Posted for a friend:

I use Outlook Express as my e-mail client. Yesterday, it started
"hanging" (i.e. timing out - the message is "Your POP3 server has not
responded in 60 seconds . . . ."), when checking my main work account.
It has no problems checking any of the 9 other accounts that are set up,
including other accounts that are hosted on the same server. My laptop,
which is set up to check the same accounts, can check the main work
account. I tried deleting the troublesome account and creating a new
one with the same settings, but it did not solve the problem. Any
suggestions?


1) She can receive all email with OE on another computer.
2) I can download all mail from that account at my remote location.
3) The email account is fully accessible by web mail.


The problem is clearly with OE on that computer. I figure that there may
be a corrupt folder (folders.dbx?) but I don't remember. She has tried
deleting and re-adding the offending account without success.

Based on what you've said, the likely culprit is that the POP3UIDL.DBX
(OE5+) file is corrupted. This is used to track previously downloaded
messages when you leave messages on a POP3 server (Tools, Accounts,
Mail, Properties, Advanced). However, the file gets updated even if you
aren't leaving messages on the server. Delete the file with Outlook
Express or Internet Mail closed. (On Win2000 you need enable the
display of Hidden or System files in the folder options and XP you need
to use the advanced options to find Hidden or System files.) The next
time all mail on the server will be downloaded. But after that the file
should function correctly again.

--

Mike - http://pages.prodigy.net/michael_santovec/techhelp.htm


"mcp6453" <mcp6453@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:OVB9XMc9FHA.3132@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Posted for a friend:
>
> I use Outlook Express as my e-mail client. Yesterday, it started
> "hanging" (i.e. timing out - the message is "Your POP3 server has not
> responded in 60 seconds . . . ."), when checking my main work account.
> It has no problems checking any of the 9 other accounts that are set
> up, including other accounts that are hosted on the same server. My
> laptop, which is set up to check the same accounts, can check the main
> work account. I tried deleting the troublesome account and creating a
> new one with the same settings, but it did not solve the problem. Any
> suggestions?
>
>
> 1) She can receive all email with OE on another computer.
> 2) I can download all mail from that account at my remote location.
> 3) The email account is fully accessible by web mail.
>
>
> The problem is clearly with OE on that computer. I figure that there
> may be a corrupt folder (folders.dbx?) but I don't remember. She has
> tried deleting and re-adding the offending account without success.

"mcp6453" <mcp6453@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:OVB9XMc9FHA.3132@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl
> Posted for a friend:
>
> I use Outlook Express as my e-mail client. Yesterday, it started
> "hanging" (i.e. timing out - the message is "Your POP3 server has not
> responded in 60 seconds . . . ."), when checking my main work account.
> It has no problems checking any of the 9 other accounts that are set
> up, including other accounts that are hosted on the same server. My
> laptop, which is set up to check the same accounts, can check the
> main work account. I tried deleting the troublesome account and
> creating a new one with the same settings, but it did not solve the
> problem. Any suggestions?
>
>
> 1) She can receive all email with OE on another computer.
> 2) I can download all mail from that account at my remote location.
> 3) The email account is fully accessible by web mail.
>
>
> The problem is clearly with OE on that computer. I figure that there
> may be a corrupt folder (folders.dbx?) but I don't remember. She has
> tried deleting and re-adding the offending account without success.

Turn off email scanning in your anti-virus. It provides no added
protection.

The Other E-Mail Threat: File Corruption in Outlook Express
Published: November 18, 2004
By Tom Koch
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/...orruption.mspx

Email scanning slows down Sending and Receiving, sometimes enough that OE
times out. Since some of the received messages have large (often virus)
attachments, which exasperates the problem.
Some Comcast users have found it necessary to totally uninstall Norton and
switch to the free AVG with mail scanning off. Norton invented email
scanning and here's what they say:

"Disabling Email Scanning does not leave you unprotected against viruses
that
are distributed as email attachments. Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect scans
incoming files as they are saved to your hard drive, including email and
email attachments. Email Scanning is just another layer on top of this. To
make sure that Auto-Protect is providing the maximum protection, keep
Auto-Protect enabled and run LiveUpdate regularly to ensure that you have
the most recent virus definitions."
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...256c7500723cf0

"...your computer is protected if Auto-Protect is enabled. Auto-Protect
scans any incoming files, including email attachments, when the files are
saved to your hard drive."
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...01100907323806

"NAV provides multiple layers of protection. Email scanning is just one of
those layers. Even if you are not running Email Scanning, your computer is
protected against viruses that are distributed as email attachments by NAV
Auto-Protect. Auto-Protect will scan any incoming files, including email
attachments, as they are saved to your hard drive. To make sure that
Auto-Protect is providing the maximum protection, keep Auto-Protect enabled
and run LiveUpdate regularly to ensure that you have the most recent virus
definitions."
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...= bar_sch_nam

See also
http://help.expedient.com/mailnews/n...ntivirus.shtml

So Symantec used to say this often and clearly. The newer stuff doesn't
have the statement included as it was considered an embarrassment. If you
know anyone who programs for Norton try to get them to talk about it.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/sec...t/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

Michael Santovec wrote:
> Based on what you've said, the likely culprit is that the POP3UIDL.DBX
> (OE5+) file is corrupted. This is used to track previously downloaded
> messages when you leave messages on a POP3 server (Tools, Accounts,
> Mail, Properties, Advanced). However, the file gets updated even if you
> aren't leaving messages on the server. Delete the file with Outlook
> Express or Internet Mail closed. (On Win2000 you need enable the
> display of Hidden or System files in the folder options and XP you need
> to use the advanced options to find Hidden or System files.) The next
> time all mail on the server will be downloaded. But after that the file
> should function correctly again.
>

Thanks, Michael. Problem solved.