[thingie2]

My Outlook XP cannot connect to my e-mail server all of a sudden for some reason. It started a couple of days ago, Here is a list of stuff that might help:

• the error message reads "A connection to the server could not be established. mainpc is now in offline mode" (mainpc is the name of the mail server on my network) when i select details it says: "There may be server or network problems or your timeout interval may be too short. Protocol: IMAP, Server: mainpc, Port: 143"
• I have tried both with the name and the IP address of the mail server.
• I have not installed any new programs or updates since it was last working.
• I have tried with another account that works elsewhere on the network, and the same error occurs here.
• I have checked all our firewall settings, and there is nothing that is preventing my access to the server.
• I can get on the Internet fine, and I can also access the network shared drives on "mainpc"
• I have tried turning Windows Firewall off, as well as turning Avast off, but with the same result.
• The mail server logs all IP addresses that attempt access and my IP address does not appear, so it is not the mail server blocking my access
• I have tried using outlook express, but that also does not work.
• I can access my e-mails on www.mail2web.com but it doesn't always let me see the messages (a problem with their site I think) so would rather not have to keep that as my only was of viewing them

I think that is everything, my system specs are as in my sig, I'll check them and change them after posting this if they aren't right.

If there is any other info needed/scans needed just let me know

Thanks all

[Hybr!d]

Welcome back.

These issues are normally a fault with the mail server ie; Their end.

Have you tried asking them?

[thingie2]

It's our own mail server because by dad is self employed, so the whole family use the company domain, or atleast one of them. I asked my dad about it as he manages it. And his e-mail doesn't work on my computer, but does on his. Also, my e-mail I just checked on my other PC, and it works on there, but it would be a pain to start up a different computer just to read e-mails, especially with it being as slow as it is *caugh*P4 with 1GB RAM*caugh*

[serverguy]

Are you using Outlook Express still?

If so, then may I suggest using Windows Live Mail.

OE successor, and a hundred times better.

[thingie2]

I only tried to OE to see if worked, but normally I use Microsoft Outlook, from the Office Xp package, but seeing as that doesn't work either, I'm thinking it's not the program, but something else on my PC, as I have also checked with my account on my other PC using the same IP address (we use static IP's) as my main PC, but that also doesn't work which led me to believe it isn't a permission error either.

Thanks for the help anyway guys, and any more ideas please say Or I might have to stick with booting up my other PC whenever I want to check my e-mails.

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by thingie2

Or I might have to stick with booting up my other PC whenever I want to check my e-mails.

That would be a right pain in the arse.

I'm at a loss of what else to suggest though really. Have you tried reconfiguring your account in Outlook Express?

[thingie2]

I've worked out what it was, and it was annoying simple, up to a point anyway. Somehow my hosts file got corrupted i think, as it removed the IP address associated with the mail server, and the IP address that I thought it was was wrong, but I did a ping on my other PC to find the IP of the server, and just used the IP address rather than the name in Outlook now, so it's working fine again.

Thanks for your time though, I just wish I had checked that sooner