Confusing use of mail accounts

[ekonomix]

I have 3 mail accounts in Outlook 2003. When I reply to a message
Outlook sometimes uses the default account, and sometimes one of the
other two. Really weird behaviour. I can't see what account will be
used until the message has been sent. Even if I select an account
sometimes Outlook uses a different one.

Does anyone have any idea on how to fix this?

 

[Guest]

Outlook should sent via the account the item came in via. Do all three
accounts work in whatever location you're at?

 

[ekonomix]

Outlook should sent via the account the item came in via. Do all three
accounts work in whatever location you're at?

I'm always at the same location and all accounts work fine.

 

[ekonomix]

This behaviour seems really stupid to me. Why doesn't Outlook choose
the account associated with the mail address?

 

[Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook]]

Associated with which email address? It makes sense (to me, at least) that
the account that received the item should be the one to send replies to that
item.

 

[ekonomix]

Associated with which email address? It makes sense (to me, at least) that
the account that received the item should be the one to send replies to that
item.

Yes, but sometimes it doesn't do that. And this also happens when
composing new mails. Most of the time it uses the default account, but
sometimes it uses another one. And I can't figure out when and why.

 

[Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook]]

I've never had a situation where the default account wasn't used. Have you
seen any pattern to the issue?

 

[Brian Tillman]

Yes, but sometimes it doesn't do that. And this also happens when
composing new mails. Most of the time it uses the default account, but
sometimes it uses another one. And I can't figure out when and why.

Outlook 2003 has an issue whereby when it can't send by the requested
account, it will move one to another until it finds one that will send it.
This should be addressed in SP2.

 

[ekonomix]

I cannot see a pattern. But one other strange thing happens and that is
choosing the receipents email address. I've noticed that if I enter
receipents name (not email address) Outlook doesn't use the email
address from my Contacts, but from some kind of cache it built up from
the past emails.
For example, my recepient has 2 email addresses and I always used one,
but as he left the company, I deleted that address from Contacts. When
I enter his name in To: field, Outlook still uses the old email
address. Another confusing behaviour that may be somehow related to
choosing mail accounts.
When is SP2 coming out?

 

[Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook]]

Sounds like the address is in your auto-completion cache. Do you see the
'bad' address show up in the auto-complete dropdown when you start entering
an address in the To, CC or BCC fields? If so, highlight the 'bad' address
and hit Delete.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I cannot see a pattern. But one other strange thing happens and that
is choosing the receipents email address. I've noticed that if I enter
receipents name (not email address) Outlook doesn't use the email
address from my Contacts, but from some kind of cache it built up from
the past emails.

A well-documented feature, called the autocompletion cache that's controlled
by the "Suggest names while completing To, Cc, or Bcc fields" on
Tools>Options>E-mail Options>Advanced E-mail Options.

 

[R.]

It does, that's what Vince was trying to tell you. (;-)