Netscape can't receive via sbc DSL

My problem is with Netscape 7.1 Mail. I recently installed sbc DSL. It works fine on MS Outlook Express. I'm running XP.
With Nesscape I can sent a message but cannot receive one with the new sbc account. I also have a Prodigy account and it works fine via the DSL link even though I have set up smtp.sbcglobal.yahoo.com for the output.

I have contacted Netscape and have paid them for help but none of their suggestions have worked. We have been thru about 8 cycles of suggestion and response. These have included complete removal of Netscape ( inc. regedit) and deleting the password file (*.s) and others.

I can work with Outlook Express but I prefer Netscape when it is working. Can anyone help.
Stan211

 

Welcome to the Forum, Stan211!

Hi Stan,

There is always online help available to you, and the price is right! So please don't waste your money again!

I did some prowling around at the SBC YAHOO DSL Help site, and found this tutorial for setting up Netscape 7 Mail. You might check it out to ensure you have correctly configured your settings. You probably have, but it never hurts to double check:

http://help.sbcglobal.net/article.php?item=285
In the left pane - Related Resources
Click on: How to set up Outlook Express, Outlook, Netscape, and Eudora
You will get a popup Tutorial which will take you through the Netscape Mail setup, including the incoming/outgoing settings.

I noted that the user name contains the "@" sign, e.g., stan@sbcglobal.net. If you do use the @ sign in your user name for logging on to your server, then you will need to configure Netscape to allow the @ sign:

Add this script to your prefs.js file, (located in your *.slt folder)
Profiles Folder Location

user_pref( "mail.allow_at_sign_in_user_name ", true);

Ensure that Netscape and Quick Launch are closed before editing the file. It's also beneficial to make a copy of the prefs.js file before editing.

To edit the prefs.js file:
Start | Programs | Accessories | Notepad
With Notepad open, click on File | Open
Navigate to the prefs.js file, and open the file
Add the above script as the last line of the file
Click on "Save ", then exit Notepad.

Now start Netscape, and send yourself a test email. Can you receive?

As an added note: it is never necessary to uninstall/reinstall Netscape if there is a problem with Mail & Newsgroups. Mail is a part of the Profile, which is untouched by uninstalling the program. FWIW....

Ramona

 

Thanks for your help but there was nothing new in the sbc help file. I haven't tried to change the *.js file to accept the @ sign because I have had an @ sign in my stan.john@prodigy.net account for many years and it has always worked just fine. In fact it is working right now. As I may have mentioned I'm running two accounts, Prodigy and sbcglobal via the DSL link. The prodigy account will both send and receive but the sbcglobal account will only send and will not receive.

I'm still searching for the answer.
Stan

 

Stan,

Just for the sake of argument, change your sbcglobal user name to:

xxxxx%sbcglobal.net with the percent (%) sign rather than the at (@) sign. It may not allow you to receive Mail but, "nothing ventured nothing gained ".

I have assumed that you have done the basic troubleshooting step:
Delete all MSF files in your Mail Account folder.

Also, delete the panacea.dat file in your *.slt folder.

Ramona

 

Ramona
I replaced the @ with a % in my user name and it had no effect. Then I changed the smtp from sbc to pordigy and I was able to send but not receive.

I then deleted all the *.msf files in my mail account folder. This also had no effect and the msf files were replaced by the system after I opened netscape.

Finally I deleted the panacea.dat file. The I reset the smtp to use sbc. I sent a message and could see the sending then the Delivering and then it poped up with a box saying "Sending of message failed. The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server smtp.sbcglobal.yahoo.com failed. ...etc. . But I believed the message had been sent although it did not appear in the Sent folder so I started OE and received the message.

Then I restarted netscape and repllaced the % with @ and tried again. I got the same error message but also got the delivered note. But this time I was able to receive the message.

This is definite progress. There are still problems to be solved.
Thanks
Stan

 

Stan,

Have you tried creating a new Profile? You said that you deleted your password file, and uninstalled Netscape. It was unclear as to whether or not you had created a new Profile.

Ramona

EDIT: See Bug #232860

 

Ramona
Yes, I have created a new profile. The process specified for removing Netscape includes deleting the Mozilla folder, or renaming it. As I understand it this removes the profile.

I still haven't followed their latest removal/download/install suggestion but will later this afternoon. I believe the idea behind removing and reinstalling is the possibility that a file is corrupted. Of course this is doubtful since this will be the 3rd time they have suggested it and it didn't work the first two times. But that raises the question of why I was able to send after deleting panacea.dat since it would have been deleted when I renamed the old mozilla folder.
Thanks
Stan

 

Stan,

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the problem lies in your Profile, and not in the Program files. This is confirmed by the fact that deleting the panacea.dat file, and its recreation, did allow you to send. So I would say that if there is corruption, it is in the Profile.

In the above referenced Bug Report, did you note this comment:

You might also want to look through some of the NG Threads in this Google Search. This bears out the fact that you are definitely not alone in having this problem.

Ramona

 

Stan,

See these new findings, Bug Report, and a fix in the nightlies starting 20040205:

Bug #232860
--- Additional Comment #8 From Eric Chevalier 2004-02-05 11:20 PST [reply] ---
(In reply to comment #7)
> patch fixed in, thx, Christian.

I've downloaded and installed the 5-Feb-2004 build containing this patch. It seems to be working fine; I'm no longer getting connection failure messages from smtp.sbcglobal.net.
----------

See:
Intermittent "SMTP server failed" error
sending fails when it works

Newsgroup Thread:
snews://secnews.netscape.com:563/bvuh28$e256@ripley.netscape.com

Path: secnews.netscape.com!not-for-mail
From: Christian Eyrich <VJBDONFBFOPG@spammotel.com>
Newsgroups: netscape.mozilla.user.general
Subject: Re: Send email via SBC's SMTP
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 23:45:28 +0100

------------snip----------------

The patch on the mentioned bug Bug #232860 has been checked in yesterday. So I hope this problem is fixed in nightlies starting 20040205. Feel free to test with such a build from
http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mozilla/nightly/latest/
I'm interested in the result.
--

Good work! Mozilla Build 2004020508 works on both the old SBC (mail.pacbell.net) and new (smtp.pacbell.yahoo.com) in my setup (Win XP home).
--

Nice, thanks for your reply.

Christian
---


Ramona

 

I am having this same problem. It seems that there has been some sort of server update on SBCs end. I am using NS 7.1 and 7.0 and the same on both. I have tried new profiles, I have backed my info, uninstalled, deleted the mozilla folder, Netscape folder, reinstalled, set my mail and tried to send mail. The same thing still happened. it got to 100% and then gave the error that the message could not be sent but the message made it to my yahoo account. I did this before I moved my profile info back into the Local Directory. I am not sure what else to try. The people at SBC said that there has been no server upgrade, but the techs there never know if there is an upgrade to the servers. It works on outlook but I would rather sell my computer than use outlook. Any ideas on this would be really great.

Please let me know if you have any ideas for me to try.

JuJu

 

Welcome to everyone!

Has this issue been resolved?

I am also havig the same prolem. This started around the 28th of January and continues today. I cannot receive or send email via Netscape 7.1. My wifes account with Outlook express also does not send or receive.

I use SBC Yahoo DSL and they have put me through so much agravation, changing settings for hours...nothing works. They are saying that other people are having similar problems but are not offering a reason for the problem or a solution.

I am now forced to use the on-line email service through Yahoo to check may email. This is not what I want to use at all but I have no choice.

I this something that SBC needs to resolve?

Can I do something about this?

Thanks

 

Welcome to the Forum, dfuzz!

Hi dfuzz, and juju42

This should address your questions:
Sending Message Failed

-----------------snip-------------------
dgnugent
Posted: Thu 5th Feb 2004 6:55pm

Here is pacbell's response:
we are aware of the issue and our Engineering Team is working to resolve this issue as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and want to thank you for your patience.

Additionally, you can access your e-mail by logging on to the link given below.

http://maillink.sbcglobal.net

You can sign into the above link with your user id and password and selecting the domain name as pacbell.net from the drop down menu to access your e-mail. You will get the facility to read, delete, and compose your e-mail as well as control spam.

Read the remainder of Page 2, and also this Bug Report:
http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=232860

Ramona

 

I give up on Netscape

I have now given up on Netscape. My OE works fine. Over the past week and a half I have paid the Netscape tech to advise me how to fix the problem. I have been back and forth with them a dozen times. I've made many changes and completely removed Netscape and reinstalled it several times, built new profiles etc. etc. All to no avail. So, I give up. Outlook Express is not my favorite mail client but it does work while Netscape does not.

 

I discovered that when I disabled "email scanning" in my Norton anti virus program, everything works fine.

I don't know what is causing the problem but the mail is working with that disabled.

 

Ramona, It is really great to have someone like you out there. =)
Thanks for all the great info you put out on your site and in all the chat rooms.



Stan:
Why give up on Netscape? Its not there fault this is happening. It is a ISP issue. You are free to use what you like, I just hate to loose someone else to Daddy Bill at Microsoft

I hope you decided to change your mind when the ISPs get this resolved.

 

dfuzz,

Glad that you were able to figure out your problem was with your AV. I use NAV2003, and have disabled email scanning. As long as you use auto-protect, there really isn't any need for it. I think most of us know by now that you do not, under any circumstances, open unknown attachments.

juju42,

Thanks very much for the positive feedback!

I have already had a response from one SBC user who installed the Mozilla nightly , and he is now able to send/receive mail.

Ramona