Sent Messages not saved at all in Outlook 2007 (or 2003)

[Taron]

This question has been asked several times by several people, and the answer
is yet to be forthcoming. When I (we) send a message in either Outlook 2003
or 2007, the sent messages have suddenly stopped being saved in the "Sent
Items" box. Now this seems very much like a programming "bug" to me -- so
many others have the same problem. All the "configuration" settings are
correct (on my machine), after many hours of setting, re-setting, and
checking. Still, the sent messages are "gone" forever. As far as I am
concerned, this is a desperate situation. Like the others, I NEED those
messages saved. Does *anybody* have any idea what the problem might be? The
suggestions so far offered just don't seem to solve the problem.

 

[Pat Willener]

I haven't seen past suggestions to the problem, so I don't know what you
have tried so far. I also don't know the solution for the problem, as I
have not experienced it myself. But I do understand your concern; a mail
client that does not save your sent messages is virtually useless!

If I were in the same situation I would try two things:
- delete your profile, recreate it, and try again.
- try Outlook in Safe Mode (outlook.exe /safe) and see if it still happens

 

[Taron]

Thanks, Pat Willener: I'll try that and see what happens.

 

[VanguardLH]

in message

This question has been asked several times by several people, and
the answer
is yet to be forthcoming. When I (we) send a message in either
Outlook 2003
or 2007, the sent messages have suddenly stopped being saved in the
"Sent
Items" box. Now this seems very much like a programming "bug" to
me -- so
many others have the same problem. All the "configuration" settings
are
correct (on my machine), after many hours of setting, re-setting,
and
checking. Still, the sent messages are "gone" forever. As far as I
am
concerned, this is a desperate situation. Like the others, I NEED
those
messages saved. Does *anybody* have any idea what the problem might
be? The
suggestions so far offered just don't seem to solve the problem.

- Check your rules. Try disabling them all when sending a test
e-mail.
- Check the view on the folder (i.e., which view and the definition of
that view).
- Check the option as to where a copy of the sent item is saved. It
may not be into the Sent Items folder and instead in the same folder
(other than Inbox) where the original message was put. This applies
to replies. It was not clear if the problem occurred for new messages
or only when you reply.
- You mention both Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007. There can be only
ONE instance of Outlook installed in an instance of Windows.
- Pat's suggestion of recreating the mail profile is effectively
trying to get you to create a new .pst file. You don't need to create
new mail profile for that. If the problem is a corrupted message
store (.pst file), you can exit Outlook, rename the old outlook.pst
file to, say, oldoutlook.pst, and restart Outlook which will complain
that it cannot find the old .pst file. Don't bother to point at the
old .pst file and instead create a new one.


Note: The same question or symptoms by others does not equate to the
same *cause* of YOUR problem. Trying to lump yourself in with others
to garner extra attention will probably do the opposite and get you
more likely to be ignored. Don't expect respondents to wander around
trying to build up the context of your situation trying to find what
are the "suggestions so far offered" from other posts or wherever you
saw them. Not describing what were those other suggestions or what
you have already tried means respondents end up duplicating your
previous efforts. Detail YOUR problem if you want someone to offer
help on YOUR problem. Also, few users return to report if a
suggestion worked or not, so an unclosed thread is simply an abandoned
thread by the original poster. You won't know if one of the
suggestions worked for that user.

Read:
http://66.39.69.143/goodpost.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
http://users.tpg.com.au/bzyhjr/liszt.html

 

[Taron]

Thank you, VanguardLH:
You are absolutely right. I mentioned Outlook 2003 *and* 2007 because I saw
that somebody else had the same probem in Outlook 2003-- and I assumed it
must have the same cause. I *do* need to stick with my own situation.

I very much appreciate your suggestions and help. I think what amazes me
the most is that so many people like yourself are willing to take the time
and make the effort to help others less knowledgeable and less experienced.
At least please know that your help is appreciated, however "mentally
challenged" I may be.

 

[DM]

If the problem persists and "if" there truely is not a cure at this time
because you all have exhausted all ideas, couldn't she cc herself in all
messages and when they come back to her, put them in a temp folder?

The basic reason for having the sent messages save is for proof you sent the
correspondence, correct? I agree a browser is useless if it wont save but
actually we really don't need all sent messages saved. In the personal
sector anyway with all the chain letter junk anyways. Therefore, if she
adopts this culture, she will truly only save the needed sent messages.
Furthermore, she could set up sub folders to her inbox, categorized
according to the programs "subjects" she sends to.

Is this an option or is this just a wacked out way of organization for me?

 

[Taron]

As you can all see, I am very new at using this forum, or any such forum, so
I am bound to make mistakes. Thanks again, VanguardLH, for the URL
references. I read them, and now understand the rules and the other
information you wanted me to know. And, DM, your idea is a great
"work-around" until I can try some of the suggested solutions and find one
that works. Thank all of you for your efforts to help. And, I will promise
to post the solution if and when I find one -- especially if it is a
suggestion from someone in this group.

 

[Taron]

Well, to my complete astonishment, I first deleted (not just disabled) ALL my
"Rules," then had to answer an e-mail message. That sent mail appeared in
the "Sent Items" folder just as normally as it always has. Tried it again by
sending an e-mail to myself using another e-mail address, and that worked
too. Did not need to try any of the other proposed solutions -- just
deleting all the rules fixed the problem. I had prepared myself for another
long night, trying one suggestion after another, but the very *first* one
worked !! -- With a Heartfelt Thanks to VanguardLH.

And DM -- I don't keep copies just to prove they were sent. I have to refer
back to them very often for information that I can't remember and need --
like 10 minutes ago when I received a note from someone expecting a check
from me. I had to check back to when I mailed that check. Fortunately, the
info was there.

Best Regards to all those who kindly help people like me!

 

[VanguardLH]

in message

As you can all see, I am very new at using this forum, or any such
forum, so
I am bound to make mistakes. Thanks again, VanguardLH, for the URL
references. I read them, and now understand the rules and the other
information you wanted me to know. And, DM, your idea is a great
"work-around" until I can try some of the suggested solutions and
find one
that works. Thank all of you for your efforts to help. And, I
will promise
to post the solution if and when I find one -- especially if it is a
suggestion from someone in this group.

But if none of the suggestions resolve the problem then you still need
to come back to say so (and also mentioned what you tried that did not
work). Otherwise, no one knows if the suggestions worked or not and
conversations in Usenet quickly grow stale meaning that who chose to
respond before may no longer be watching that thread to offer further
but different suggestions. Personally I watch the threads that I
start or in which I participate but not if the last post was over 5
days old. The tendency is to move on to reading and helping with
newer posts.

 

[VanguardLH]

If the problem persists and "if" there truely is not a cure at this
time because you all have exhausted all ideas, couldn't she cc
herself in all messages and when they come back to her, put them in
a temp folder?

The basic reason for having the sent messages save is for proof you
sent the correspondence, correct? I agree a browser is useless if it
wont save but actually we really don't need all sent messages
saved. In the personal sector anyway with all the chain letter junk
anyways. Therefore, if she adopts this culture, she will truly only
save the needed sent messages. Furthermore, she could set up sub
folders to her inbox, categorized according to the programs
"subjects" she sends to.

Is this an option or is this just a wacked out way of organization
for me?

Not that whacked out. There are products, like AutoBcc from Alfalina
(I've never used it), that will automatically include a Bcc recipient
in every outbound e-mail. You would specify yourself as the Bcc
recipient. When an item moves from the Outbox to the Sent Items
folder, all you know is that Outlook got an +OK status back from the
SMTP mail host which means your e-mail got successfully accepted by
your outbound mail server. That does NOT let you know if that mail
server actually sent your e-mail or when it sent it from there.
Getting back your e-mail as it was sent from your outbound mail server
lets you know that the mail server did actually send it from there and
gives you the real time of when it sent it.

If you add a signature or use a template, you could define a rule that
looks for some specific identifier string in the body of a received
e-mail where you were not listed in the To or Cc headers. The rule
would then move that e-mail into a folder named, say, "Send Completed"
or whatever floats your boat. You would want to trigger on something
other than just yourself not included in the To/Cc headers because
lots of e-mail gets delivered without listing you as the recipient
(and has nothing to do with using Bcc but instead how list- and bulk
servers work and the RCPT-TO command in SMTP).

Some senders want more assurance that their e-mail actually got out
from their SMTP server than a copy that got moved into their Sent
Items folder when the SMTP accepted that e-mail but has yet to
actually deliver it. Of course, this means doubling up on the
bandwidth consumed by your outbound e-mails since you are sending
yourself a copy as an e-mail itself rather than as a status check with
a *copy* of that e-mail made locally.

 

[DM]

It's wonderful everything worked out for you.
As far as the "proof" remark, I was speaking from a business stand point. As
mentioned, if it is personal, having things saves when sent is mostly
unneeded for any function. Everyone does have their own needs for any given
item though.

However, be careful when re creating your rules. It appears that one was set
to not allow sent items to be saved.

 

[VanguardLH]

It's wonderful everything worked out for you.
As far as the "proof" remark, I was speaking from a business stand
point. As mentioned, if it is personal, having things saves when
sent is mostly unneeded for any function. Everyone does have their
own needs for any given item though.

However, be careful when re creating your rules. It appears that one
was set to not allow sent items to be saved.

My guess is that one, or more, of them is missing the stop-clause
which means more than one rule is getting exercised on the same
e-mail. However, inbound rules won't affect saving the sent copy of a
message, so Taron needs to check which rules were set to check on
outbound e-mails. Problem is that Taron deleted all his rules so now
he has nothing to check. Guess his rules weren't important (or as
important as having a saved copy of sent e-mails).

 

[Taron]

VanguardLH is exactly right again. The rules were not important to me at all
-- but the "sent copies" are vital. I can always make new rules as the need
arises, and be a little more careful about them now. Many rules I make cause
unexpected troubles, so I did not hesitate to blast them all.

 

[philstjohn]

Dear Vanguard,
Your astute reply and acumen suggested you might know a solution to a
problem with Outlook 2007 that I (and others have had).
Outlook is sending more messages than exist in my Outbox!

For example if I just composed one email and hit send - it says
"Sending message 1 out of 3", then "2 out of 3" then 3 out of 3" then
"Complete"
I used the Outlook logger to confirm it actually sent 2 extra messages
that were never in my Outbox and are not in my "Sent" folder (as all
the legitimate messages are)

Note I have turned off "Receipts" requests and replies.
Thanks to you or anyone who knows how to stop this problem. I'm
worried those extra emails have confidential info going somewhere in
the clouds.

 

[Pat Willener]

Please start a new thread for a new problem; don't "hijack" existing
conversations.