EMail troubles (&more):Outlook 2003/NortonInternetSecurity2005_6/SBC Mail

[Honest Bob SF]

I am a computer consultant of some 20+ years in SF Bay Area and am
having some new problems with Outlook 2003/Norton Internet Security
2005/6, and SBC POP mail.

Several clients have reported major problems with not being able to
send email, or sometimes send and receive email from SBC pop servers. I
have been seeing issues for several months of users getting persistent
intermittent POP or SMTP requests for passwords. But starting just
before Christmas and getting worse now several clients have reported
complete stoppage of email (pop and smtp) and/or DSL outages. After
much online research and onsite experiments, I cannot seem to come up
with a good explanation of what is going on or how to fix the problem
and have it STAY fixed.
Two nights ago I spent several hours at a client site doing the
dance as follows:

1- Go into Outlook 2003 and delete email accounts and re-create.
2- Scan for Virus/Trojan/Spyware.
3- Apply all MSUpdates and run LiveUpdate for NIS 2005/6.
4- Change SBC POPMail passwords on SBC Yahoo mail accounts.
5- Go into NIS Personal Firewall/Programs and delete ALL program
rules, and then scan for ALL programs with Internet access on hard
disk. Then selective for training the most used programs.

This has seemed to work for a while, but now I am getting calls
from more than one client that the original symptoms are back.
SBC claims there are no problems with their systems, and in the
same office, one user will have problems while the person next to them
will not (nearly identical systems).
Could it be from interactions between newly downloaded updates of
some sort??
Or a weird imbalance created somehow between Outlook 2003/Norton
Internet Security 2005/6, and SBC servers ? (POP _and_ SMTP? Doesn't
make sense).

Anybody else out there seeing these problems?

Thanks,

Robert L. Huber, Consultant
(e-mail address removed)_NoSpam

 

[Guest]

Are you using Windows XP? Is the Windows firewall enabled as well as the
Norton one? You can't run two firewalls. If you're only running one, ensure
that Outlook as added to the allowable list.

 

[Guest]

Yes, I am having similar problems with Outlook 2003. I only installed 2003
because my 2000 stopped working. (Probably same problem ). I have to
disable virus protection for Outlook to work at all. I have better luck with
Outlook Express but still have to disable Norton AntiVirus. Have notified
Norton but Norton hangs now. What is going on!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for this advice. I probably am running Windows and Norton Firewalls.
I will check on my computer when I get home. I guess that is why I can get
mail with Norton disabled. Makes sense. Now my next question: Outlook 2003
is now freezing. I have cleared "temp" folder and removed unnecessary auto
start applications, but Outlook still freezes. Outlook Express, however, is
doing ok after I disable virus protection momentarily.

 

[Guest]

You don't need to scan incoming and outgoing mail. You can leave that
disabled. It won't compromise your security or let viruses in.
--
Kathleen Orland

http://www.howto-outlook.com/

 

[Guest]

I was fixing my nephews comp and found everytime I loaded NAV Firewall 2005
it 1) wouldn't allow the comp to log onto the internet or emails. 2)
Started slowing the comp. Haven't re installed and rely on windows firewall
alls well. Have a media centre set everything up loaded NAV Firewall 2005
and guess what...Couldn't receive mail from Micro Outlook 2003 uninstall NAV
Firewall and so far so good!!

Regards

Shell

 

[Brian Tillman]

I was fixing my nephews comp and found everytime I loaded NAV
Firewall 2005 it 1) wouldn't allow the comp to log onto the internet
or emails.

Naturally. That's the purpose of a firewall: to stop applications from
accessing hte Internet and to prevent the Internet from accessing the local
applications. You just need to configure it properly to allow the
connections yuo want.

2) Started slowing the comp. Haven't re installed and
rely on windows firewall alls well. Have a media centre set
everything up loaded NAV Firewall 2005 and guess what...Couldn't
receive mail from Micro Outlook 2003 uninstall NAV Firewall and so
far so good!!

I don't care for Symantec products and so have no experience with them, but
find both the Kerio and the Zone Alarm firewalls to be easily configured.