Mail in Netscape 7.1

I have a weird problem.
I have Netscape 7.1 and have had no problems with it on my PC. I have had this version for about 8 months I guess.
This is where I get all my business mail.

But yesterday when I checked my mail it acts like it is downloading my new messages for a second and then it justs stops.
When I click on Get Messages again it gives me an Alert that says:
This folder is being processed.
Please wait until processing is complete to get messages.
But it never gets completed.

I have scanned my pc for viruses and have none.
I also did a scan on just Netscape with no virus showing up.
I also uninstalled Netscape and did a new install.
I'm totally stumped on where to go from here.
Please help!!
I know a little about computers but not much.
Thanks in advance.

 

Hi Debbie,

Do you by chance use Comcast as your ISP? This problem is very common to Comcast users. What you need to do is this:

Log onto the Comcast.net mail interface and clean out the spam from your Inbox. Most likely offender is spam from Taiwan or similar. Look for a message in your Inbox with "Unknown" in the sender column and nothing in the Subject column. Be sure to delete the mail from the Trash on the web interface. This will usually fix Comcast mail issues.

If that fails, close Netscape and Quick Launch
Open your Mail Account Folder and remove all MSF files
See: http://home.att.net/~cherokee67/ns7profloc.html

If you have an ISP other than Comcast, use the same process.

Ramona

 

Thanks for getting back to me so fast.
But the link is no good.
I tried on Nestcape and IE.
It wouldn't do anything on NS and on IE I got this:
Page URL Not Found!!

I did look for my mail folder and cannot find it either.
Please help.
I had thought of deleting those files out of the mail folder last night but I can't find the folder.
Thanks again for the help,
Debbie

 

Ramona,
I did find the mail folder.
I had to go about it backwards but I found it and deleted all the ones with the MSF in them and I went online and cleaned out the mail. Still won't work.
It also takes a while to load the Inbox, it started taking longer to load the Inbox the day before I couldn't get my email.
I have Mediacom Cable internet.
Now I'm really baffled!!

I've checked the mail settings and the only thing I see that is
odd to me is that the Outgoing server has no port specified.

Just call me totally Lost In Alabama!!!

 

Hi Debbie,

I went to the Mediacom site, and found the Mail configuration instructions, but no mention of the Port setting:

http://www.mymediacom.tv/help/read/publisher_02/2002-01-14.03

In the Server Information window, enter mail.mchsi.com in the SERVER NAME field of the Incoming Server section

Enter mail.mchsi.com in the SERVER NAME field of the Outgoing (SMTP) Server section and click NEXT
-----

You might give Mediacom a call and ask about the Port # setting. Most ISP's use Port 25.

When you cleaned up your Mail here:
Webmail interface:
https://commcenter.mchsi.com

Did you see any messages that looked unusual?

Have you compacted your folders:
File | Compact Folders

How large is your Inbox file? If your Inbox is quite large, that could be congesting the downloading of new messages. Look at the Inbox file, and post the size of that file here, if you would please.

Sorry about the link, and it's fixed now.

Ramona

 

Hey Ramona,
I checked out the size of the file.
Are you sitting down?
It shows as 409MB.
But ........ the junk folder shows as 27MB and
it's empty. The teash folder had one 5KB message in it and showed 104 MB. When I emptied it it then showed nothing in the size area.

I noticed the size of the junk folder about 2 weeks ago.
I cleaned it out and it still is showing up big even empty.
Do you have any idea what's going on there?

I can't get through to a cable tech on the phone right now
so I'll have to check the settings with them later tonight.
I'm going over to my Mom's to spend some time with her and will be back late tonight. That's also the best time to call cable tech support and get through without a long wait on hold.
I'll let you know how that goes.
Thank you so much for your help.

 

Debbie,

Whew, that's a big one, and no doubt can be causing the problem. Did you compact your folders before checking the Mail file size.

Ramona

 

I have never compacted the folders.

What I don't understand is why even with the junk folder empty it still shows being 27 MB.

There's also not that much in my Inbox.
I have 178 messages in it and none are over 32kb.
It just doesn't seem to give a true size,
It also doesn't get any smaller if I delete stuff out of it.

I'm ready to go back to 4x.
But I love 7.1
I really do appriciate your help.

 

Debbie,

You need to compact your folders. When a message is deleted a copy is placed in the "Trash Folder" and the original message is "Marked" for deletion (no display in list).

Even though you delete the Mail from the folders, and it is no longer viewed in the left pane, it remains in the file until you compact the mail folders. Deleting the messages only marks them for deletion, and to completely remove them from the HD, you must compact the mail folders.

That's why you are seeing the large file size, even though you have deleted all the messages.

You might also need to do some routine maintenance:
Close Netscape and Quick Launch
Open Windows Explorer and navigate to your *.slt folder
Delete: Cache folder
Delete: history.dat
Delete: XUL.mfl

The Cache folder and the two files will be rebuilt when Netscape is next started. This should be done along with compacting Mail files, on a frequent basis.

Ramona

 

Success !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did everything you said and have made myself a note that pops up every week to do the maintence stuff.

I called the cable support and checked on my settings.
Told him what was going on.
He first said they didn't support Netscape but when we kept talking he said it sounded like a message was stuck at the server. (same thing you said)

I had checked all the mail and none of it looked funny.
So he said to try putting all the mail on the web in a folder and then see if I could get mail.
It worked and I'm back in business!!

Oh Happy Day!!!!
Who knew I'd get so freaked over not getting email!!

You were GREAT and I'm so thankful that I found this board and that you give your time so freely.

You are a Godsend!

You can now put me in the Problem solved and another one educated on how to maintain Netscape folder.
Thanks again

 

Hi Debbie,

I'm delighted to hear your good news, and that you have your mail at last! Believe you me, we all panic at the loss of our Mail!

Ramona

 

Just curious- I had never compacted folders before I read this thread, and I was wondering if that's why I periodically get old mail resent to me. Sometimes it'll be 4 or 5 months after I deleted it, and I emptied my trash, but it'll just turn back up in my inbox again, and it won't even be sorted by the filters. Is this because without compacting, it's still hanging around somewhere on the hard drive? Or is it an issue with my ISP's server?

Shelli

 

Hi Shelli,

Have you tried deleting the MSF files in your Mail Account folders? If not then do so, and then compact your folders, and that should fix the problem.

Don't delete the files with NO MSF extension, as they contain your Mail. Delete only:
Inbox
Drafts
Sent, etc.

Let us know if you continue to have problems.

Ramona