Ok. on my computer at work, I have Outlook and an ISP provided through the job. About 2 weeks ago, stuff started getting strange. I couldn’t e-mail out. Then I couldn’t recieve, then anytime I even attempted to send/retrieve messages, the program would lock up and I’d have to do the control/alt/delete route to get it shut down.
We tried resetting various settings via a phone call, the guy finally said, I’ll have to come out. So he came, he reinstalled the program, did a virus scan etc etc. Got it back to the point where I could recieve messages, but still not e-mail out.
So, he came back a few days later with a new computer. Installed all the software etc. Still couldn’t e-mail out. he leaves, baffled, suspects perhaps there may be a power supply problem from the wall (not in the computer). we tried swapping power cords, too, no difference. so, we set up to have an electrician come look at the plug.
So, I’m at work today, monkeying around, I see that he’s still trying to figure some stuff out, 'cause he’s e-mailed me 4 times (using 3 different e-mail accounts that he has, plus using two different addresses that work for me - either .net or .org at the tail). I got those messages.
I thought, well, here’s a little button saying “set up a free hot mail account”. I did it. I can e-mail out on Hotmail account, but still not on my original one.
Yes, change your ISP. With a good one, email will work right away. Rarely, it requires some tweaking. Changing email account names helps only if the original one was entered incorrectly.
at the point when my outgoing mail stopped working, nothing had changed.
a few weeks before that, my “guy” had changed our link from “org” to “net”.
He’s currently baffled. He’s e-mailed me successfully from 5 different accounts, to both “org” and “net” addresses. we’ve swapped out the computer, put in new power strips etc, re-installed the programs etc.
The system is via EarthLink, my systems guy has set up a business account where at least 8 different locations have e-mail capability. To my knowledge, there are exactly two of us who are experiencing this problem (I just found out this morning that one other person is having the same thing , can recieve but not mail out.)
argh…
Like I said, I can both send and recieve on the hotmail account (without re-dialing or re establishing connection to the internet).
I’ve never had authorization to check my e-mail from any other computer, so have to be at this work station in order to do it.
Originally, we were set up on (Icant remmeber the ISP) and a “dot.com” link for the site (through which I have the e-mail). My computer was set up with an older version of Outlook. no problems. Computer guy (local) changed the server to Earthlink and the site tosite and my e-mail) to a “dot org”. Still no problems. Then a few weeks ago, he changed it again to a “dot net”. some time passed (probably a few days to a week). Then, suddenly, I couldn’t e-mail out. by the next morning, I couldn’t recieve either. and, as a matter of fact, as soon as you hit “send retrieve” the Outlook window would freeze up (not freeze up the rest of the computer though). So, first he came and wiped out my version of Outlook, installed and ran a virus update. And then we got it so I could GET mail, but still not recieve, although it no longer froze up.
Next visit, several days later, we swapped out the computer itself, swapped power cords, and reinstalled Outlook etc etc etc. No difference.
I set up a hotmail account on this same set of stuff and now can e-mail out through that.
I think Damhna was asking the right questions- it’s a big clue that POP3 mail isn’t working, but http is. Sounds like an IP routing problem or conflict, relating to you changing from .com to .org. Did your IP address change at that time. Maybe Windows had cached routing information that expired a week after your change, and things suddenly stopped working. Can you ping your mailserver from the command line?
whoosh. I’ll print this out and ask my “computer guy”.
Have found out that I’m not the only one who lost e-mail. Now, I don’t know if this makes a difference (probably not) but, when we made the change from org to net, I did in fact follow the instructions at my station to change it (on my outlook program). the other person who is experiencing these problems almost certainly did not.
Keep in mind, too, there’s probably 40 different folks set up this way and only two so far who have problems…
That is ridiculous. A power supply problem is almost never subtle, and would certainly never cause a problem like email can go out but not come in.
Sometimes techs might try to placate you with a silly answer, but to actually have an electrician look at the wiring? Baloney. This tech does not know what the hell he’s doing.
There is likely some sort of network settings problem somewhere (either in windows, or in your mail program- like maybe you have the wrong outgoing mail server name and he overlooked it.)
I am wondering if the SMTP server has changed or your password to log on to the internet has changed. That would let you receive mail, but not send since the function of the SMTP server is to send…
Meephead is more than likely on the right track. Many ISPs use a seperate SMTP server to send mail.
The setup for SMTP is a tad hidden on some versions of the Mail applet. Go into the control panel and open the Mail applet (sometimes Mail and Fax). Check the properties on the “Internet Mail” object. On some versions the SMTP server textbox is hidden on the “Advanced” tab.
Sounds like your guy is out of his depth and unwilling to call for help. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I think it’s time you see if you can talk to someone else about it.
I’ve never used them, but EarthLink keeps winning awards for their customer support. Has anyone called them up for an opinion? They may not be able to solve it over the phone, but it surely can’t hurt to get them in the loop.