Can't send/receive emails sometimes?

[emikendral]

This is the error message I get:

The connection to the server has failed. Account:
'(e-mail address removed)', Server: 'pop.att.yahoo.com', Protocol: POP3,
Port: 995, Secure(SSL): Yes, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

Sometimes it is fine and sends and receives fine. Then others it fails.
Problem started with new computer with Vista/Windows Mail. We have McAfee
through AT&T.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Your server settings are correct. That leaves your antivirus as the most likely
culprit. McAfee antivirus is among the top three troublemakers for Windows Mail.
Sometimes it takes a while before symptoms start showing up.
First of all, turn off email scanning in McAfee, although that is seldom sufficient.

If the problem continues, the only way you can prove or disprove that
McAfee is the culprit is to uninstall it, followed by using their debris removal tool:
http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS100507
If you decide to replace McAfee, we can recommend a free antivirus
program which is more compatible with Windows Mail:

Instead of switching to a different antivirus, another option is to upgrade
to Windows Live Mail (WLM), which is more resistant to the adverse effects
of overly intrusive antivirus products: http://download.live.com/wlmail

Even with WLM, you must disable email scanning in the antivirus,
for the reason explained here:
http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tutorials/email-scanning/index.htm

 

[Patrick Keenan]

This is the error message I get:

The connection to the server has failed. Account:
'(e-mail address removed)', Server: 'pop.att.yahoo.com', Protocol: POP3,
Port: 995, Secure(SSL): Yes, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

Sometimes it is fine and sends and receives fine. Then others it fails.
Problem started with new computer with Vista/Windows Mail. We have McAfee
through AT&T.

Another option is that your mail provider's servers are just flaky.

For example, some time ago my ISP decided to farm out their mail services to
MS (hotmail), and as soon as they did that, I started regularly getting the
kinds of messages you post. Sometimes the mail would work, sometimes not.
It was not reliable, and clearly the problem wasn't on my end.

Since I require reliable email services, I had to abandon the ISP's servers
and those email accounts, and go with paid 3rd party servers - and also free
gMail servers. Google seem better able to keep servers running properly
than either my ISP or MS.

Since I did this, I've had no problems with this kind of message.

HTH
-pk