I’ll let ny friend describe her problem.
IIRC, she’s running XP and Outlook 2003.
So, any guesses? What is a “transfer failure 554”?
See if she is authenticating with the smtp server. It probably requires that she does in order to prevent the server from being used as a spam relay.
Click the circle-box “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication”, and verify that the circle-box “Use same settings as my incoming mail server” is selected.
Error 554 is a generic “Transaction Failed” error in SMTP. It could mean any number of problems. First thing to do is to read this page which explains how to set up your email client to access AOL’s IMAP/SMTP servers. Note that to send mail through, the server requires authentication, so you must check the appropriate box in your email account settings in Outlook.
I have never before heard anyone call a radio button a “circle-box”. It took me a minute or two to realize what you meant.
Is it as in “it might be a circle and it might be a box?”
Thanks! I passed along your suggestions and look forward to the next seven hours being away from email so I don’t read any more panic attacks.
I came home to two identical–except for their format and one had an obvious Outlook signature–replies to the same email from her so it looks like she’s back in action.
Thank you again for your help!
I was wrong; the other one was from her Blackberry. I suggested a temporary fix was to give up on Outlook but is that BS? or is there a way to really fix this?
Sounds like an incoming vs. outgoing mail server problem. She’s probably using AOL email via Outlook, but AOL isn’t her service provider. The service provider’s outgoing (SMTP) server must be specified. The incoming mail server would be AOL’s mail server. For example, if her ISP were “yourlocalisp,” her server settings would be something like:
Outgoing server (POP3): mail.aol.com (or whatever aol’s mail server is)
Incoming server (SMTP): mail.yourlocalisp.com
I’d bet the ranch (if I had one) that that’s her problem; I’ve seen it a hundred times.
I passed it along, GiantRat. She’s blaming AOL but can’t understand why it’s worked for years but stopped working suddenly. One of her ideas is to change email providers, maybe to one from her ISP, which sounds like would inadvertantly fix her problem.
Note the dates on the failed message, though. I haven’t received verification that she did what GiantRat suggested yesterday before sending the quoted message today.
I suggest she type in the email address for your account, looking for an error in the address. Make sure she doesn’t use a address book entry to send the test email.
Are the emails being initiated by reply to sender? It will take the information from your email to reply. Your original email could have an error in the email information. On your computer from the outlook menu open tools - accounts. Go to the mail tab and click on the account you want to examine. Click on properties. Click on the general tab. Look for the User information, and scrutinise the E_mail Address. Did you see an error? Fix it if you did. An error in that entry, will prevent a reply to sender from getting back to you. It may have put the wrong address into her address book also, if it was auto entered from an email you sent her with the wrong user email address filled in.
I believe her problem involves ALL outgoing email. But since I’m not sure she’s done any of the things suggested since Friday, I’m not sure.
The second paragraph deals with your outlook email program and not her’s. Your user information may be causing an incorrect address in any replies. I’m not saying she isn’t the end that falls down here, but give your settings a check. The error message dhe get’s looks like something they send back to her because the address doesn’t exist.
Please note she’s having that problem with everybody she emails, not just me. I re-sent her GiantRat’s idea and got this reply:
She’s talked to MS, AOL, and her ISP and has gotten no help, which is why she’s so testy. Serves her right for using AOL, but that’s just my opinion.
I use Yahoo, not Outlook, so I have no problems and can email from any computer. 
Okey Dokey. I was making sure you understood my post, which I’m good at making convoluted at times. I feel the same about AOL.
I have the opposite problem with Outlook Express:
I can recieve but not send email.
:mad:
If you didn’t adjust any settings in your Outlook, and based on the message you’re getting, this problem has nothing to do with Outlook or your configuration.
If your configuration is wrong, you’ll get an error message telling you a server couldn’t be found, or that you need to provide your password, etc. What you won’t get is an e-mail back from the System Administrator giving you an error code of 554.
You’ve been blocked by AOL.
http://postmaster.aol.com/errors/554rlyb1.html
You can try sending AOL support an e-mail about it, but considering who you’re dealing with, you might be best to move on to a yahoo or gmail account…
Good luck
I can’t believe I wrote that… :smack:
Apparently a 554 block is removed after twenty-four hours, so it should start working again at that time.
Is it possible someone has hijacked her account/computer and used it to send SPAM?
That would explain the block from AOL. Of course AOL is a little block happy… so maybe she didn’t do anything.
Interesting, isaaccs! I’ll pass it along.