I can not send messages. I have Outlook Express 6. I can receive. When I send it locks up, there is no error message, if I move the box (click and drag the blue banner) is looks like a fanned out deck of cards. No way to procede, I need to cntl alt dlt out of Outlook. I have Service Pack 3. The "sent box" is empty. I have Comcast, I have called them and have gone throgh their check list (incoming & out going server settings and is all is correct. 1 person needs an answerI do too

Apparent dbx file corruption.Move most of your messages out of the Inbox and then create new Outbox and Sent Items folders after you move any messages you wish to save to a local folder you create.Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run.In WinXP, Win2K & Win2K3, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default marked as hidden. To view these files in Windows Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options Icon | View, or in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View.With OE closed, find the DBX files for the Outbox & Sent Items and delete them. New ones will be created automatically when you open OE.After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while working *offline* and do it often.Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until the compacting is completed.General precautions for Outlook Express:Do not archive mail in the Inbox or Sent Items. Create your own user defined folders and move the messages you wish to save to them. Empty Deleted Items folder daily. Although dbx files have a theoretical capacity of 2GB, I recommend about a 300MB max for less chance of corruption.Information about the maximum file size of the .dbx files that are used by Outlook Express:http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=903095Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer of protection that eats up CPUs, slows down sending and receiving, and causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs, account setting changes and has even been responsible for loss of messages. Your up-to-date A/V program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 Why you don't need your anti-virus to scan your emailhttp://thundercloud.net/infoave/tutorials/email-scanning/index.htmNote that for some AV programs, it may be necessary to uninstall the program and reinstall in Custom Mode and uncheck e-mail scanning when the option arises. Compact often as specified above.And backup often.Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB Freeware)http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]Imperial Beach, CA

I can not send messages. I have Outlook Express 6. I can receive. When I send it locks up, there is no error message, if I move the box (click and drag the blue banner) is looks like a fanned out deck of cards. No way to procede, I need to cntl alt dlt out of Outlook. I have Service Pack 3. The "sent box" is empty. I have Comcast, I have called them and have gone throgh their check list (incoming & out going server settings and is all is correct. What Anti-Virus program is being run on your computer? Check the settings in your Anti-Virus program. When you reopen Outlook Express, check if the Outbox still has the Emails inside of it.Also open up Outlook Express Options under Tools. Click on the Send Tab. Make sure that "Save a copy of sent messages in the 'Sent Items' folder" is checked.thecreator

This did not resolve my problem. I followed the above procedure for both of the identities that are associated with this account. I deleted the Outbox.dbx and Sent Items.dbx files. Same issue, no change. If I click to create a message and then click the send button it locks up, I don't need to populate the message. It never gets to the Outbox.Thanks for your help. Do you have any other suggestions.

If I click to create a message and then click the send button it locks up, I don't need to populate the message. It never gets to the Outbox.

You didn't mention that this happens in two identities. Create a third identity and test it. If it still locks up, download and run the free version of this tool.Malwarebytes Anti-Malwarehttp://malwarebytes.org/Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]Imperial Beach, CA

Good news, I think. I created a third identity and was able to send a message from their. I still can not send form either of the other two identities. I do not want to loose the history of e-mails that resides with those identities. I assume I need to do some type of transfer... don't know, still need more help.

Getting there. Start by importing your messages and address book from one of the bad identities. Get that set and then create another identity and do the same for the second bad identity. No rush to do this, but when you are sure all is well, you can delete the two original identities.For your messages:In the new identity: File | Import | Messages. Select Microsoft Outlook Express 6 and Import from the old identity.For your Address Book:Open the Address Book in the old identity and File | Export | Address Book (wab) to any place on your HDD that is easy for you. My Documents is fine. Then, open the Address Book in the new identity and File | Import | Address Book (wab) and point to where you saved it.******************************************General precautions for Outlook Express:Do not archive mail in the Inbox or Sent Items. Create your own user defined folders and move the messages you wish to save to them. Empty Deleted Items folder daily. Although dbx files have a theoretical capacity of 2GB, I recommend about a 300MB max for less chance of corruption.Information about the maximum file size of the .dbx files that are used by Outlook Express:http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=903095After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while working *offline* and do it often.Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until the compacting is completed.Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3And backup often.Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB Freeware)http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]Imperial Beach, CA

Thanks, I'm back in business. Besides what you show in "General precautions for Outlook Express" any insight into why this happened. I did have a lot in the Deleted Items folder.Again, thanks. I really appreciate your time.

Thanks, I'm back in business. Besides what you show in "General precautions for Outlook Express" any insight into why this happened. I did have a lot in the Deleted Items folder.Again, thanks. I really appreciate your time.You're welcome and thanks for posting back.The default main identity can become corrupt very easy as it has a few more registry keys than user created folders that work just fine.The dbx file system is very fragile and also prone to corruption. By creating new identities, every single dbx file is new. Which one(s) were causing the problem could have been determined by replacing them one at a time, bur that would have been much more time consuming and a new identity is more thorough.If you adhere to the precautions, you are much less likely to have this kind of issue in the future.Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]Imperial Beach, CA

Make sure you make a backup now. OE has a tendency to self-destruct the message store. steve <Can not send message from Outlook Express 6> wrote in message news:Email removed for privacy...Thanks, I'm back in business. Besides what you show in "General precautions for Outlook Express" any insight into why this happened. I did have a lot in the Deleted Items folder.Again, thanks. I really appreciate your time.