Cannot reply or send e-mails

My OS is Windows 2000 and just recently I can no longer send or reply to
e-mails. My system freezes up and I have to close it. I have no problem
getting e-mails. I have checked with incoming server (Big Planet) and
outgoing (AT&T) and they both think there is something wrong within the
program. Any thoughts about this? I also have about 10 messages in my
"outbox" which I am prompted to send but I reply "no." I also cannot delete
messages currently in my outbox.

Create a new Outbox, and Sent Items folder. This will also delete the
messages in the Outbox.

Do the following for the Outbox, and Sent Items after you move any messages
you wish to save to a local folder you create.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of
your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in
Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run.

In WinXP, Win2K & Win2K3, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default
marked as hidden. To view these files in Windows Explorer, you must enable
Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options
Icon | View, or in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View.

With OE closed, find the Outbox.dbx and Sent Items.dbx file and delete them.
New files will be created automatically when you open OE.

To help prevent this in the futu

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your
mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until
the compacting is completed.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as
time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will
continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2 or SP3}.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"David in Dallas" David in wrote in
message ...
My OS is Windows 2000 and just recently I can no longer send or reply to
e-mails. My system freezes up and I have to close it. I have no problem
getting e-mails. I have checked with incoming server (Big Planet) and
outgoing (AT&T) and they both think there is something wrong within the
program. Any thoughts about this? I also have about 10 messages in my
"outbox" which I am prompted to send but I reply "no." I also cannot
delete
messages currently in my outbox.

1a. Move any messages that you want to keep out of Sent Items and Deleted
Items folders and into other local OE folders you've created for archiving
(saving) such messages.

1b. Move 99% of your messages in your Inbox folder to other local OE
folders, too.

2. Write down the location of your identity's store
(http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#storemain).

3. Close OE.

4. In Windows Explorer, navigate to your store folder, find & delete the
files Outbox.dbx, Sent Items.dbx, and Deleted Items.dbx.

To avoid such problems in the future, adhere to the following caveats:

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Frequently perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working
offline". More at http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- Do not cancel Automatic Compacting, should it occur, and do not attempt to
close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine if Automatic Compacting
is taking place.

- Disable email scanning by your anti-virus application. It can cause
corruption (i.e., loss of messages) and provides no additional protection:

Why you don't need your anti-virus to scan your email
http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tuto...ning/index.htm
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

David in Dallas wrote:
My OS is Windows 2000 and just recently I can no longer send or reply to
e-mails. My system freezes up and I have to close it. I have no problem
getting e-mails. I have checked with incoming server (Big Planet) and
outgoing (AT&T) and they both think there is something wrong within the
program. Any thoughts about this? I also have about 10 messages in my
"outbox" which I am prompted to send but I reply "no." I also cannot
delete
messages currently in my outbox.

Very much tank yous men
"David in Dallas" David in wrote in
message ...
My OS is Windows 2000 and just recently I can no longer send or reply to
e-mails. My system freezes up and I have to close it. I have no problem
getting e-mails. I have checked with incoming server (Big Planet) and
outgoing (AT&T) and they both think there is something wrong within the
program. Any thoughts about this? I also have about 10 messages in my
"outbox" which I am prompted to send but I reply "no." I also cannot
delete
messages currently in my outbox.