Unsent messages in outbox

Can anyone tell me if MS and the Vista/MS Mail team is trying to resolve this
by an update? Troubled that a release should have such basic useability
issues. While hysteria about security continues, we can not send an e mail,
or count on the basics of service. Please let us all know if this is on the
horizon. Makes me long for outlook express. anyone know if that is compatible
with Vista? If I'd known this was such a problem, I'd have kept my old slow
reliable cpu.

"Michelle" wrote:

> I have unsent messages in my outbox. I get an error message regarding the
> POP3 or something like that. What could the problem be?
> --
> Michelle Maust

Hi, Steve.

Now it has happened to ME! :>(

I've tried all the solutions that I and you and others have suggested. No
joy.

The solution in your last post (create new store folder, then import from
old) works - but too well! It imports the defective Outbox along with the
good stuff, so I'm back in the same place as before (and it took a couple of
hours to do the Import from/to my one computer). Except that now I have a
second copy of my Message Store that I can play with while my original stays
intact.

Some details: Windows Mail has worked well for me since midway through the
Vista beta, and since I installed Vista Ultimate x64 on my AMD Athlon 64 X2
5000+ system after I upgraded it in December. Until last Thursday, 4/5/07.
Then I Replied to a message from my daughter-in-law. But there was an
unrelated glitch just as I hit the Send button and I panicked and hit the
Big Red X to exit WM in the middle of the Send operation. When I restarted
WM, everything was normal EXCEPT that my Reply was still in the Outbox,
still marked Unread. But when I tried to view the message, WM told me,
"Message could not be displayed
Windows Mail encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this
message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try
again." The "low memory or low disk space" verbiage is pure boilerplate
garbage; there is plenty of memory and disk space. Surprisingly, that
message IS in my Sent Items, (and she confirms that she received it) so it
did go out, but WM got interrupted before completing its internal
bookkeeping, so it has not cleared it from my Outbox. The mistake is my
fault, I think, but WM should give me a graceful way - or at least, SOME
WAY - to correct my mistake.

That is the last email that I've been able to send from WM. Every email
I've tried to send since then has stayed in my Outbox, waiting for that
stuck message to clear. Newsgroup posts get sent normally, so I expect you
will see this one. I've been able to send email from Outlook 2007. For a
couple of days, I worried that I was also not receiving email, but
apparently my usually-active mailing lists were simply not sending me any
mail over the Easter weekend. I've contacted my ISP (Grande Communications,
headquartered here in San Marcos), both by phone and by Mail2web; the
problem is not at their end, it's here in WM on my computer. My server
settings, password, etc., are correct and work for everything except sending
email via WM.

My mail store (..\Vista) has been duplicated, as I said above (into
...\Vista2) (and both versions are set to Leave messages on server). so I
have some files to safely play with. But I don't know which ones to tackle.
So far as I can tell, my manipulations have not lost any messages, but I've
not been able to delete that stuck one, either. I've deleted the ..\Local
Folders\Outbox folder, both from Windows Explorer and from an
Administrator:Command Prompt. First I deleted the few contents of the
Outbox folder, then I deleted the entire folder. No problem with deleting
it, but when I restart WM, the Outbox has been rebuilt. I expected that,
but that stuck message is back again, and I did not expect that!

I think the Mail Team needs to take a serious look at this one. Some bits
way down in the guts of WM need to be flipped to let us delete the
undeletable message in the Outbox. You are the only person outside MS that
I can think of who might be able to figure out which bits, Steve. I hope
you have the time to do it.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc.RemoveThis@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)

"Steve Cochran" <scochran.RemoveThis@oehelp.com> wrote in message
news:8E99E22F-F958-427C-8C71-BDAF0063E15A@microsoft.com...
> The only clear solution to this at the moment is to go to the Windows Mail
> directory (Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder) and move
> everything from that directory to another directory. Then WinMail will
> start fresh. You can then use File | Import | Messages and point to the
> directory to which you moved the message store to recover the messages.
>
> steve
>
> "can't delete outbox message." <can't delete outbox
> message..RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:789B2DFD-9BDA-4809-8C18-2C4A300643C7@microsoft.com...
>> when i try to delete the message in the outbox i get this messare:
>>
>> An unknown error has occured. (with an OK box)
>>
>> If i let it sit for severan seconds, a new box comes up:
>>
>> Deleting Message.
>>
>> this sits there for ever, never deleting the message.
>>
>> this message was sent out ok i beleave, if i go back and look at the
>> message
>> it says:
>>
>> Message could not be displayed
>> Windows Mail encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this
>> message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try
>> again.
>>
>> this is getting annoining... please help to delete this.
>> thanks.
>> paul.............
>>
>> "R. C. White, MVP" wrote:
>>
>>> Hi, Michelle.
>>>
>>> If you get that error message again, please copy it and post it here
>>> verbatim. Even if it is confusing to you (and maybe to me), it will
>>> mean a
>>> lot to the folks here who can help you. (POP3 is the current version of
>>> Post Office Protocol, or something like that.)
>>>
>>> Your mail server name may not be correctly entered in Tools | Accounts,
>>> on
>>> the Server tab in Properties for your server. News servers don't always
>>> require passwords, but Mail servers usually do, and some of them require
>>> other security features, too, like SPA. And some mail servers will
>>> refuse
>>> to send mail unless you are logged on to them directly, rather than
>>> through
>>> another portal, even though they might download incoming mail for you.
>>>
>>> If you are still having the problem, please post back with more details.
>>>
>>> RC
>>>
>>> "Michelle" <Michelle.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:3E722D13-8031-4EB2-AA0A-F5EDC61B0F24@microsoft.com...
>>> >I have unsent messages in my outbox. I get an error message regarding
>>> >the
>>> > POP3 or something like that. What could the problem be?
>>> > --
>>> > Michelle Maust

Hi RC,

Okay, that was very helpful. Do you have any antivirus sw on the computer?

I've tried various things to duplicate it and I couldn't, your step was very
helpful.

You have a copy of OEX (check your inbox. <G>). See if you can delete it
from the outbox display in OEX. That would help to know if that's possible.
Then I could write a small routine to clear the outbox that way.

Otherwise you can reset the message store by moving its entire contents to a
different directory and then reopening WinMail.

cheers,

steve



"R. C. White, MVP" <rc.DeleteThis@grandecom.net> wrote in message
news:0969BE81-A0B0-4E5A-B6AC-7163C262A254@microsoft.com...
> Hi, Steve.
>
> Now it has happened to ME! :>(
>
> I've tried all the solutions that I and you and others have suggested. No
> joy.
>
> The solution in your last post (create new store folder, then import from
> old) works - but too well! It imports the defective Outbox along with the
> good stuff, so I'm back in the same place as before (and it took a couple
> of hours to do the Import from/to my one computer). Except that now I
> have a second copy of my Message Store that I can play with while my
> original stays intact.
>
> Some details: Windows Mail has worked well for me since midway through
> the Vista beta, and since I installed Vista Ultimate x64 on my AMD Athlon
> 64 X2 5000+ system after I upgraded it in December. Until last Thursday,
> 4/5/07. Then I Replied to a message from my daughter-in-law. But there
> was an unrelated glitch just as I hit the Send button and I panicked and
> hit the Big Red X to exit WM in the middle of the Send operation. When I
> restarted WM, everything was normal EXCEPT that my Reply was still in the
> Outbox, still marked Unread. But when I tried to view the message, WM
> told me, "Message could not be displayed
> Windows Mail encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this
> message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try
> again." The "low memory or low disk space" verbiage is pure boilerplate
> garbage; there is plenty of memory and disk space. Surprisingly, that
> message IS in my Sent Items, (and she confirms that she received it) so it
> did go out, but WM got interrupted before completing its internal
> bookkeeping, so it has not cleared it from my Outbox. The mistake is my
> fault, I think, but WM should give me a graceful way - or at least, SOME
> WAY - to correct my mistake.
>
> That is the last email that I've been able to send from WM. Every email
> I've tried to send since then has stayed in my Outbox, waiting for that
> stuck message to clear. Newsgroup posts get sent normally, so I expect
> you will see this one. I've been able to send email from Outlook 2007.
> For a couple of days, I worried that I was also not receiving email, but
> apparently my usually-active mailing lists were simply not sending me any
> mail over the Easter weekend. I've contacted my ISP (Grande
> Communications, headquartered here in San Marcos), both by phone and by
> Mail2web; the problem is not at their end, it's here in WM on my computer.
> My server settings, password, etc., are correct and work for everything
> except sending email via WM.
>
> My mail store (..\Vista) has been duplicated, as I said above (into
> ..\Vista2) (and both versions are set to Leave messages on server). so I
> have some files to safely play with. But I don't know which ones to
> tackle. So far as I can tell, my manipulations have not lost any messages,
> but I've not been able to delete that stuck one, either. I've deleted the
> ..\Local Folders\Outbox folder, both from Windows Explorer and from an
> Administrator:Command Prompt. First I deleted the few contents of the
> Outbox folder, then I deleted the entire folder. No problem with deleting
> it, but when I restart WM, the Outbox has been rebuilt. I expected that,
> but that stuck message is back again, and I did not expect that!
>
> I think the Mail Team needs to take a serious look at this one. Some bits
> way down in the guts of WM need to be flipped to let us delete the
> undeletable message in the Outbox. You are the only person outside MS
> that I can think of who might be able to figure out which bits, Steve. I
> hope you have the time to do it.
>
> RC
> --
> R. C. White, CPA
> San Marcos, TX
> rc.DeleteThis@grandecom.net
> Microsoft Windows MVP
> (Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)
>
> "Steve Cochran" <scochran.DeleteThis@oehelp.com> wrote in message
> news:8E99E22F-F958-427C-8C71-BDAF0063E15A@microsoft.com...
>> The only clear solution to this at the moment is to go to the Windows
>> Mail directory (Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder) and move
>> everything from that directory to another directory. Then WinMail will
>> start fresh. You can then use File | Import | Messages and point to the
>> directory to which you moved the message store to recover the messages.
>>
>> steve
>>
>> "can't delete outbox message." <can't delete outbox
>> message..DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:789B2DFD-9BDA-4809-8C18-2C4A300643C7@microsoft.com...
>>> when i try to delete the message in the outbox i get this messare:
>>>
>>> An unknown error has occured. (with an OK box)
>>>
>>> If i let it sit for severan seconds, a new box comes up:
>>>
>>> Deleting Message.
>>>
>>> this sits there for ever, never deleting the message.
>>>
>>> this message was sent out ok i beleave, if i go back and look at the
>>> message
>>> it says:
>>>
>>> Message could not be displayed
>>> Windows Mail encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this
>>> message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try
>>> again.
>>>
>>> this is getting annoining... please help to delete this.
>>> thanks.
>>> paul.............
>>>
>>> "R. C. White, MVP" wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi, Michelle.
>>>>
>>>> If you get that error message again, please copy it and post it here
>>>> verbatim. Even if it is confusing to you (and maybe to me), it will
>>>> mean a
>>>> lot to the folks here who can help you. (POP3 is the current version
>>>> of
>>>> Post Office Protocol, or something like that.)
>>>>
>>>> Your mail server name may not be correctly entered in Tools | Accounts,
>>>> on
>>>> the Server tab in Properties for your server. News servers don't
>>>> always
>>>> require passwords, but Mail servers usually do, and some of them
>>>> require
>>>> other security features, too, like SPA. And some mail servers will
>>>> refuse
>>>> to send mail unless you are logged on to them directly, rather than
>>>> through
>>>> another portal, even though they might download incoming mail for you.
>>>>
>>>> If you are still having the problem, please post back with more
>>>> details.
>>>>
>>>> RC
>>>>
>>>> "Michelle" <Michelle.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:3E722D13-8031-4EB2-AA0A-F5EDC61B0F24@microsoft.com...
>>>> >I have unsent messages in my outbox. I get an error message regarding
>>>> >the
>>>> > POP3 or something like that. What could the problem be?
>>>> > --
>>>> > Michelle Maust
>

Hi, Steve.

SUCCESS! ;<)

Today I tried the move-then-Import-back routine, as you instructed a couple
of messages ago. But this time, I did it right - and it worked! But it
sure took a lot longer than it should.

The step that I messed up on before was the Move. I had closed Windows Mail
and opened a Command Prompt window and used Robocopy to Move the files from
my Mail Store from the ..\Vista folder to a new ..\Vista2 folder. Today, I
closed WM and then used Windows Explorer to do the Move. I highlighted the
Vista folder, then used <Ctr.>+A to Select All its files and folders. Then
I used the mouse to drag them to my new Vista4 folder. The actual Move took
only a couple of seconds, since Explorer simply changes the pointer to the
folders, rather than actually moving them.

When I started WM again, I clicked Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store
Folder to be sure that it was still pointing to the (now-empty) Vista
folder. Then I clicked File | Import | Messages and pointed to my new
Vista4 folder. I chose to import All folders. I should have been more
selective because it took a looong time to import all my newsgroup posts.
And then I had to recreate my News accounts, resubscribe to NGs, and
re-download the posts again, anyhow. And I had to delete the ones that I
had imported. It took about an hour to Import everything, and then most of
an hour to move the folders back from Imported Folders to Local Folders.

The good news is that when the Import was finished, my Outbox was empty.
And my emails now go out normally. ;<)

Thanks again.

Now look for my latest dilemma: Signatures. That's what jammed my Outbox
in the first place - I think.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc.RemoveThis@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)

"Steve Cochran" <scochran.RemoveThis@oehelp.com> wrote in message
news:DFCDB676-0807-4DA3-A65F-921FAE4F0DA5@microsoft.com...
> Hi RC,
>
> Okay, that was very helpful. Do you have any antivirus sw on the
> computer?
>
> I've tried various things to duplicate it and I couldn't, your step was
> very helpful.
>
> You have a copy of OEX (check your inbox. <G>). See if you can delete it
> from the outbox display in OEX. That would help to know if that's
> possible. Then I could write a small routine to clear the outbox that way.
>
> Otherwise you can reset the message store by moving its entire contents to
> a different directory and then reopening WinMail.
>
> cheers,
>
> steve
>
>
>
> "R. C. White, MVP" <rc.RemoveThis@grandecom.net> wrote in message
> news:0969BE81-A0B0-4E5A-B6AC-7163C262A254@microsoft.com...
>> Hi, Steve.
>>
>> Now it has happened to ME! :>(
>>
>> I've tried all the solutions that I and you and others have suggested.
>> No joy.
>>
>> The solution in your last post (create new store folder, then import from
>> old) works - but too well! It imports the defective Outbox along with
>> the good stuff, so I'm back in the same place as before (and it took a
>> couple of hours to do the Import from/to my one computer). Except that
>> now I have a second copy of my Message Store that I can play with while
>> my original stays intact.
>>
>> Some details: Windows Mail has worked well for me since midway through
>> the Vista beta, and since I installed Vista Ultimate x64 on my AMD Athlon
>> 64 X2 5000+ system after I upgraded it in December. Until last Thursday,
>> 4/5/07. Then I Replied to a message from my daughter-in-law. But there
>> was an unrelated glitch just as I hit the Send button and I panicked and
>> hit the Big Red X to exit WM in the middle of the Send operation. When I
>> restarted WM, everything was normal EXCEPT that my Reply was still in the
>> Outbox, still marked Unread. But when I tried to view the message, WM
>> told me, "Message could not be displayed
>> Windows Mail encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this
>> message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try
>> again." The "low memory or low disk space" verbiage is pure boilerplate
>> garbage; there is plenty of memory and disk space. Surprisingly, that
>> message IS in my Sent Items, (and she confirms that she received it) so
>> it did go out, but WM got interrupted before completing its internal
>> bookkeeping, so it has not cleared it from my Outbox. The mistake is my
>> fault, I think, but WM should give me a graceful way - or at least, SOME
>> WAY - to correct my mistake.
>>
>> That is the last email that I've been able to send from WM. Every email
>> I've tried to send since then has stayed in my Outbox, waiting for that
>> stuck message to clear. Newsgroup posts get sent normally, so I expect
>> you will see this one. I've been able to send email from Outlook 2007.
>> For a couple of days, I worried that I was also not receiving email, but
>> apparently my usually-active mailing lists were simply not sending me any
>> mail over the Easter weekend. I've contacted my ISP (Grande
>> Communications, headquartered here in San Marcos), both by phone and by
>> Mail2web; the problem is not at their end, it's here in WM on my
>> computer. My server settings, password, etc., are correct and work for
>> everything except sending email via WM.
>>
>> My mail store (..\Vista) has been duplicated, as I said above (into
>> ..\Vista2) (and both versions are set to Leave messages on server). so I
>> have some files to safely play with. But I don't know which ones to
>> tackle. So far as I can tell, my manipulations have not lost any
>> messages, but I've not been able to delete that stuck one, either. I've
>> deleted the ..\Local Folders\Outbox folder, both from Windows Explorer
>> and from an Administrator:Command Prompt. First I deleted the few
>> contents of the Outbox folder, then I deleted the entire folder. No
>> problem with deleting it, but when I restart WM, the Outbox has been
>> rebuilt. I expected that, but that stuck message is back again, and I
>> did not expect that!
>>
>> I think the Mail Team needs to take a serious look at this one. Some
>> bits way down in the guts of WM need to be flipped to let us delete the
>> undeletable message in the Outbox. You are the only person outside MS
>> that I can think of who might be able to figure out which bits, Steve. I
>> hope you have the time to do it.
>>
>> RC
>> --
>> R. C. White, CPA
>> San Marcos, TX
>> rc.RemoveThis@grandecom.net
>> Microsoft Windows MVP
>> (Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)
>>
>> "Steve Cochran" <scochran.RemoveThis@oehelp.com> wrote in message
>> news:8E99E22F-F958-427C-8C71-BDAF0063E15A@microsoft.com...
>>> The only clear solution to this at the moment is to go to the Windows
>>> Mail directory (Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder) and move
>>> everything from that directory to another directory. Then WinMail will
>>> start fresh. You can then use File | Import | Messages and point to the
>>> directory to which you moved the message store to recover the messages.
>>>
>>> steve
>>>
>>> "can't delete outbox message." <can't delete outbox
>>> message..RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:789B2DFD-9BDA-4809-8C18-2C4A300643C7@microsoft.com...
>>>> when i try to delete the message in the outbox i get this messare:
>>>>
>>>> An unknown error has occured. (with an OK box)
>>>>
>>>> If i let it sit for severan seconds, a new box comes up:
>>>>
>>>> Deleting Message.
>>>>
>>>> this sits there for ever, never deleting the message.
>>>>
>>>> this message was sent out ok i beleave, if i go back and look at the
>>>> message
>>>> it says:
>>>>
>>>> Message could not be displayed
>>>> Windows Mail encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this
>>>> message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try
>>>> again.
>>>>
>>>> this is getting annoining... please help to delete this.
>>>> thanks.
>>>> paul.............
>>>>
>>>> "R. C. White, MVP" wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi, Michelle.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you get that error message again, please copy it and post it here
>>>>> verbatim. Even if it is confusing to you (and maybe to me), it will
>>>>> mean a
>>>>> lot to the folks here who can help you. (POP3 is the current version
>>>>> of
>>>>> Post Office Protocol, or something like that.)
>>>>>
>>>>> Your mail server name may not be correctly entered in Tools |
>>>>> Accounts, on
>>>>> the Server tab in Properties for your server. News servers don't
>>>>> always
>>>>> require passwords, but Mail servers usually do, and some of them
>>>>> require
>>>>> other security features, too, like SPA. And some mail servers will
>>>>> refuse
>>>>> to send mail unless you are logged on to them directly, rather than
>>>>> through
>>>>> another portal, even though they might download incoming mail for you.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you are still having the problem, please post back with more
>>>>> details.
>>>>>
>>>>> RC
>>>>>
>>>>> "Michelle" <Michelle.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:3E722D13-8031-4EB2-AA0A-F5EDC61B0F24@microsoft.com...
>>>>> >I have unsent messages in my outbox. I get an error message regarding
>>>>> >the
>>>>> > POP3 or something like that. What could the problem be?
>>>>> > --
>>>>> > Michelle Maust
>>
>

Hi, Steve.

Oh, I forgot to answer your question: No, I don't have any antivirus
running on this computer.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc.RemoveThis@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)

"Steve Cochran" <scochran.RemoveThis@oehelp.com> wrote in message
news:DFCDB676-0807-4DA3-A65F-921FAE4F0DA5@microsoft.com...
> Hi RC,
>
> Okay, that was very helpful. Do you have any antivirus sw on the
> computer?
<SNIP>
>
> steve
>
>
>
> "R. C. White, MVP" <rc.RemoveThis@grandecom.net> wrote in message
> news:0969BE81-A0B0-4E5A-B6AC-7163C262A254@microsoft.com...
>> Hi, Steve.
>>
>> Now it has happened to ME! :>(
>>
<SNIP>
>>
>> "Steve Cochran" <scochran.RemoveThis@oehelp.com> wrote in message
>> news:8E99E22F-F958-427C-8C71-BDAF0063E15A@microsoft.com...
>>> The only clear solution to this at the moment is to go to the Windows
>>> Mail directory (Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder) and move
>>> everything from that directory to another directory. Then WinMail will
>>> start fresh. You can then use File | Import | Messages and point to the
>>> directory to which you moved the message store to recover the messages.
>>>
>>> steve

Thanks.

Anything that helps localize the issue.

steve

"R. C. White, MVP" <rc.TakeThisOut@grandecom.net> wrote in message
news:efwM0AXfHHA.4064@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Hi, Steve.
>
> Oh, I forgot to answer your question: No, I don't have any antivirus
> running on this computer.
>
> RC
> --
> R. C. White, CPA
> San Marcos, TX
> rc.TakeThisOut@grandecom.net
> Microsoft Windows MVP
> (Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)
>
> "Steve Cochran" <scochran.TakeThisOut@oehelp.com> wrote in message
> news:DFCDB676-0807-4DA3-A65F-921FAE4F0DA5@microsoft.com...
>> Hi RC,
>>
>> Okay, that was very helpful. Do you have any antivirus sw on the
>> computer?
> <SNIP>
>>
>> steve
>>
>>
>>
>> "R. C. White, MVP" <rc.TakeThisOut@grandecom.net> wrote in message
>> news:0969BE81-A0B0-4E5A-B6AC-7163C262A254@microsoft.com...
>>> Hi, Steve.
>>>
>>> Now it has happened to ME! :>(
>>>
> <SNIP>
>>>
>>> "Steve Cochran" <scochran.TakeThisOut@oehelp.com> wrote in message
>>> news:8E99E22F-F958-427C-8C71-BDAF0063E15A@microsoft.com...
>>>> The only clear solution to this at the moment is to go to the Windows
>>>> Mail directory (Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder) and move
>>>> everything from that directory to another directory. Then WinMail will
>>>> start fresh. You can then use File | Import | Messages and point to the
>>>> directory to which you moved the message store to recover the messages.
>>>>
>>>> steve
>