cannot delete or move message from outbox

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

I really believe they're working on the problem, but it's hard to reproduce
and therefore hard to figure out what's causing it.

On the other hand, they're really much more interested in Windows Live Mail
Desktop, which at least brings in some revenue.

I do think that Vista is a much better operating system. As a mail program,
I prefer Outlook Express with it's known problems to Windows Mail.

 

[Guest]

How do I get to the outbo directory?

Go to the outbox directory in Windows Explorer. The location will be:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Local Folders\Outbox

and with WinMail closed delete all the files.

Then try repairing the database.

Run the cmd prompt as Admin and copy and then in there

esentutl /p "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
Mail\windowsmail.msmessagestore"

Fill in the %USERPROFILE% to match your profile (e.g. c:\users\nrc)

Then reopen WinMail and see if that fixes it.

steve

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Uh, Steve spelled out the path for you.
I'm afraid it takes a basic knowledge of Windows directory structure
and ability to use Windows Explorer to navigate that directory structure.

I'm advising those who are not technically inclined to hold off
until Microsoft comes out with a fix. If you are dead in the water,
(can't use WinMail at all), try an alternative like web mail, Thunderbird,
or Outlook.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

Hi Steve,

Where is WIndows Explorer? I can't find it on my computer. I have the evil
WIndows Vista...
Thanks,
Cheryl

 

[Steve Cochran]

Right click on the start button and choose Explore.

steve

 

[Guest]

WTF! none of this works. that comand promt doesnt work. what else can you
do. i need my email to work.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Try swearing at it some more. ;-)

Seriously, though, if WinMail doesn't work for you, get a different email program.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

WTF! none of this works. that comand promt doesnt work. what else can you
do. i need my email to work.

Have you tried marking the message as read and then deleting it? That's
what I've been doing and so far it has always worked. Other things:

Try repairing the database with WMUtil from www.oehelp.com

There are two copies of WindowsMail.MSMessageStore, One in
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Microsoft\Windows Mail
and one in
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Backup\New
If you delete both of these the database will be rebuilt. However, while no
messages should be lost, some may be downloaded again and you may lose some
record of which have been read. I recommend that you only do this when they
are causing you trouble, like when they are in the Outbox. Otherwise I now
just mark them as read and ignore them.

Or try Thunderbird.

 

[Guest]

I encountered the same thing. Everything went to the Outbox and wouldn't
budge. HP Tech support advised me that it was a server configuration problem
and had me enter a new account with the same information (Inbox and Outbox
server, POP3, SMTP, etc) and it's now working.

I figured out a way to get the Outbox stuff to go out. Click on an Outbox
entry, then go to "Files" at the top and click Open, then Send (after perhaps
adding an explanation to the recipient why they're receiving a late reply).

I've yet to find one single advantage to Vista over XP. All they've done is
lessen options that were avaiilable with earlier OS's. They should have left
well enough alone. I'm convinced they update the OS's every few years just
to sell new computers.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the workaround. Would you how to get rid of that left over
message in the outbox now? It keeps asking me everytime if i want to send
the message that doesn't have an attached sender.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

I am having the same problem!!! This is frustrating! I have a new computer
and it is already to where I can not send emails due to this.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

If you don't feel comfortable doing the database deletion/regeneration
method that has been widely discussed in this newsgroup, then
your remaining option is to use a different email program.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

YAH TRIED THE PREVIOUS IDEA AND NO GO,
MICROSOFT GOING TO SLEEP ON THIS ONE A BIT????
SHOULDA WENT APPLE WORLD

 

[Guest]

This is blocking all messages, both new and reply messages and is therefore
urgent that I fix this. the error message is " an unknown error has
occurred".

I found that if you "MOVE" the e-mails from Deleted to another folder, such
as SENT, that they will Delete from there, it didn't remove all of them, but
it deleted close to 90%...not a permanent fix, but these other , methods
didn't do squat...MS needs to get off their asses and fix this...

 

[Guest]

Has anybody found a fix that works?

 

[Guest]

The Db deletion/ regeneration didn't work for me. Three nights ago I deleted
windowsmail.MSmessagestore. I opened WinMail and 'Recovering the windows
database' displayed. The phantom msg. was still in the Outbox and still
couldn't be deleted. And because of this, no emails can be sent using
WinMail. MS better fix this soon.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Did you delete both copies of the WindowsMail.MSMessageStore file?
There is one in the Backup directory.

Below, I was actually referring to the more drastic procedure
advocated by Steve Cochran:

"The only solution so far is to wipe out the database. So go to
Tools | Options | Advanced | Maintenance | Store Folder to find the message
store location. Then move everything under that Windows Mail directory to
another directory, so that the Windows Mail directory is completely empty.
Then restart WinMail and it will open fresh with nothing
in the database. You can then add your accounts and if they work correctly
then you can use File | Import | Messages and choose WinMail format and
point to the directory to which you moved the files."

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

TED HELL NO!!!!

This is like nobody knows what the F$#k is going on, I uninstalled mcafee
anti virus and hope to get a refund for that and mail still don't work,
ready to head back to windows xp or the apple

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

Has anybody found a fix that works?

I don't think you'll see a fix from Microsoft any time soon. My current
theory, and it's only a theory, is that an anti-virus is causing the problem
by deleting messages as they are saved to the hard drive even though email
scanning is turned off.

Have you tried marking the message as read and then deleting it? That's
what I've been doing and so far it has always worked. Other things:

Try repairing the database with WMUtil from www.oehelp.com

There are two copies of WindowsMail.MSMessageStore, One in
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Microsoft\Windows Mail
and one in
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Backup\New
If you delete both of these the database will be rebuilt. However, while no
messages should be lost, some may be downloaded again and you may lose some
record of which have been read. I recommend that you only do this when they
are causing you trouble, like when they are in the Outbox. Otherwise I now
just mark them as read and ignore them.

Then turn off email scanning in your anti-virus. If it's Norton or McAfee
uninstall it. Otherwise, which anti-virus is it?

If none of those fixes work for you or you're afraid to try them, use a
different program like Thunderbird, which is free.

 

[Guest]

I had the same problem as you and I've read all the thread.
I've tried some procedures but in vain.

Finally I've found a solution...not very clean but it works...

1) delete the files in the Outbox via Explorer
2) in MSMail, create a new account with the same data
3) delete the old one
4) normally the message comes every time to send the old message with your
new account...problem
5) I delete the MSMessageStore in the Windows mail directory AND in the
backup directory
6) when I start WinMail, the program gives me an error message : MSOE.DLL
could not be initialised
7) then I went to the Recycle Bin and restore the MSMessageStore
8) when I restart MSMail, the programs recovers the database and everything
is OK

Just one thing...I think that I have retsored the MSMessageStore of the
backup directory...to check...

I hope that can help you...good luck...