johnfelstead

Need a bit of help with my MS Outlook.

I have Windows XP Pro with the full Office package and use Outlook for my email. (Not Outlook Express)
I am on BT ADSL

For the last week my outlook will download a few messages and then stop working, if i try and download my email i get the following error.


Task 'BT Mail - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x80042108) : 'Outlook is unable to connect to your incoming (POP3) e-mail server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'


Task 'Yahoo Mail - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x80042108) : 'Outlook is unable to connect to your incoming (POP3) e-mail server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'

It's not a setting problem as it does connect and download a few messages, but then stops working for the rest of the day.

Are there any problems with BT ADSL at the moment in relation to the POP3 ports? I dont have any problems using the net apart from my email. Any known issues with Outlook right now that could cause this? i can send emails without problems.

I have been using this PC setup for aprox 12 months with no problems until a week ago.

Any ideas apreciated.

Figment

http://support.microsoft.com/default...NoWebContent=1

johnfelstead

Thanks Figment, i am not using Norton so that doesnt help unfortunately.

Figment

Check for corrupted files then, IIRC the article says "If any of the following occur" so does not necessarily need NIS.

johnfelstead

i renamed my outlook .pst files and restarted outlook, so it was using new data files for the email storage, the fault is still present, so the data files arent corrupted.

Its all very odd, when i reboot it is able to download a few messages, then just stops working?

Figment

Try configuring Outlook Express with the account details, see if the problem still exists?

Windows

Try re-installing Outlook.

Microsoft recommends it, then create a new profile

stu200

iTrader: (1)

Before uninstalling, try a repair of Office first.

Do the "Add/Remove Programs" bit, select Office and "Change" and most recent versions give you the option to try and repair your existing installation.

Worth a shot if it works, and can't really break things any more than they already are

johnfelstead

ok, tried repairing, didnt work, deleted office, reinstalled office, still got the same problem so i think this is down to my ADSL connection.

Pain in the ****.

Figment

Did you try Outlook Express as an experiment?

Windows

John, I had a very similar problem, but I am with NTL.

It seemed to work OK up till about 6pm then for 4 hours I could hardly dl any e-mail, but sending was OK.
Ended up changing my e-mail address, and it work's fine now.

Have you tried opening a new mail box, to rule out if it is BT's servers that are playing up?

johnfelstead

i dont have outlook express on my PC.

It doesnt work on any POP3 account, be that BT, Yahoo or connectfree, so its not the BT mail server that is a problem. I think its to do with the ADSL not allowing the socket through properly.

I know one thing, its doing my head in.

stu200

iTrader: (1)

John,

Are you using a USB modem or an external router for your ADSL ?

What happens when you go to Outlook, select "Tools/Email Accounts...", select "Change" for one of your POP3 accounts, then click "Test Account Settings". Sometimes the errors that you get there are more descriptive.

Do you have any firewalls between you and your ISP, either on your machine or in the router (if you've got one) ?

Can you telnet to port 110 of your ISP's pop3 server and have a reasonably intelligent conversation with the server ?

johnfelstead

John,

Are you using a USB modem or an external router for your ADSL ?

Yep, the standard supply Speed touch USB modem

What happens when you go to Outlook, select "Tools/Email Accounts...", select "Change" for one of your POP3 accounts, then click "Test Account Settings". Sometimes the errors that you get there are more descriptive.

It says, "unable to conect to incoming mail server (POP3)" then says to check the port numbers, which are ok. It can send a test mail ok.

Do you have any firewalls between you and your ISP, either on your machine or in the router (if you've got one) ?

Yes, i have Zone alarm, i switched this off, it still didnt work.

Can you telnet to port 110 of your ISP's pop3 server and have a reasonably intelligent conversation with the server ?

Not sure how i would do that? i know how to telnet but not spec the port number

stu200

iTrader: (1)

telnet host 110

Have a look here for an example.

johnfelstead

thanks, using that i can connect and retrieve mail.

+OK POP3 BT Internet v116 server ready(11219.1055889459.59@mail)
user guess
+OK User name accepted, password please
pass blah
+OK Mailbox open, 7 messages
list
+OK Mailbox scan listing follows
1 725
2 1167
3 1168
4 1186
5 727
6 727
7 1183
.
retr 7
+OK 1183 octets
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Figment

Windows - that is an NTL problem - their mail servers have been up and down more often than a tarts knckers lately.

Datf bu66ers even sent an email explaining that their servers were suffering problems

In case you've not received it (highly likely) here it is:

Dear customer,

Improvements to your email service

As you may have noticed, ntlworld's email service has recently suffered some intermittent technical problems and some of our customers have been temporarily unable to retrieve their email. If you have suffered from any of these problems we'd like to offer you our sincere apologies and to explain a little more about our plan to fix this.

Over the next few days we will be increasing the capacity of our email service and removing more of the large volume of unread emails that slows down the system.

In particular, we will be changing the number of days we store unread email for to 90 days, in line with other leading ISPs. We will be making this change with effect from Monday 16th June.

By making these changes and reducing the volume of unread emails stored on the service, we will significantly improve the quality of your email service.

Please note that this will only affect you if you are NOT using an email client (like Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express) to access your email account. If you pick up your email using an email service like this it's downloaded to your computer and will be saved until YOU decide that you no longer want to keep it there!

If you normally access your email using webmail, or you check your inbox less frequently than every 90 days, any email that is older than 90 days will be deleted, so you should move anything you want to keep that is older than 90 days to your PC. This is easily done by collecting your email using an email client (such as Outlook Express which was supplied with your ntlworld account).

For more information about this improvement to your email service, please visit http://www.ntlworld.com/email

Once again, our apologies for any inconvenience that you may have encountered in recent weeks,



ntl:home Internet Services

johnfelstead

i am on BT Internet

Figment

Sorry, above reply was aimed at Windows, who posted above about NTL server problems

johnfelstead

ah, understood

Windows

ROTF @ them sending an e-mail to tell us there e-mail servers are fooked

Figment

LOL bit like them phoning to say your phones out of order

stu200

iTrader: (1)

John,

OK, so you can physically get to the pop3 server - so there's nothing blocking you.

Erm ...

Go back to the "Test Account Settings" screen, but click "More Settings" then the "Advanced" tab and make sure that pop3 is set to port 110 and uncheck the secure connection box. Also try increasing the connection timeout - then try and test the connection again.

While you're at it make sure "Log on using Secure Password Authentication" is unchecked.

stu200

iTrader: (1)

oh, and restart ZoneAlarm and retest the telnet to port 110. No sense in leaving your danglies exposed if that's not the problem

... and I've just noticed the irony of you clicking "Email notification" for this thread

[Edited by stu200 - 6/18/2003 12:38:00 AM]

johnfelstead

i did all that already and it hasnt helped. it isnt a time out issue as its set to 1 minute and the test meassge fails in just a few seconds, well within any timeout cutoff.

I have an SMS message sent to me when i get a mail, so know when mail comes in. I can use the web client for my mail without any problems, just not Outlook. All very confusing.

I am going to log a call with BT and get them to check my ADSL line.

johnfelstead

well the damn thing has decided to start working again, also my net connect speed, although using the BT test page yesterday checked as ok, seems to have speeded up masively, so i think my problems were down to the ADSL line being screwy.

Many thanks for all the help!

stu200

iTrader: (1)

No problem

bigsinky

can someone tell me then why outlook express works for me. i am using ntl 1 meg connection. for the last week i have been get the same error as in first post. my dad uses outlook express on anothe machine. i added my account details and it downloaded mail ok. pissing me off atm.

DazV

same problem with my freeserve account via BT Broadband

sometimes its the smtp, then its the pop3

switched the smtp to another company's and that cleared the smtp problem. Now left with pop3 problem.

I'm running ZoneAlarm too - I've got a feeling its not toally switching itself off when I'm disabling it. May try uninstalling it to see if the problem goes away.

What do you think ?

Figment

binsinky - luck of the draw. I too am running 1meg NTL, I'm also getting the same error, to the extent that I have redirected my NTL mail to another slightly more relaible server. Read NTLs rather weak explanation/cure in my reply on P1 of this thread.

DazV - doubt it's ZA - I don't use it and I've got similar problems.

FWIW, NTL are currently using pipex servers for a lot of mail, but a number of Pipex email servers were offline for a few hours last night.

Perhaps the spam is getting to saturation point??