Gmail Lockdown in Sector 4!
This is not good. This is not good at all. If you’re trying to reach me and I haven’t responded yet, this might be why.
I have to say that this is the first time I’ve really noticed the difference between Gmail as a web service and a desktop application. Mac’s Mail has never shut me out. This had better get worked out quickly, or I might cease to be such a loyal Gmailer. They’ve got all my messages and have been my only personal email account for years.
Here’s a helpful note from the Gmail team (sent to my work email address when I filed an error report):
Thank you for your report. We apologize for any confusion or
inconvenience. For your security, we may temporarily disable access to
your account if our system detects abnormal usage. Abnormal usage
includes, but is not limited to:- Receiving, deleting, or popping out large amounts of mail (via POP) in a
short period of time
- Sending a large number of undeliverable messages (messages that bounce
back)
- Using third party file-sharing or storing software, or software that
automatically logs in to your account and that is not supported by Gmail
- Multiple instances of your Gmail account opened
- Browser-related issues. Please note that if you find your browser
continually reloading while attempting to access your inbox, it is likely
a browser issue.
I used to have some Greasemonkey scripts that ran on Gmail, but I disabled them ages ago. This lockdown occurred when I received a message from the iTunes Music Store, letting me know that my preorder of Bruce Springsteen’s We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions was ready for download (yay!). I clicked the link, iTunes opened, and whammo! No more Gmail.
Consider yourself warned.
Update: an hour later, my account has been unlocked. I probably should have given the Gmail team a little more credit (I do understand there are valid reasons for taking precautions, especially for security or anti-spam, which I support) before jumping the gun, but surely my gut reaction to such a fearful message is understandable and forgivable.
Patrick, 
Jamie, and 3 others are discussing. 
Brian Sawyer 
Wim Moodak 9:56 am on October 23, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The same thing just happened to me, also when iTunes opened. Did you ever find out if iTunes was the cause of it all?
Brian Sawyer 10:00 am on October 23, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
My account was restored as mysteriously as it was locked down. I never did figure out the source of the problem, and it hasn’t happened again.
Good luck.
Oesten 1:05 pm on January 20, 2007 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The same thing happened to me for a solid day. No explanation, no non-automated response. Just a whole lot of biting fingernails – particularly because my backup (on thunderbird) got corrupted the day before, and I was trying to create a new backup. I’m done with gmail.
Jamie 10:48 am on February 9, 2007 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Just be glad that GMail does this for you. I had a friend whose Hotmail account was hacked, and all sorts of unusual activity started coming out from it. But when we contacted Microsoft to try to get it resolved, and they didn’t do anything; they just let the hacker do what he wished with the account and wouldn’t shut it down until the FBI got involved and took it over themselves.
Personally, I’ll take a 24 hour GMail outage over going through that hell again any day. The security of GMail is incredible, and the comfort that that brings is priceless now.
Patrick 8:45 am on April 10, 2007 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Well, my Gmail account was locked down yesterday, no explanation, and again this morning. This is ridiculous, they give you some arbitrary error for what you are locked out of your account but they do NOT tell you what it is that is causing the problem, the “Lockdown in Sector 4!” could be 100 different things. I don’t spam, don’t send anyone that I don’t know anything, and all of it’s nice emails, I use their Gmail Notifier, and use Gmail from my cell phone. I am just an average user, using my Gmail, have been for nearly 2 years now, and all of a sudden this has happened twice in 24 hours. If Gmail doesn’t tell me what is going on, just the stupid error, then I’ll find an email service that is reliable, tells you what is going on with your account.
Patrick
Brian D. Hill 11:15 am on June 14, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This just happened to me because I was forced to relay all of my web hosts email (Because they keep making demands I cut my disk space and I don’t even use too much) through my gmail because my web host I paid good money for is on the move attacking, lying, and trying to suspend my account in every legal fashion they can execute. My web host arvixe is after me and caused me to lo0se my google account as well.