the window pops up again asking for your password, enter it, then click OK. Now it should be set and the window won't appear anymore. Go to the calendar in VueMinder Pro and ensure that your information is synced.

I hope that helps someone else!

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About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.