Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org.
QUESTION: Just recently I’ve been unable to send messages using Outlook Express. Do you have any ideas that I could try?
PC CLUB: One of the major reasons that Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail cannot send messages is that there may be messages stuck in your Outbox. The first thing you should do is check for unsent messages, if there are, perform the following steps:
1. Create a new folder and name it Temp or whatever you choose. You create new folders by right clicking your Inbox and selecting New, Folder.
2. Select all of the messages in your Outbox and drag them into your newly created folder.
3. Now try clicking the Send/Receive button on the toolbar and see if it is error free.
If this works error free you have two choices for your messages that were unsent. If they are unimportant at this time you can delete them all. If you want to resend any of them, just double click it and click the Send button. If any of these remain in the Outbox after attempting to resend them, they must be deleted since they caused the original problem.
If you have no messages stuck in your Outbox them you inability to send may be due to a setting that may have been changed inadvertently. You should click on Tools, Accounts then select your account and click Properties. You can then review you settings such as your E-mail address and password.
Occasionally, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have to be contacted. If your ISP is Cox, for example, there have been occasions when their database gets corrupted and they have to assist you with creating a new password. This doesn’t happen often but it has happened to me on at least one occasion.
You could also check the information at http://yhoo.it/cannotsend and see if it provides any help. If all else fails you may have to call your Internet provider.
Ed Schwartz is a member of the North Orange County Computer Club. To send in a question, go to edwardns.com and click the Contact Me menu. Archives of previous columns are also on the website.