Outlook 2000 not always able to connect to email server

[HFChristie]

I've got Outlook 2000, and I've been having a recurring problem when retreiving mail from my domain. I've got several email accounts, all defined in Outlook. When I'm done defining all the accounts, everything works fine.

However, hours, days, weeks, or months later, I'll all of the sudden get an error that it can't connect to my server "Unable to connect to server (Account aaa@server.com, POP3 Server: mail.server.com, Error Number: 0x800ccc0e)."

This error will keep reappearing for hours or days, but eventually, without any intervention from me, it will inexplicably start working again. Or, I can delete the Outlook Account definition, and re-enter (exactly as it was before), and it will start working immediately.

I've been nagging my host service for months not to fix this, but I think it's actually an error in Outlook. I recently purchased a second domain (from the same host), and I've started to get that error there as well.

Does anyone have any clue on what may be causing this? I've wiped and reinstalled my system (in case it was a virus), removed and reinstalled Office using different configurations, etc, all without luck.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Harry

 

[PadawanJoey]

download the latest service packs for windows and office.

this worked for me...

 

[HFChristie]

Been there, Done that (check it weekly).

Didn't fix it

 

[PadawanJoey]

Another thing, depending on what version of office you had running before, it might behoove you to use the clean up utility and then reinstall 2000 or XP.

The removal utilities are available at support.microsoft.com seach for theh following KB Articles:

290301 - OFFXP: Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
238413 - OFF2000: Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
176823 - OFF97: Utility to Completely Remove Remaining Office 97 Files and Registry Entries


Anyway, hope this helps.....
Joey

 

[HFChristie]

Unfortunately (fortunately?) this is a totally new install of Office 2000, not an upgrade.

 

[captduck]

I'm also having the recurring 0x800ccc0e problem with my accounts in Outlook 2000. It does just as you described -- it will work fine for a while then just quit connecting to the server. If I remove that account and add it back exactly as it was, then it will work OK (for a while).

I have three accounts in Outlook 2000 and it jumps around among them. It is at lest one of them almost every day and often more than once a day.

It was doing this on my other computer, an HP Laptop running Windows 2000 Pro. I just got a new Dell laptop a few days a go and did a clean install of MS Office 2000 Pro and now this one is doing the same thing. The Dell is running XP Professional.

It is really aggravating. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Capt. "Duck"

 

[nuck]

Christie and all:

I had experienced this with Outlook 2000, so I tried Eudora 6 and 6.1. I experienced the exact issue using Eudora 6 and 6.1. I then reverted back from Eudora to Outlook 2000 and am experiencing the same issue.... again..

Our network has users using both Eudora and Outlook 2000 and all users at some stage during any given day will experience this connectivity issue.

That being said I have not found a fix. Just thought the info would assist as I do not believe the issue is with Outlook as it is seen across different email applications.

My troubleshooting is pointing toward a network issue of somekind. Any updates in your situation I would appreciate hearing.

Cheers,
Nuck.

 

[HFChristie]

My original post is in reference to a problem with OUTLOOK 2003, NOT Outlook 2000. I can't get OUTLOOK 2003 to import/recognize my OUTLOOK 2000 PST files. I'm still waiting for my parents to get me the exact error message so I can forward it to y'all.

_____

However, in response to later replys about Outlook 2000 loosing connection to the server, I had the same problem. I kept blaming my domain host. I'm not running on a domain - it's a personal PC getting mail from a commercially hosted personal domain.

I tried everything from uninstalling and reinstalling (after Office cleanup), to a total wipe and reinstall of the whole PC. No change. Everything would be fine for days or weeks, and then one or more account (I have 14) would keep getting connection errors. Without any intervention on my part, hours or days later, it would connect again and everything would be fine until the next time.

I eventually purchased a copy of Office XP (at a price I couldn't resist), and low and behold - I haven't had the problem since! That wasn't why I bought O XP, it was just an added benefit.

Since Microsoft has made getting support for their products virtually impossible (or, at the minimum extremely costly), I usually resort to Tek-Tips when I have problems (with great success, I might add). I bring this up because I could not afford to get assistance from MS on this problem, and could not find anything in the Knowledge Base to support or discredit Outlook 2000. I haven't checked there again to see if it's an aknowledged bug or not.

 

[HFChristie]

Well! Is my face puce?

I spoke too soon! I just started getting the same error message 'Task '???@???.com - Sending and Receiving' reported error (0x800CCC0F) : 'The connection to the server was interrupted. If this problem continues, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'"

Evidently not just an Office 2000 issue! And, looking back some, If "nuck" was getting the same error in Eudora, then I would have to assume this is more likely an issue with the hosts than our PC software.

And, if more than one host (I use LunarPages and NZ Web It) is generating the same error, then that would point to the server OS or hardware, or some other common denominator.

Of course, it could also be a huge conspiracy against the common man by aliens! (just kidding!)