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Schwab log in problem


ex_hacker202

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Every so often (haven't been able to figure out exact timing by months) MT will demand I re-enter my Schwab login info, then a BIG window opens up that has options on where to get a security code sent to you - this window is so big it occupies more than 2/3rds of my 22" monitor - my problem is that I can drag it to the side of the monitor with most of it disappearing off the screen, but as soon as I click on the email tab in my Windows Taskbar the Schwab window snaps right back to the middle of the screen and grabs focus, which blocks my ability to view the email Schwab sent me with the security code - I have to drag the window to the side of the screen again to see and copy the security code. Basically, that Schwab verification window prevents me from doing anything on my computer until I enter the security code. This morning it took me so long to figure out how to get that window out of the way long enough to see my email that the security code was invalid by the time I entered it into the MT Schwab window and I had to start all over again - this is beyond irritating, especially when I'm groggy after just getting out of bed. Actually, I don' think those are the exact steps that occurred, I was barely awake this morning when I got on my PC - something happened while I was trying to view my email client that caused the Schwab verification process to restart itself from the beginning so I had to get a new security code. So I have a couple comments questions about this:

1. Why is Schwab making me verify my account to allow MT to access it so often? Or is this MT demanding I verify my Schwab credentials every 3 or so months?

2. Why is that Schwab verification window so gigantic, why does it take priority focus over every other window on my PC, and why can't I resize it or minimize it so I can see my email window more easily? When I say I cannot use my PC for anything until I pass the Schwab verification screen I mean it - I literally cannot click on any other tab in the Taskbar to use any other software until I finish the Schwab verification process - MT is taking full control of what I can and can't see or do with my PC during this process and that's power/authority I don't think MT should have - I have never used any other software that had the ability to grant itself almost total control of my PC - AFAIK only malware/ransomeware can do that. If it matters I'm using Win10 22H2 and AVG Free antivirus.

I realize many or even most people choose the cell phone text option and won't run into this problem, but I only have a dumb emergency use flip phone that's turned off 99% of the time because I still use my house's landlines via VOIP - being older, single, and retired I sit at my PC from 9-5 almost daily managing my money and doing research for various stocks and other topics so my home office phone is always within reach, and everyone in my life knows if they want to contact me they need to call my home phone or email me - a text or VM to my cell won't be seen for months. I really don't have any use for a smart phone, nor do I want to pay for something I will almost never use, especially since I'm on a fixed income.  I would record what I saw on my monitor this morning and post it somewhere so folks can see what I'm dealing with but it would reveal way too much sensitive info and I'm not about to try to edit a video to black that stuff out - the couple of free video editors I have on my PC likely can't do that anyway.

Can MT be modified to make this process easier to do, which would entail not allowing MT to take near complete control of my PC until I verify my Schwab credentials? The first time this happened I got so frustrated trying to figure out how to retrieve that security code from email I opened Task Manager and killed the MT process, then tried again once I was more awake and alert and got it done but I never remember the steps I took to do it - for whatever reason this verification thing always seems to occur overnight or early morning (I leave my PC on 24/7 and MT running Mon-Fri 24/5) so it's there waiting for me the minute I sit down at the PC in the morning before my brain has woken up.

While I was composing this post I get another email from Schwab (see attached screencap below) that claims I won't have to do this again, but that's a lie, I've gotten this exact email before - it keeps happening every few months - can't believe it could be caused by something like my IP changing or using a browser I normally don't use, or having a browser update itself (MT knows what my default browser is) - for instance, I always have two browsers open (Brave and Waterfox) because they have different capabilities and some websites work better on one of vs. the other so I only log into those sites from the browser it's assigned to. My CVS account is one that works like that (I think all of my financial websites do the same thing) - I only log into it using Waterfox on my PC, because if I try to log into it in Brave CVS doesn't recognize the browser as being "me" and forces me to verify myself with a code just like MT/Schwab does before it will let me in - it appears CVS stores the last browser used to log in as the "valid" one, and sees any attempt to log in from a different browser as a potential attempt to hack into my CVS account. It appears that the same thing my be happening with Schwab and/or MT, but I have no idea what kind of cookie or similar setting either one uses to store my ID and login credentials or where it is kept so I can't troubleshoot this on my own.

 

image.png.b88b4b636de9c91d3a94259faff8f937.png

 

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the login session that MT establishes with Schwab - is only good for 7 days.  So after that, Schwab requires MT to do a full login.  When MT does that, if it works without any secondary verification, MT will handle it for you and not popup any windows, though you WILL still get an email about it.

If a secondary verification is required, then MT pops up the login window that you refer to. In MT that window is set to be "On top" . Otherwise, we have a problem of it getting hidden by other that login must be processed before MT can proceed.  You CAN resize that window though. you can of course close it in which case the MT login will fail.

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