How Do You Return Yahoo! Mail to Yahoo! Classic?

In September of 2011, I started this thread here on how to return Gmail to Basic HTML. Many companies release new versions of their software and instead of leaving the option to continue using the old interface force you to the new one. Not my idea of the way things should operate. I understand these services are free to me, but when you have used and relied on something for over a decade, dramatically altering the user interface really is a slap in the face.

I woke up this morning and found my Yahoo! email account and or Yahoo! account had been hacked. I knew this because of three key reasons:

1) I had about 15 messages in my Inbox which were undeliverable. These were to recipients in my address book that I have not been in touch with for years, and whose emails, for whatever reason, are no longer valid. The messages bounced back as Undeliverable. This means someone got my account information, logged in as me, and spammed everyone in my contacts list. The emails to those addresses that are no longer valid just bounced back. The emails to those addresses that are still valid went through, and the lucky account holder received a link to who knows what spammy garbage.

2) When the hacker logged in as me, the interface was deliberately altered to the new Yahoo! format, which I loathe and despise. When I went to bed, everything was fine. When I awoke, everyone in my contacts list had been spammed, and my UI altered.


Now, there are three recommended ways to return to Yahoo! Classic email posted all over the web, and all three of them failed. Had they worked, I would not be posting this thread. I am hoping someone in our fine flashlight community knows more than I do in this area, and can help me to resolve this problem. Here are three methods commonly recommended on the web:

1) Change your user agent to something oddball.

The latest version of Yahoo! email is incompatible with Internet Explorer 6.0. If you either

a) Use the real IE 6.0,

or,

b) Change your user agent string to reflect Internet Explorer 6.0, this is supposed to force a page indicating that your web browser is incompatible, and offer to return you to the old version, either once, or permanently.

When I tried it, this method failed.

2) Disable Javascript

The latest version of Yahoo! email requires Javascript, and disabling it is supposed to prompt a similar message, with similar links, as the above.

When I tried it, this method failed.

3) Lower your screen resolution

The latest version of Yahoo! email requires a certain screen resolution. Lowering your screen resolution is supposed to prompt a similar message as indicated in number one, with similar links.

When I tried it, this method failed.



I do not know what to do from here. I used two different IP addresses, K-Meleon, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer 7.0, and Internet Explorer 6.0, disabled Javascript, and lowered my resolution. All of these bring up the links to return to the old version of Yahoo! email. The links do nothing.

If you are not afraid of technology or messing around with your email, I would be grateful if someone who does like the new version of Yahoo! mail would be willing to do one or more of the following:

1) Temporarily disable JavaScript

and/or


2) Temporarily alter your user agent

and/or

3) Temporarily lower your screen resolution

and/or

4) Temporarily use Internet Explorer 6.0

and then try to login to Yahoo! email.

This should prompt a page which lets you know that for any of the above listed reasons, you cannot log in to your email,
and this same page should offer you links to let you use Yahoo! Classic, either for one session, or permanently.

If you would be willing to try this, does it indeed return you to Yahoo! Classic, or, does it do absolutely nothing?

The links do not work for me.

I appreciate any help you can offer.

I have had and used this account for over 12 years, and have no desire to give it up because of a UI I cannot stand.

Thank you all!

NOTE: If you don't know what user agent and Javascript mean, please don't mess around with your browser's settings. I don't want you to ruin your browser. If you are expert in tinkering and/or don't mind getting your hands dirty in about:config or otherwise tweaking things, I welcome your help.

hello, about a year ago i switched to the new version of yahoo mail. it was a disaster. if i clicked on an email and then tried to go back one page, it always went back two pages. this was true anywhere i went on the web. after trying everything i knew how to do, i called yahoo and talked to a good service rep.. he switched it back to classic and noted in my file to never go to the new version. has been running smooth since.

Re: Hacker
Chances are your system is infected with some sort of virus or trojan rather than actually having been hacked per se. I have friends who've had similar cases and the root cause of their problem was an infected system.

As for the tricks used to return to Yahoo! Mail Classic, I've just tried the Opera + disabled Javascript trick a couple of minutes ago and it worked for me. I've chosen the permanent option of using Yahoo! Classic and tried logging in and out a couple of times and it's still using the classic interface.

Have you tried clearing your cookies and cache then reloading the page?

@spock: I totally agree with you. As much as the new version aggravates me, the fact I cannot return to the original is what really does it! I don't understand why they remove the ability to choose easily which version you want. I may wind up on the phone if I cannot resolve this on my own.

@mina: You are probably right. I don't have time to run a full scan down, but when I return from running errands I may have to do just that.

That is very confusing to me, that it should work for you and your account but not for me.

I am fairly certain it has absolutely nothing to do with cache or cookies, as I've tried in a WinPE live environment that loads to RAM, which eliminates all software based possibilities from the equation. However, I will download a fresh copy of a portable browser and try it again, and then update this post.

UPDATE: I just downloaded Pale Moon Portable here.

I unpacked the archive and installed it to a directory, and ran it, then tried to log in with Javascript disabled via about:config. Quick note: This thing flies, and is very noticeably faster than the latest build of Firefox Portable!

However, the same exact error occurs: I try to log in, it attempts to, takes me to the familiar screen with the two options, "just this one time" and permanently, and when I click either of those two links, it tries to return to my email for a split second, shows the modern version, then returns to the same screen in a loop.

So as suspected, it is definitively not a cookies or cache issue.

UPDATE TWO: Yep, it's definitely my account! I just created a new bogus account ten seconds ago, and disabled Javascript immediately after creating it. When I click the second link, "Return to a previous version of Yahoo! Mail" it works exactly as it ought to. When I try it with my real account, it dead-ends and returns me to the same page.

So it is something with my account.

I just deleted the bogus account. I suppose I'll have to phone Yahoo! tomorrow.

If anyone has a "real person" phone number for them they can post, I would be grateful!

**The reason I could not switch back is because while in the new version, I selected the option to use HTTPS every time. That would not allow me to return to Yahoo! Classic. Once I unchecked that, I was able to return to the classic version and stay there.

However, as of 6/16/13....

Yahoo! is now asking me every time I log in whether I want to switch to the new version permanently.

I keep clicking "Remind me later," which I wish said "No, go away, and don't ever ask again."

Google Mail leaves me alone; why can't Yahoo!

Well, Yahoo!, you did it.

You killed off the product I loved, which I've been using for over a decade.

1) Does anyone know of a third party tool or application I can use to access Yahoo! Mail without touching the horrid new GUI?

2) Anyone else disgruntled by the forced change?

LEDAdd1ct said:

Well, Yahoo!, you did it.

You killed off the product I loved, which I've been using for over a decade.

1) Does anyone know of a third party tool or application I can use to access Yahoo! Mail without touching the horrid new GUI?

Click to expand...

I use Zimbra. It seems to work fine with the new Yahoo mail.

2) Anyone else disgruntled by the forced change?

Click to expand...

Yes, I'm very annoyed by this. Yahoo has been trying to push their new, "improved" mess on users for over a year. Up until today they were just giving reminders as you said. Today you're forced to switch if you want to look at your email. Time to complain vehemently to Yahoo. I'm really getting sick of companies which have a good product you're happy with, then for no good reason change it to something which stinks.

Thanks, jtr.

I've never heard of it.

I'll definitely check it out.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

*sigh*

In order to use a third party email client, in the U.S. and Canada, you must pay for the "Plus" version. It is $20.00 a year, or, $1.66 a month. I would have rather spent $1.66 a month to keep Yahoo! Classic.

Since I can't make Yahoo! change its mind, here is the next best thing:

1) Download and update your HOSTS file here:

Link

2) Regain your lost screen space in FireFox here:

Link

Hope this helps people out.

As an FYI you can use my.yahoo.com and customize your home page. Although the yahoo "updated" mail client is still used to compose and read.

My browsers home page:



You can take customizing even further using NetVibes

http://www.netvibes.com/en/individual