Outlook 2007 baulks at sending larger attachments

[Musitech]

Running Outlook 2007 on 64 bit Win 7 I'm experiencing trouble sending medium to large attachments. This is not an unknown issue I believe, but I've yet to see a good solution.
On sending a message with, say, 4Mb attachment, or maybe 2-3 mp3's totalling 10Mb, the message sits in the outbox and Outlook seems to continuously send data until forced to shut down. Message then has to be manually removed from Outbox. First time this happened it chewed about a Gb of my allowance!!

I've tried turning off AV scan of outgoing email but that's another story - BitDefender - it always scans outgoing email! (At present under action)
Also I've experimented adjusting server time-out to around 7 minutes.

I should add that the recipient may actually get the email plus attachment once or several times; meanwhile the message stubbornly remains in the outbox.
Any thoughts on this (common?) Outlook 2007 ailment would be appreciated.
- Chris

 

[richc46]

I use Windows Lite Mail, but all these appl are similar. With Windows, I go to accounts, go to advanced and there I find a drop down menu that shows the max Mb, to send at any one time. There is something similar in outlook, I am sure. Find it and adjust it.

 

[Musitech]

Thanks Richard, I've had a fair dig around in the settings - account and other - and so far have not found the magic "max Mb" one ... only server time-out.

This problem is probably better described as "messages sticking in outbox" but I've seen heaps of folks posting re that and all they want to do is get the message out ... not find why it happens in the first place!

The specifics are, with large file attached, or maybe several files like mp3's, Outlook does in fact send but keeps on sending, giving no indication of having ever reached the end of send cycle but looping around continuously. (message remains in outbox) This is a bit random too, depending on what Outlook decides, and obviously makes attachment sending a risky business unless you like sitting, watching and guessing an end-point!
I have yet to turn off my outgoing email scan with BitDefender as this is not switching currently. Maybe the scan is affecting Outlook ... it shouldn't in an ideal world!

Cheers, Chris

 

[carlharsch]

What programs are running in the background when this happens?

 

[Musitech]

Only BitDefender Internet Security 2010 usually. I most often don't have other app's running when sending attachments. Nice and clean and simple

 

[jimbo45]

Running Outlook 2007 on 64 bit Win 7 I'm experiencing trouble sending medium to large attachments. This is not an unknown issue I believe, but I've yet to see a good solution.
On sending a message with, say, 4Mb attachment, or maybe 2-3 mp3's totalling 10Mb, the message sits in the outbox and Outlook seems to continuously send data until forced to shut down. Message then has to be manually removed from Outbox. First time this happened it chewed about a Gb of my allowance!!
- Chris

I suspect the problem is more to do with your ISP rather than OUTLOOK -- also if you are sending from a HOME account upload speeds are usually pretty horrendous compared with download speeds.

This is often done deliberately by ISP's to stop people setting up "Home Web servers" or to try and stop them seeding P2P files via torrents.

They might even have an attachment size limit on emails - these limits are never stated up front but might be buried somewhere in the tiny obscure print on page 97 or so of the agreement you got when you signed up for the Internet service.



A get around is to RAR the file into chunks -- RAR will break it up LOSSLESSLY so the receivers can re-construct the files. Even though the original won't compress much RAR is fine for splitting it into chinks.

The user at the other end can UNRAR the file -- WINRAR is available all over the web. - Equivalent programs exist for Linux / Apple OS'es

Back in the days of the old BBS'es where you could only send TEXT files we used this type of technique for sending Binary files -- split them up and encoded them with specific programs which would send these as encoded TEXT (ASCII). The receiver would re-construct the binary files.

(Actually we've revived some of these old programs since Work email scanners are getting more and more restrictive -- one client I'm working at won't allow EXCEL / POWER POINT 2007 XML type format (Docx) which rather screws people up in the Engineering dept -- We aren't all re-writing are presentations again and the scanners just allow the attachments through as "Text files" which we just re-construct back into our work again).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Musitech]

Thanks Jimbo for all these ideas. I shall check my ISP details but I don't think it is a problem because previously, running Outlook Express I've had no trouble at all. Yes, upload is slow here unless you pay for a premium plan. However, OE always did get there and finish sending, pop the message into sent folder and that was it. Same ISP then as now. I'll keep digging as I find time. Meanwhile I'm checking out free ftp space... (DriveHQ) and have had a brief look at "YouSendIt". So far not enough time to get into it.
Thanks too for the comments on splitting files - wow, takes me back a bit too!!
Cheers, Chris

 

[KariM2M]

Hi,

I've struggeled with this problem. It is really annoying...
You cannot send large attachments ...or even you cannot receive large attachment.

I've tried with various combination of Virus Scanners settings and ISPs.
The problem IS due to Outlook&Windows7...and looks there is no fix to it...

I keep sending attachements from browser mail...I start to put header:
"Mail sent using browser mail due to Outlook incapable handling attachments"

Best Regards,
Kari

 

[JungleIII]

SAME exact problem....

Had Windows Vista, and I sent emails of any size on my current ISP.

Changed to WIN7 with Outlook 2010 (new Computer) - can't send emails with attachments over 1 mb. Up to 1 mb, no problem.

SAME problem as mentioned above - a 2 mb file will eventually go, after cycling in outbox for 10 minutes... and the receiver gets the email 3-4 times with send times of 2-3 minutes apart.

I too have changed my SMTP to 6 minutes, so that isn't an issue here either...

REALLLY annoying to have an inept product from day 1, and I see people after people on different forums complaining and getting the same crap advice back... It's your ISP, break the file up, zip it, etc... It's not addressing the problem... this is a 'normal' size, common file with a common document attached - it's not supposed to do this!

It wasn't a problem before or even now with my other 2 computers still on Vista... it's only a problem since buying the Outlook 2010 on Windows 7 - 64 bit install.

I guess if you're not one of the people effected, it all seems oblique and it sure has me stumped...

 

[Musitech]

Sending attachments, Win7 & Outlook ...

Finally I return! Interesting you are having same prob now, JungleIII. I say that because basically, I decided to give up and wait ... understanding that there was indeed a bug (or 3) with Win7 64bit running Office 2007, which of course Mickysoft are most reluctant to admit & broadcast, but eventually come up with an undercover fix for. I was also waiting for BitDefender to come up with real solutions rather than "please now re-load everything on your entire computer" etc. Hmmm. So, sorry, the solution for me seemed to be just running regular updates from ... Microsoft. And, lo and behold, one sunny day I tried again to send a larger attachment and .. surprise, it actually worked. I haven't had any problems now for some months.
Moral of this story? Baring the brunt of a new OS can be a pain, but however much we hate those interminable updates, maybe at the beginning at least, it is worth running with the manufacturer to "catch the patch". Pitty there is so little honest and accurate info on what isn't yet working tho. Marketing and $$ versus the truth? So help me God! MT

 

[steve-pressman]

I have always found this site has valuable information.


MSOutlook.info | Real World Questions, Real World Answers


After having a sniff around I found this that might help the other users having problems sending files have a read of this.

http://www.msoutlook.info/question/480

Steve

 

[JungleIII]

RE: steve-pressman
Thanks, but that is the info on the 20mb limit. As mentioned, I can send only up to 1 mb unhindered. 2mb and the file hangs in outbox for 10 minutes, and the receiver gets the file 3 to 5 times about 2 minutes apart. If it is 5mb, the file sits in outbox for hours, chewing through enormous bandwidth constantly sending and stopping any other internet browsing, until outlook is closed and restarted with network connection disabled so the file can be moved to trash.

No problem with the other two computers on network, still sending any size file using same ISP (unless DSL is tied up with the WIN7 Outlook 2010 computer still sending a silly 2mb file). This problem is mentioned in many help sites but no help is apparently there yet...

At least Musitech's problem went away finally.... maybe someday