Outgoing mail issue

MWTECH · Joined: Jun 17, 2004 Posts: 49

We have a strange email issue. We have DSL and operate three computers off of a Linksys router connected to the modem. One of the computers connected via wireless card cannot send email. When a message is sent, it first goes to the outbox, then to the sent folder, but it is never received at the far end. But, if an email is received (all mail is received OK) a "reply" can be sent and is received at the far end. Forwarding an email does not work either. We have gone through the AT&T support process with no luck. Both of the other computers (one hard wired and one wireless) send and receive normally. I would suspect the wireless lan card in the problem machine, but I don't unerstand why a reply to an email works, but a new email send won't.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.
Bob

atenor · Joined: Jan 30, 2004 Posts: 24

Go to Tools, accounts and click on the account that is giving you trouble. Click on the Properties button.
Click on the "Servers" tab. Place a check mark in the "My Server Requires Authentication" box then click on the "Settings" button and put in the email account "account_name@sbcglobal.net" or whatever the account is and the account's password in the password box.
If this works AT&T should be ashamed of themselves. I work for a competing ISP and WE know how to fix this and don't have their staff or training.

AG

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 2238 Location: Central FL, USA

This may not apply, but I thought this a real good place to tell this little story anyway.

One of my elderly customers could not send email via Outlook Express.
A call to the ISP Tech Support gained her nothing, but a lot of wasted time on the phone. Crying or Very sad

I was the next one she called. Wink

Her computer was an OLD desktop model, acquired from a friend several years ago. It's worked great till now.

I thought I'd check the "Sent Items" folder to see if her new emails were there, , they were not, but they were in the "Out-Box". Hmmmmmm!
Rechecking the "Sent Items" folder I discovered thousands of emails, going back to the computer's previous owner. Deleting all the files in that folder would have taken hours on that old and slow PC.
So I just deleted the folder all together, rebooted the PC and the emails in the outbox were sent immediately. Problem solved.

Now, that little ol' lady knows to empty out her sent Items folder on a regular basis, along with the Deleted Items folder. Wink

Just a thought, for those who never clean out those folders. Rolling Eyes

Doc

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 1242

I find that compacting the folders can fix a problematic email client, as well as what DOC pointed out.

You don't mention what you are using but you should be able to do this anyway.

atenor · Joined: Jan 30, 2004 Posts: 24

I hadn't thought of to big an email database file but just to get the word out remember the following:
Outlook Express and Outlook database files of two gigs or more are just not stable. They can cause very strange symptoms. Usual locations for them are;
C:\Windows\Application Data\Outlook Express\{GUID}
or
C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express
Baby_Tux and drwho07's posts would both address that particular problem although compacting the files would only be a temporary fix.

AG

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 1242

Actually, I meant do a compact along with the cleanup of files. But the compact SHOULD get it going. Also, the compact does more than just compress, there is some sort of action taken on the folders that actually repairs any errors with them. (so I read - seems to be correct as it fixed a lot of problems for me)