Email stuck in Outbox

[gelcreative]

Hi - I'm using Outlook 2003. All of a sudden my email won't leave my outbox. Sending message 1 of 1 stays on the screen for ages, then it either comes to a close without any error message and the message is still sitting there, or it has once returned an error of 0x800CCC0B. Sometimes it says Preparing to Send/Receive and just stays like that for ages without actually sending anything. I'm receiving OK though.

I've tried all sorts of different accounts as I have quite a few different ones and also sent using Thunderbird as a backup (and to check email settings) and everything works fine over there, so it can't be the router or the smtp.

I haven't been able to perform the Office update (3) as it always fails.

Any ideas? I don't really want to have to reinstall Outlook if I can help it. I've got all sorts of settings, eg. signatures, Inbox folders etc.

TA

[cyanide]

Originally Posted by gelcreative

I haven't been able to perform the Office update (3) as it always fails.

I think this may be a clue.

Have you tried a Windows update?
Antivirus up to date? Have a firewall?

[MuNKyonline]

Are your e-mail accounts with Freeserve and your internet provider someone else? You can only send mail through Freeserve SMTP servers now if you are using a dialup connection. Try changing the SMTP settings to the Internet provider SMTP settings and not Freeserve if this is the case.

Otherwise these Office Updates Microsoft errors may help.

[NvestWeb]

Go to the Microsoft Office section of the Community; you can either 'post', or read through some of the solutions. Great resource for "MS-Office" users.

http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusine...r/default.mspx

P.

[DrTandem1]

It sounds like your email clieint isn't authenticating properly with your ISP. Double check your account settings. Also, be sure your ISP hasn't changed something. Go to their help resources and verify the settings.

Oh, don't forget firewalls. It may be that the port is locked. If you have activated any anti-virus or firewall settings, you may have locked the port Outlook was using.

[DrTandem1]

Thinking about this some more, specifically check your "from" settings. If you have misspelled the from address this can cause what you are experiencing. Also, if your "from" address no longer exists, the same symptom would occur.

Lastly, is it possible you are logged onto the server with another email client, such as on another computer? For instance, if you use Outlook at work on a different computer and you failed to log-off and are now trying to reach the server using the same account, but now from another computer at home, it can cause this.

[RegDCP]

Have you tried =>Help =>Detect and Repair?

I have also seen Outlook hang if you have the advanced mail port settings wrong.

Try sending a test message, (in the email settings). The routine should tell you what is wrong.

I have also seen Outlook hang and need a computer reboot.

[hotwired]

I had a client or two who had this problem and it turned out to be Norton. I believe it was specifically the "security" or "firewall" aspect of Norton. IN fact, on our server company forum Norton and it's heinousness are a huge topic all the time. Not sure why this product is still around based on the issues it causes. We, incidentally, have our own servers (leased) and enable port 26 and instruct our clients to use port 26 for smtp port in outlook or xpress.

[Webworks7]

About a month ago this happened to me with Outlook 2000. I could send mail using dial-up or my cell phone as a modem, but not with my DSL connection - it always timed out with a variety of error messages. It seemed to be a Norton Firewall issue, but things had been working just fine for years and I had not changed anything.

I had restarted the computer several times and restarted the DSL modem/router, but it did not correct the problem. Turns out I needed to do both at the same time.

I don't know if you have DSL or cable, but if you have a router/broadband modem try turning off both your computer and router/modem for a minute or so, then bring them both back online. If that doesn't work, do it again. Twice.

No matter what is messed up with my system, it seems to always come down to multiple roboots.

[Duncan Pollock]

I went through this a few months ago and, by a process of elimination, the cause was found to be a worm that got past Norton. My fault in part because I opened an (unrecognized) attachment without realizing what I was doing.
In the end, I had to completely reinstall everything via moving from Windows98 to XP. I also removed Norton (whose Help people bent over backwards but couldn't solve the problem) and installed Avast. I've also added a spyware detection and removal program.
The real problem is these #$%&**&%$$# hackers who seem determined to bring down the web. They're becoming increasingly sophisticated in breaking through our defences.
Grrr.

Duncan

[rayphilip]

Sometimes your service provider may have updated their mail server to require authentication. Read theri faqs and then check your outgoing server settings (under advanced).

[gelcreative]

Hi everyone - thanks for all your advice. I finally found out that BT (my ISP) now requires SMTP authorisation (using my Inbox settings). (Nice of them to inform their customers!) Strange that I could get Thunderbird to work though (perhaps that option was set by default?? I have the normal Firewall on my router and the Windows one set, but don't run Norton, I run McAfee.

I did try the Detect and Repair option but that tried to perform an Office XP update (3) - but as usual, that just returned with "Update Failed". I've visited the help screens on Microsoft's support site for this, and they've had me check the registry in case one of the registry values had been deleted, but everything seems to be in order in the Registry - so I'm confused ... perhaps I should post this as a different topic and see if I can't get resolved somehow?

[DrTandem1]

Okay, it looks like my first thought on this was correct. The authorization you seek is nothing more than your user name and password that you use to log onto your ISP.

For Outlook, got to Tools > Accounts

Under the "Mail" tab, you should see your account highlighted. On the right, click on "Properties."

Click on the "Servers" tab.

Under "Incoming Mail Server" enter your Account name, which is usually your email address, and your password, which is usually the same as your log-in password to the ISP. It must be exact. Sometimes, ISPs change/add things, like the domain. Sometimes you change your password and forget to update your mail settings.

[MuNKyonline]

To sort the office update problem you may want to look here. I recommend deleting the updates folder and trying again.

[weegillis]

For updating, you may wish to consider Microsoft Update in place of Windows Update and Office Update. If Automatic Updates is turned on, everything will be scanned and updated, as required.

This does nothing to address any issues you might have with Office Update, but it may be a suitable alternative.