Problems Sending Via IMAP Account - Please Help!!!

[Rafael]

I am desperately hoping someone can help because this is sending me
nuts and I shall be eternally grateful.

I am running Windows XP with Outlook 2003 and I have an Exchange
account and an IMAP account. I do not connect regularly to the
Exchange Server - I don't really need to.

When I have an internet connection (but not necessarily a connection
to the Exchange Server) I can receive mails for the IMAP account with
no problem at all using 'send / receive'. However, I cannot send from
the IMAP account. The mail goes into the Exchange outbox (which I
understand is correct) but never gets sent.

I have double and triple checked the account information (username,
password, incoming and outgoing servers, authentication etc) and it is
all spot on. I have deleted the account and recreated it several
times. I have also checked the 'Send / Receive Group' settings but I
can't find anything that may cause this.

The really frustrating thing is that I have a colleague with the exact
same set up (as far as I can see) and theirs works perfectly.

Any clues would be appreciated and I thank you in advance for your
help. Apologies if I'm posting in the wrong place but if I am, perhaps
someone could point me in the right direction..

 

[Rafael]

I forgot to add that it isn't the firewall either - I turned it off
altogether and it made no difference.

 

[Rafael]

Well, who would have believed that???? After days of trying to
troubleshoot this, I resolve it myself within minutes of posting my
question!!!!

The answer - I had not connected to Exchange Server in a very long
time. I did so in order to send a mail successfully but then
disconnected again. After that, sending via my IMAP account worked
perfectly!!!

Logical?? I don't think so.