Windows Mail Outbox Problem on Vista Business

Achilles · 26th November 2007

Having a problem sending mail - any help appreciated - Have searched site but cannot find anything which is relevant.

WM settings are

Don’t send immediately
Don’t check for new mail every n minutes

Have tried the reverse of these settings but problem still exists

The problem runs like this

Use ‘Create Mail’ to generate a new email
‘Send’ the email
Nothing happens other than the new email window disappears
No indication that a new message has been added to the ‘Outbox’
Select ‘Send/Receive’ – nothing happens
Look in Outbox and there is the email
Select ‘Send/Receive’ – nothing happens
Not in Sent folder – email is stuck in outbox
Close WM
Open WM
Outbox now indicates there is a message to be sent
Select ‘Send/Receive’
Mail is sent !!

If a new message is generated prior to #12 above, then same problem occurs; Outbox indicates 1 message to be sent but there are actually 2 in the folder. Overcome problem by going to #9 above.

Probably a red herring but following may be relevant

This is a new laptop
When firing up first time window came up asking if Outlook 2007 should be default mail application(would seem laptop came with a 90 day trial of Office 2007)
Said no

Question is – has Outlook done something to WM ?

**PeteC** · 26th November 2007

I suspect your Outbox is corrupt - I use OE on XP, but the procedure should be the same or very similar in Mail on Vista ....

Close Windows Mail and search for *.dbx (include hidden files and folders). Delete Outbox.dbx and start Windows Mail. Outbox will be recreated.

Try sending an email to yourself.

**Steve R Jones** · 26th November 2007

(Windows Mail uses individual .eml files to store mail...)

When you look in Tools->General tab->Send/Receive do you have the second and third box checked?

**PeteC** · 26th November 2007

Thanks for that, Steve - over to you on this one

Achilles · 28th November 2007

Thanks for the replies everyone - The PC actually belongs to a 78 year old lady, so I will have to wait until I see her again to try out the suggestions and the request for info.