The Problem
Since mid 2014 GMail has enforced new security rules on applications that attempt to use the GMail SMTP server to send emails. When setting up your GMail account in the Macrium Reflect defaults for your email notifications you may see the following message despite the account and password information being entered correctly:
Error Code: 8004271C Authentication Required
You may also receive the following email notification:
To enable access to the GMail SMTP Server please take the following steps...
Accounts without two factor authentication
If you aren't using Google's two factor authentication (and you should be) then follow the link https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps in the email and turn on ''Access for less secure apps':
Emails can now be sent from Macrium Reflect
Accounts with two factor authentication
If you are using Google's two factor authentication (and you should be) then follow the link https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps in the email.
You will see the following page:
Click 'Learn More' and then click "How to generate an App password":
Click 'Visit your app password page'
Select 'Other (Custom name)' and Enter 'Macrium Reflect'
Click 'Generate'
Use 'Copy and Paste' to copy the generated App Password to the Macrium Reflect SMTP Password field. Leave all other fields unchanged including the SMTP user name.
Click 'Done' and you can now use Macrium Reflect to send emails using GMail.
Additional Security
For additional security, if you don't want to grant applications access to your main GMail account then consider setting up a new GMail account that is just used for SMTP server access and doesn't receive other emails. You could create an account called '[email protected]' and set the account to 'Auto-Forward' any received emails to your main GMail account. That way, unauthorized access to your 'smtp.yourname@gmail' account will have no access to your main account.
GMail auto forward - https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10957?hl=en
See Also: Configuring e-mail notifications