ChatterBank1 min ago
Outlook express problems....wont send or receive!
7 Answers
Please can someone help me as this has been giving me a headache since Friday! Totally out of the blue my outlook express e-mail wont send or receive - I'm just constantly getting the box pop up asking for my user name and password. I know the password is correct but it just wont have it! I'm having to go through Sky to get my mail which is very annoying {yes I have Sky broadband if relevant}. I haven't as far as I know changed any settings anywhere. Please can someone suggest something I might not have tried to get outlook functioning again - I NEED it! Thank-you in advance.
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You have a few options really:
1. Delete the account in Outlook Express and re-add it.
2. Create a new identity in Outlook Express and add your account to it.
3. Use a different email client (Thunderbird is a prevalent free alternative http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderb ird/) Or Microsoft Office Outlook (not free, part of Office Suite)
4. Use webmail (I think you may already be doing this?)
The first 3 options require you to know or have access to your account information such as server details and username & password. Usually you can find this on your email service providers help or support area on their website, or even just google email setup [provider] if you cant find it or post back here with your provider name.
1. Delete the account in Outlook Express and re-add it.
2. Create a new identity in Outlook Express and add your account to it.
3. Use a different email client (Thunderbird is a prevalent free alternative http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderb ird/) Or Microsoft Office Outlook (not free, part of Office Suite)
4. Use webmail (I think you may already be doing this?)
The first 3 options require you to know or have access to your account information such as server details and username & password. Usually you can find this on your email service providers help or support area on their website, or even just google email setup [provider] if you cant find it or post back here with your provider name.
Thanks for those suggestions but surely there must be a way of sorting out this isse without having to re-create another account etc? It's not like I've changed any settings so surely adding a new identity would use the same settings which are currently not working? It's just so frustrating as it has worked fine for years!
When your antivirus program scans your mail it changes the server settings in Outlook Express. Occasionally an antivirus program and Outlook Express fail to communicate with each other properly, leaving incorrect settings in place. While you can simply try to correct the settings it's just as easy to delete the account and then recreate it. (That's actually a good idea because Outlook Express sometimes seems to display the correct setting on screen but still forwards the incorrect ones to your email provider).
It's an incredibly simple process, which will only take you a minute or two. (When you delete the account settings, you don't lose any mail. Anything in your Inbox, or in other folders, will still be there afterwards). Here's how to do it:
Go to Tools>Accounts>Mail
If you've only got one email account it will probably already be highlighted. If it's not, click on the account name to get it highlighted.
Click 'Remove' and 'Yes'.
Then click Add>Mail and fill in the relevant fields. You'll need the following information:
1. Your user name.
NB: With Sky, unlike many other ISPs, your user name is your full email address. (e.g. it will be something like '[email protected]' and not just 'chirpkez')
2. Your password.
3. The incoming (POP3) server address:
pop.tools.sky.com
4. The outgoing (SMTP) server address:
smtp.tools.sky.com
As stated, it takes only a minute or so to get everything fully working again.
Chris
It's an incredibly simple process, which will only take you a minute or two. (When you delete the account settings, you don't lose any mail. Anything in your Inbox, or in other folders, will still be there afterwards). Here's how to do it:
Go to Tools>Accounts>Mail
If you've only got one email account it will probably already be highlighted. If it's not, click on the account name to get it highlighted.
Click 'Remove' and 'Yes'.
Then click Add>Mail and fill in the relevant fields. You'll need the following information:
1. Your user name.
NB: With Sky, unlike many other ISPs, your user name is your full email address. (e.g. it will be something like '[email protected]' and not just 'chirpkez')
2. Your password.
3. The incoming (POP3) server address:
pop.tools.sky.com
4. The outgoing (SMTP) server address:
smtp.tools.sky.com
As stated, it takes only a minute or so to get everything fully working again.
Chris
About 99% of the time, Outlook Express connection problems can be solved by the method I've given you. (I've fixed similar problems, on my own and other people's PCs dozens of times with that technique).
Just twice, however, (once with my own PC and once with that belonging to an elderly friend) I've tried repeatedly (and checked everything dozens of times) before coming to the conclusion that the problem was 'at the other end'. On both occasions the helpline staff, for the respective ISPs, took ages to be convinced that it must be the settings on their servers which had become corrupted but, on both occasions, I finally got them to agree to get them checked and, surprise surprise, normal service was quickly resumed.
First, check your server settings again. (Tools> Accounts> Mail> (Highlight account)> Properties> Servers).
If you're absolutely convinced that they're exactly as they should be, phone Sky to complain.
Chris
Just twice, however, (once with my own PC and once with that belonging to an elderly friend) I've tried repeatedly (and checked everything dozens of times) before coming to the conclusion that the problem was 'at the other end'. On both occasions the helpline staff, for the respective ISPs, took ages to be convinced that it must be the settings on their servers which had become corrupted but, on both occasions, I finally got them to agree to get them checked and, surprise surprise, normal service was quickly resumed.
First, check your server settings again. (Tools> Accounts> Mail> (Highlight account)> Properties> Servers).
If you're absolutely convinced that they're exactly as they should be, phone Sky to complain.
Chris
Thank-you so much for all your advice I really appreciate it. I finally got it going last night - it's one of those things where you have mucked around with it so much that when it finally worked I couldn't tell you what I had done different. I know that somewhere along the line I managed to change my outlook express password which I didn't think possible but hey ho. I'm just relieved to have it back - no doubt it'll happen again in the future as this wasn't the first time.
Thanks again.
Kerry
Thanks again.
Kerry
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