Problem using Outlook 2003 with Windows 7

I know I'm behind the times here, but my XP system was finally giving it up and I found a new Lenovo laptop with Windows 7. Everything I read, here and elsewhere, indicates that I should be able to load Outlook 2003 on a Windows 7 machine, but I can't send or receive email. I installed SP3 and verified everything is identical to the settings I'm using on my XP machine. And I rebooted the machine (the error message changed after I rebooted). When I attempt to send a test message I receive an error "Outlook could not logon to the outgoing mail server (SMTP). The problem could be the server name, your server may require authentication, or your server may not support SSL....."

Any ideas?
Thanks!

equuscycle said:

I know I'm behind the times here, but my XP system was finally giving it up and I found a new Lenovo laptop with Windows 7. Everything I read, here and elsewhere, indicates that I should be able to load Outlook 2003 on a Windows 7 machine, but I can't send or receive email. I installed SP3 and verified everything is identical to the settings I'm using on my XP machine. And I rebooted the machine (the error message changed after I rebooted). When I attempt to send a test message I receive an error "Outlook could not logon to the outgoing mail server (SMTP). The problem could be the server name, your server may require authentication, or your server may not support SSL....."

Any ideas?
Thanks!

Click to expand...

Hi,

What type of email account is configured in Outlook (POP or MAPI)?
If the email account is configured as POP, you may remove and configure the email account as MAPI by using Outlook connector.
You may download the latest version of Outlook connector using the link below configure the email account and verify the status:
32 Bit OLC 14.3
Download Outlook Hotmail Connector from Official Microsoft Download Center
64 Bit OLC 14.3
Download Outlook Hotmail Connector from Official Microsoft Download Center

Still not working

My email had been set up as POP3, since Comcast uses this. I downloaded the file and installed. When I opened Outlook again it asked me if I wanted to add a Hotmail account. I clicked to add and added my comcast.net address (is that correct or do I need to get a hotmail account and have my mail re-directed somehow?). When I tried to send a test message I received an error: "....error (0x80040126): 'The operation cannot be performed because the connection to the server is offline.'"

Thanks!
Tina

Hi,

This error with the connector, have you tried reinstalling the connector?
Read this information about outlook hotmail connector and how to use it? http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/o...k-hotmail-connector-overview-HA010222518.aspx

Confused

Maybe I need to pay someone to do this for me......when I look up the info it sounds like it's talking specifically about reading hotmail email on Outlook. But my email is through Comcast. I tried reinstalling the connector, but the results are the same.

I really appreciate all your help, but I'm obviously missing something. Is this something a "novice" can really do or am I just being extremely dense?

Thanks.

Tina, you should be able to do this yourself. Here in the link, are some set-up instructions from the Comcast website:
Set up Outlook 2003 to use port 587

http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/internet/configure-outlook-2003-to-use-port-587/

Tried this....

Thanks, Irene, but unfortunately this doesn't work. I received an error that the server didn't support Secure Password Authentication (which is what these instructions tell you to check) - when I first tried setting it up and had a problem I discovered these instructions online. Since that didn't work I called Comcast. They gave me different settings to try; I then received an error that the outgoing server was found but did not respond. According to Comast, my setting were correct and I'd have to contact Microsoft. I did - after getting tossed around to 3 different people I found someone who said he could fix it - all I had to do was pay out $100. My response = thanks, but no thanks.

I continued researching a fix (which is how I ended up here), and found yet other instructions. When I changed my settings yet gain, I received an error: Outlook couldn't logon to the outgoing mail server (smtp.comcast.net). It then tells me the problem could be the server name, the server may require authentication (as above, this isn't supported), or the server may not support SSL.

That's why I'm wondering if I simply need to pay an IT person to do this, since I know how to follow directions but don't know enough to figure out what might be causing the errors when I follow the different instructions I find.

Any other ideas?
Thanks!!!!
Tina

If the User Name field does not have the full email address, try using the full address.
Outlook 2010 defaults this field to just the username part of the email address, and that often doesn't work.

What ports are you using for the incoming and outgoing servers?
What anti-virus do you use?

equuscycle said:

I know I'm behind the times here, but my XP system was finally giving it up and I found a new Lenovo laptop with Windows 7. Everything I read, here and elsewhere, indicates that I should be able to load Outlook 2003 on a Windows 7 machine, but I can't send or receive email. I installed SP3 and verified everything is identical to the settings I'm using on my XP machine. And I rebooted the machine (the error message changed after I rebooted). When I attempt to send a test message I receive an error "Outlook could not logon to the outgoing mail server (SMTP). The problem could be the server name, your server may require authentication, or your server may not support SSL....."

Any ideas?
Thanks!

Click to expand...

I have Outlook 2003 on two different Win 7 machines and it works fine. Don't pay anyone to do this. We can figure this out. It only takes one setting to be wrong for the thing not to work. Did you by chance copy down your settings on your old PC? If not, try this link and if it doesn't work, we will try again. Use Outlook with Comcast e-mail - Outlook - Office.com

server settings

All - thank you so much for the help and links. I've tried everything suggested below and still get the message that the server was found but no response. My settings are:

Incoming mail server (POP3): mail.comcast.net
Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.comcast.net
User Name now contains my full email address

Under More Settings:

General Tab: nothing checked - used defaults
Outgoing Server Tab: nothing checked - used defaults
Connection Tab: nothing checked - used defaults
Advanced Tab: Incoming server = 995, checked box for server requires encrypted connection; Outgoing server = 465, did not check box (these settings per Comcast help desk).

Thanks!
Tina

Try using port 587 for outgoing.

Port 587

DavidW7ncus: Interesting - I had used that port with something I had done earlier (one of the fixes I had tried) and got a different error. This time the error is "Unable to send test message. Please verify the e-mail address field." I checked it again and my email address is typed correctly. But since I'm getting a different error message, do you think we're getting closer to fixing this?

Thanks,
Tina

Yea, it's as bigmck said if one setting is wrong it won't work.
I just keep trying different combinations until i find the right combination.
Now that you have that message, try just the username part of the email address in the User Name field.

Done

I should have said in my previous reply that when I got that error message I also tried just putting my username without the @comcast.net portion, but the error stayed the same. I also just tried retyping my email address in case my eyes weren't looking at it correctly - same error.

Boy, this is a bit frustrating! I can't imagine how people who work on IT issues for a living keep their sanity!

Tina

Try using port 110 for incoming.

Port 110

Using port 110 for Incoming Server causes a new error message: Outlook could not connect to the incoming mail server....."

However, when I use port 110 and remove the check for encrypted connection that error goes away and I'm left with the previous error "Unable to send message. Please verify e-mail address field."

Tina

In the Advance Tab, did you try checking both the Incoming and Outgoing box? I think if one is checked they both need to be checked. I have my ports as 995 and 465 as you did.

I just noticed this in Comcast instructions for Outlook 2002/2003

Don't bother with the "Test" function in Outlook - it often fails for no particular reason.

Click to expand...

Source: E-Mail Client Settings (customer generated) - Comcast Help and Support Forums

I'd also make sure your anti-virus is not scanning emails, at least while you're trying to get this working...

I tried checking both boxes in Advanced tab and setting ports 995 and 465 - back to the error "The server was found, but there was no response from the server...."

My anti-virus is Malwarebytes (full version, not the free one); I also have Windows Security Essentials running - I was told by an IT guru that I should do that because my old laptop got hit with a really nasty virus. How could I tell if one of these program was causing me a problem?

Thanks!!!!!
Tina

Malwarebytes and MS Security Essentials don't scan emails so that's not an issue.

Are you not saving the Account because you can't successfully Test the settings when you are trying to create the account?

What that link says is don't bother with the "Test", just save the account anyway.
Then you would need to test it by sending and receiving an email after the Account is created.

I've never had to create and test an account this way, but it's worth trying.
You can always delete an Account if you ever need to.