IMAP bug in Outlook Express 6

bshemmeld · 17 Jan 2002, 09:38 AM

I haven't seen any documentation from Microsoft about this, but I think I read here that OE6 has a bug when it comes to checking for mail on IMAP accounts. It logs in separately each time it checks for mail in a folder.

I have about 10 folders, and I have it set to check every 1 minute. Does that mean I'd be generating a huge amount traffic if I was to use OE6??

Does anyone know if there is, or will be, a fix for this? Apart from that OE6 seems to be a pretty decent IMAP client.

Jeremy Howard · 17 Jan 2002, 10:10 AM

Yes, OE has this bug, but only for those folders where you have checked the 'synchronize' box. To just check for the existance of new messages you don't have to check this box for each folder--simply select 'Check for new messages in all folders' in the IMAP tab of Tools->Accounts->Properties. This only opens one connection and is therefore faster for you and better for us.

Checking the 'synchronize' box for a folder also downloads the headers and optionally bodies of new messages automatically in this folder. You can sync a folder manually at any time by choosing Tools->Synchronize Folder.

If you have OE set to sync all folders and are logging in every minute, you'll go over our 200 logins/hour threshold that will cause the following warning to be sent to you:

Code:

This warning has been generated because you have had hundreds of logins in the
past hour. This normally occurs due to email software oddities. Possibly you're
getting bitten by the odd MS Outlook Express implementation discussed here:
http://www.emaildiscussions.com/...?threadid=1596

If you are using Outlook Express, make sure you haven't checked
'Synchronize' on the account settings. And reduce your login interval to
less than 1 minute when not absolutely necessary.

If you are a Pegasus user, you may have set your Check for New Mails Every:
box to '5'. However, Pegasus treats this number as being 'seconds', not
'minutes'! Be sure to set your mail to be checked no more than every 5 minutes
(300 seconds).

When email clients cause hundreds of logins per hour it creates substantial
strain on the server, which is why we have to monitor this issue. Sometimes
this problem can also be caused by email abuse, such as spammers using
automated login programs, which we of course need to control.

bshemmeld · 17 Jan 2002, 01:47 PM

Ok, I've turned off the sychronize check box. But now I don't get a system try notification when a message is filtered to a folder other than my inbox...

Nddnow · 18 Jan 2002, 04:57 AM

Are any of you having problems when you send stuff--As is stuff you send does not always make it to the person you send it to????

Jeremy Howard · 18 Jan 2002, 05:40 AM

Problems with mail delivery are normally related to the remote server. So far, every time someone has reported a mail delivery problem (and we get at least one reported at least once a week) when we've looked in our logs we've found that the message was successfully delivered to the remote server. At that point there's nothing FastMail.FM or your mail client can do--it's up to the remote server to complete delivery. We've got to the point now where we're not inclined to spend hours scutinizing the logs to diagnose mail delivery failure reports, because after doing it dozens of times we know the problem won't be at our end...

The only thing to be aware of with OE in particular is that if it can't send a message it will remain in Local Folders->Outbox until you choose Tools->Send & Receive->Send All. If it's in the Sent Items, in our experience, it generally means that it has been sent to FastMail.FM's SMTP server successfully. And if it's got to our server, then it will definitely be sent to the remote server, unless the remote server is down. If the remote server is down FastMail.FM will keep trying it for 24 hours before it gives up and sends you make a delivery failure message.

Nddnow · 18 Jan 2002, 12:30 PM

Thanks for the info Jeremy. I was just wondering does it always take as long as it does for mail to be recieved when sent with OE compared to sending it strait off of FastMail.fm?? I did a little test. I have AOL So I sent one from OE to my AOL address, It took it 10 minutes to get to my AOL address...But, I sent one strait from FastMail and it was there 2 seconds after I sent it. maybe the OE on my computer is corrupt??? Any answers for the above situations??

Jeremy Howard · 18 Jan 2002, 01:00 PM

Assuming that OE is set up to send stuff through FastMail.FM's SMTP server, it's just a coincidence. Sometimes AOL picks stuff up fine, sometimes it takes ages. The web interface uses the same SMTP server that OE does if you set it to use FastMail.FM. Once you don't see you message in OE's outbox anymore, it's been sent to FastMail.FM's SMTP server completely.

Nddnow · 18 Jan 2002, 01:46 PM

Thanks Jeremy. Interesting post .

17 Jan 2002, 09:38 AM	#1
bshemmeld Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 19	IMAP bug in Outlook Express 6 I haven't seen any documentation from Microsoft about this, but I think I read here that OE6 has a bug when it comes to checking for mail on IMAP accounts. It logs in separately each time it checks for mail in a folder. I have about 10 folders, and I have it set to check every 1 minute. Does that mean I'd be generating a huge amount traffic if I was to use OE6?? Does anyone know if there is, or will be, a fix for this? Apart from that OE6 seems to be a pretty decent IMAP client.

18 Jan 2002, 04:57 AM	#4
Nddnow Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 11	Outlook Express Are any of you having problems when you send stuff--As is stuff you send does not always make it to the person you send it to????

18 Jan 2002, 12:30 PM	#6
Nddnow Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 11	Thanks Jeremy Thanks for the info Jeremy. I was just wondering does it always take as long as it does for mail to be recieved when sent with OE compared to sending it strait off of FastMail.fm?? I did a little test. I have AOL So I sent one from OE to my AOL address, It took it 10 minutes to get to my AOL address...But, I sent one strait from FastMail and it was there 2 seconds after I sent it. maybe the OE on my computer is corrupt??? Any answers for the above situations??

18 Jan 2002, 01:46 PM	#8
Nddnow Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 11	Thanks Thanks Jeremy. Interesting post .

17 Jan 2002, 01:47 PM	#3
bshemmeld Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 19	Ok, I've turned off the sychronize check box. But now I don't get a system try notification when a message is filtered to a folder other than my inbox...

18 Jan 2002, 05:40 AM	#5
Jeremy Howard Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 11,501	Problems with mail delivery are normally related to the remote server. So far, every time someone has reported a mail delivery problem (and we get at least one reported at least once a week) when we've looked in our logs we've found that the message was successfully delivered to the remote server. At that point there's nothing FastMail.FM or your mail client can do--it's up to the remote server to complete delivery. We've got to the point now where we're not inclined to spend hours scutinizing the logs to diagnose mail delivery failure reports, because after doing it dozens of times we know the problem won't be at our end... The only thing to be aware of with OE in particular is that if it can't send a message it will remain in Local Folders->Outbox until you choose Tools->Send & Receive->Send All. If it's in the Sent Items, in our experience, it generally means that it has been sent to FastMail.FM's SMTP server successfully. And if it's got to our server, then it will definitely be sent to the remote server, unless the remote server is down. If the remote server is down FastMail.FM will keep trying it for 24 hours before it gives up and sends you make a delivery failure message.

18 Jan 2002, 01:00 PM	#7
Jeremy Howard Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 11,501	Assuming that OE is set up to send stuff through FastMail.FM's SMTP server, it's just a coincidence. Sometimes AOL picks stuff up fine, sometimes it takes ages. The web interface uses the same SMTP server that OE does if you set it to use FastMail.FM. Once you don't see you message in OE's outbox anymore, it's been sent to FastMail.FM's SMTP server completely.