Troubleshooting error messages that you receive when you try to send and receive e-mail in Outlook and Outlook Express

When you try to send and receive e-mail, you may receive an error message that resembles one of the following:

• No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it.
• The server could not be found. (Account:account name, POPserver:'mail', Error Number: 0x800ccc0d)
• Task 'server name - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x800ccc0f): 'The connection to the server was interrupted. If this problem continues, contact the server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP). The server responded: ? K'
• Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes of this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Account. account name, Server: 'server name', Protocol: POP3, Server Response: '+OK', Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800ccc0f
• Task 'SMTP server name - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x80042109): 'Outlook is unable to connect to your outgoing (SMTP) e-mail server. If you continue to receive this message, contact the server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'
• The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server 0x8004210a
• A time-out occurred while communicating with the server 0x800ccc19

You may also receive an error message that includes one or more of the following error codes:

• 0x800ccc15
• 0x80042108
• 0x800ccc0e
• 0x8004210b
• 0x800ccc0b
• 0x800ccc79
• 0x800ccc67
• 0x80040900
• 0x800ccc81

For more information about error codes accompanied by time-out messages, see the "More Information" section.

These error messages may occur if Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express cannot establish a connection with your e-mail server. These error messages are frequently caused by one of the following:

• You are not connected to the Internet or a network, or your mail server is temporarily unavailable.
• Your account settings are incorrect.
• Your user profile in Outlook is damaged.
• An e-mail item on your POP3 server is damaged.
• The configuration of your AV software is incorrect.
• Outlook Express was removed from the computer or the installation is damaged.
• The configuration of your personal firewall software is incorrect.

The methods described in this article are for both beginning and advanced users.

The most common causes of these error messages are problems with Internet connectivity and account settings configured incorrectly in Outlook or Outlook Express. First, verify that you are connected to the Internet. To do this, go to method 1.

Method 1: Verify that you are connected to the Internet

To verify that you can connect to the Internet and that your mail server was not temporarily unavailable, follow these steps:

1. Start an Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer.
2. Type one of the following addresses in the address bar.
   • http://www.microsoft.com
   • http://www.msn.com
   • http://www.live.com
   If you continue to experience network connectivity problems when you type one of these addresses in the Address bar, view the following article for more information about how to troubleshoot Internet connectivity problems:
   936211  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936211/ ) How to troubleshoot network connectivity problems in Internet Explorer
   If you successfully connected to the Internet, go to step 3.
3. Send yourself a test e-mail to verify that you can send and receive e-mail messages without receiving an error message.
4. If your test was successful, you are finished. If you still receive an error message, go to method 2 to verify your account settings.

For more information on Outlook 2007 switches visit: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HP012185891033.aspx (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HP012185891033.aspx)

Method 2: Verify your account settings

Follow these steps to create a new e-mail profile in Outlook 2007 and in Outlook 2003:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Copy and paste (or type) the following command in the Open box and then press ENTER: control panel
3. If you are in Classic View, double-click Mail. The Mail Setup dialog box opens. Go to step 5.
4. If you are in Category View, under Control Panel, click Switch to Classic View, and then double-click Mail. The Mail Setup dialog box opens.
5. In the Mail Setup dialog box, click Show Profiles.
6. On the General tab, under When starting Microsoft Office Outlook, use this profile, click Prompt for a profile to be used, and then click Add.
7. In the Profile Name box, type the name that you want to use for the new e-mail profile, and then click OK.
8. In the E-mail Accounts dialog box, click Add a new e-mail account, and then click Next.
9. Click the appropriate server type for your new e-mail account, and then click Next.
10. Type your account information in the required boxes, and then click Next.
11. Click Finish, and then click OK.
    Note By default, both the Outlook Address Book and the personal folders (.pst) files are automatically added to each new e-mail profile, except for those e-mail profiles that are created in Microsoft Exchange Server. By default, .pst files are not added to each new e-mail profile in Exchange Server.

For information about what settings should be checked in Outlook, view the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For information about what settings should be checked in Outlook Express 6.0, view the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If this method worked for you, you are finished. If this method did not work for you, and you are comfortable performing advanced troubleshooting techniques, go to the "Advanced troubleshooting" section. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you can go to the "Next Steps" section for additional resources that might be able to help.

Advanced troubleshooting

IIf you still have problems sending and receiving mail after you have verified your e-mail server settings with your e-mail service provider, the following steps provide advanced troubleshooting. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact Support. For information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Perform the following methods in order. If one method does not resolve the issue, move on to the next one. The methods are as follows:

Method 1: Start Outlook in safe mode
Method 2: Create a new e-mail profile
Method 3: Delete suspicious messages from your mailbox
Method 4: Check your antivirus vendor’s Web site for additional suggestions
Method 5: Remove, and then reinstall Outlook Express
Method 6: Verify that all SMTP e-mail addresses in a distribution list are valid
Method 7: Examine the configuration of your firewall software

Method 1: Start Outlook in safe mode

To start Outlook in safe mode:

Windows Vista

1. Click Start.
2. Type outlook.exe /safe in the Start Search box.
3. Press Enter.

Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2000

1. Click Start.
2. Click Run.
3. Type outlook.exe /safe.
4. Click OK.

Starting Outlook in safe mode starts Outlook without add-ins, the preview pane, or toolbar customizations and could indicate a damaged profile or conflicting third-party application or add-in. See method 2 to create a new e-mail profile. To obtain help in identifying a conflicting application or add-in, you may want to contact Support.

Method 2: Create a new e-mail profile

You may be able to resolve these problems by creating a new e-mail profile. For more information about how to create profiles in Outlook, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Method 3: Delete suspicious messages from your mailbox

If there is a damaged message in your mailbox, you can resolve this by doing one of the following:

• Contact your ISP and ask them to delete any suspicious e-mail.
• Delete any suspicious e-mail by accessing your mailbox by using your ISP's Web-based e-mail program.

Method 4: Check your antivirus vendor's Web site for additional suggestions

If your antivirus solution includes an e-mail scanning feature, you may have to perform additional configuration tasks to use Outlook or Outlook Express with the antivirus e-mail scanning feature.

Antivirus software that is known to have caused this problem includes products by the following vendors:

• Symantec (Norton)
• McAfee
• Trend Micro (PC-cillin)
• Panda

For more information, visit one of the following Web sites for your antivirus software:

Symantec: For more information on How to use Office programs with the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329820 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329820/en-us) McAfee: Trend Micro: Panda: Note An antivirus program helps protect your computer from viruses. You must not download or open files from sources that you do not trust, visit Web sites that you do not trust, or open e-mail attachments when your antivirus program is disabled. For more information about computer viruses, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

Method 5: Remove and then reinstall Outlook Express

If Outlook Express was removed from your computer or the installation of Outlook Express is damaged, Outlook will not function correctly and may generate one of the error messages that are mentioned in the "Symptoms" section. To resolve this problem, reinstall Outlook Express. For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information explaining why Outlook Express is required to use Outlook, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Method 6: Verify that all SMTP e-mail addresses in a distribution list are valid

If one SMTP address in a distribution list is corrupted or incorrectly formed, error 0x8004210b can occur. Examine all addresses in the distribution list to verify that they are correct. Additionally, you can send individual test messages to each distribution list member to determine the bad address.

Method 7: Examine the configuration of your firewall software

Warning This workaround may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.

Important These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make the computer or the network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We recommend the process that this article describes to enable programs to operate as they are designed to or to implement specific program capabilities. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you decide to implement this process, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect the system. We recommend that you use this process only if you really require this process.

Configure your firewall software to grant access to the Internet for the following files:

• For Outlook Express: Msimn.exe
• For Outlook: Outlook.exe

By default, most e-mail clients have outgoing access on port 25 and incoming access on port 110. For more information about the ports that communicate with your e-mail server, contact your ISP or system administrator.

Firewall software that is known to have caused this problem includes products by the following vendors:

• McAfee
• Symantec
• ZoneLabs
• Cisco
• Sygate
• Sonicwall
• Freedom Security Zero Knowledge

McAfee Personal Firewall

Check your configuration settings in the McAfee Personal Firewall program and make sure that Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express has full access.

For more information about how to configure McAfee Personal Firewall, visit the following McAfee Web site: Or, you can remove and reinstall the McAfee Personal Firewall program. The reinstallation process recreates the program signature file that is used by the firewall. Additionally, this process makes sure that both Outlook and Outlook Express are included in the list of programs where Internet access is permitted.

Norton Personal Firewall (Symantec)

If you are running Norton Personal Firewall 2002, Norton Internet Security, or Norton SystemWorks software by Symantec, contact Symantec product support for upgrade or reconfiguration instruction to resolve your problem.

For more information about how to contact Symantec, view the Symantec contact information at the following Symantec Web site:

If the error code is accompanied by a time-out error message, you may be able to resolve this problem by increasing the server time-out setting in Outlook or Outlook Express. To increase the server time-out setting, use the following method that is appropriate for your version of Outlook or Outlook Express.

Outlook 2000 Corporate or Workgroup mode (CW)

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click Services.
3. On the Services tab, select Internet E-mail, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Advanced tab.
5. Gradually increase the server time-out setting until the problem is resolved.

Outlook 2000 Internet Mail Only (IMO)

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
3. Select the target account, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Advanced tab.
5. Gradually increase the server time-out setting until the problem is resolved.

Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.
3. Click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
4. Click your POP3 account, and then click Change.
5. Click More Settings.
6. Click the Advanced tab.
7. Gradually increase the server time-out setting until the issue is resolved.

Outlook 2007

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
3. Click to select the target POP3 account, and then click Change.
4. Click More Settings.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Gradually increase the server time-out setting until the issue is resolved.

Outlook Express 5.x and 6.0

1. Start Outlook Express.
2. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
3. Click the Mail tab.
4. Click your POP3 account, and then click Properties.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Gradually increase the server time-out setting until the problem is resolved.

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.

If these methods did not work for you, you can use the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web site to find other solutions to your problem. Some services that the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web sites provide include the following:

• Searchable Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1) : Search technical support information and self-help tools for Microsoft products.
• Solution Centers (http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub) : View product-specific frequently asked questions and support highlights.
• Microsoft Customer Support Newsgroups (http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx) : Contact counterparts, peers, and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs).
• Other Support Options (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=csshome) : Use the Web to ask a question, contact Microsoft Customer Support Services, or provide feedback.

If you continue to have problems, you might want to contact Support: