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Email stuck in outbox

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kbestle

Technical User
Mar 9, 2003
67
US
I have an email that has a 4MB attachment that will not send. Outlook 2003 keeps trying to send but is unable to. I cannot delete it because Outlook says that it is the process of being sent. I click Cancel Send/Receive and it still thinks that it is sending it. Any ideas on how to delete this email?

Thanks
 
kbestle, can you disconnect from the internet and let Outlook timeout as Tracy was suggesting. Outlook will think your ISP is not responding

Once it has you should be able to delete it. At least in OE2000 it is possible to do this.

Otherwise, in your settings set the timeout to a smaller amount and see if that forces it to die without unplugging.

Craig
 
Change Outlook options. There is the setting which disable sending mails automatically when closing the program.
 
No matter what I do Oulook still thinks it is trying to send the message. I have disconneted from the Internet, set all settings in Outlook to not send mail. I have even deleted my pop and smtp settings giving Oulook absolutely no way to work. It still thinks it is trying to send the message. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
kbestle
Tools->Options->Preferences->E-mail Options->Un-Check automatically save unsent messages.
tav
 
>>Tools->Options->Preferences->E-mail Options->Un-Check automatically save unsent messages.

Still have the problem.
 
kbestle,
Are you on a server?
Do you have a total 10 mb limit set up?
Try emptying your sent box, then clean up as much as you can in your inbox, and empty your deleted items.
This will help free up more memory.
tav
 
I am not on a server. Do not have a 10MB limit. I did clean out the Sent folder. This thing is broken bad.
 
you don't have the preview pane on in the outbox, do you?
are you able to download mail?
are you getting any error messages? when you try and delete the message? What happens when you shut Outlook down? are you able to open the message?

Tracy
 
I do not have the preview pane open.
I am able to send and receive mail
I get no error messages.
When I shut down Outlook it says I have mail in the Outbox and gives the option to send or exit without sending.
 
OK, To fix the problem I just renamed outlook.pst and started with a new pst folder. I then copied all my emails into the new file, leaving the bougus file in the Outbox behind. I then closed the old pst folder. Now I have two sets of Personal folders that are a mirror image. What ever I do in one is duplicated in the other. I do not have the option of closing the folders that is greyed out.

Any ideas?

 
kbestle,
Close outlook->
Right click on the outlook icon on your desktop.
Choose Properties->
Pick Data Files.
Choose the .pst file you want to delete and choose 'remove'.
This does not delete the file, it just removes it from outlook.
To add .pst choose 'Add', go through the steps.
tav
 
tav,

I don't have an Outlook icon on my desktop. I delete it after installing Office.
 
kbestle,
If it's Greyed out it's probably not added to your profile.
Documents and Settings->Aplication Data->Microsoft->Outlook->(Drop .PST here)

To delete a .pst go to->
Tools->Options->Mail Setup tab->Choose Data Files->Choose the .pst file you want to delete and choose 'remove'.
This does not delete the file, it just removes it from outlook.

To add .pst choose 'Add', go through the steps.

or
Go to Control Panel->
Double click the MAIL icon->
Data Files->
Click .pst file add or delete.


tav
 
Let me restate the problem. I have two personal folders. They are identical. What ever I do in one is mirrored in the other. Having said that I cannot get rid of either one because Outlook thinks it has one data file open. Since Outlook will not allow you to remove your only data file I am stuck. I think this is a bug with the beta version of Oulook.
 
You are using a beta version of Outlook???

You can then, start with a new PST file and Import mail from the old PST instead of opening the whole PST file.
 
Ohh, and BTW.. I forgot that I have a similar problem, but Outlook won't even send/receive mail from any of the 3 different mail servers that are set up. AND none of what KBestle did helps out either... Although I havent tried the changing my PST file yet.
 
I had the same problem with stuck email in my outbox and even though I could send and recieve other email, I could never delete this one message. I didn't think it was a problem until my ISP called and said my account's upstream quota was over 100G (yes, 100 GIG in one month!!). Outlook was trying to send the same message over and over and over and.....

The simple solution?

- disconnect your PC from the network (this stops Outlook from trying to send the message) and then you should be able to delete it
 
kbkestle original problem "I have an email that has a 4MB attachment that will not send. Outlook 2003 keeps trying to send but is unable to" , I believe is a bug in MS Outlook.

It seems the problem occurs with the combination of large attachment, slow connection (dial-up) and busy server. Outlook (not the server) times out and then starts all over again. Quite often, the message will be completely sent, but Outlook does not get advised, so it sends again, resulting in the recipient getting the message several times.

I found that increasing the Outlook timer to 10 minutes greatly improved the situatiuon, but is not the solution.

Tools -> email accounts -> (select account) Change - > More settings -> Advanced -> move the slider to full.

Hope it helps you as well.



Cheers,
Brodie
 
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