Intermittent Problems sending-receiving emails with Outlook 2003

[jwrxml]

First, I am new to this forum and am using it in hopes of solving a two year running problem with my AT&T email.  To be honest, searching this site is more difficut than I expected, hence this post.  Also, I assumed there would be an "email specific" community, but could not find it.

Beginning about two years ago,  I would occasionally be unable to send or receive emails (Outlook 2003). I know this problem will occur the instant I open Outlook 2003, as the "Enter Network Password" dialogue window pops up.   Calls to AT&T Support resulting in a wide range of responses (from no support to serious efforts to help).  None of my calls ever resulted in a fix.  The best answer I ever got was:  " turn your computer off, wait 24 hours, the problem usually goes away".   In truth the problem usually does go away in 1-5 days.

Google searches tell me that I am not the only person having this problem.

I have changed computers (moving the PST files), and problem still exist.  I have reset all email account settings so many times I know them by heart (although I always check the AT&T Support site for the latest settings).

My PC environment is Windows 7, Outlook2003 (on both my computers).  I use AVG anti-virus. 

Can anyone tell me if there is a fix for this problem?  It is now happening about every two months.

jwrxml

[AvgDadof4]

I ran the self-help, then the chat help gauntlet and was referred the fee-based service.  Dig around the forum and you'll see that AT&T has had problems with this for a quite a while and decided to let folks find out when they can no longer get their email.

This is a known issue with apparently no support or guidance other than to blame Microsoft. 

Can someone at AT&T give a straight answer!!!!

[DLANGE210]

Sometimes I think this is a scam by ATT to get you to use their PAID SUPPORT services.  They won't solve the problem either, but they will run you around and run up a $50 bill.  

The real issue here is that their servers are coming back and asking for the sign in info again and again.  They are very slow and while your Outlook has sent off your log in info they are out of sync with their servers.   Have fought with this for 3 years now and it pops up every quarter.  Usually in the 2nd month of the quarter.  Do they do some kind of procedure with their servers around this time?   Probably a likely issue - since it looks like it happens all over the network.  Funny how it doesn't affect my I Phone mail system?  Others in our house use thunderbird and apple systems and they have no problems.  

[u6256]

It does seem to be a server (ATT/Yahoo) problem as it also happens with Apple Mail.

-verified my password by loggin on to ATT/Yahoo mail.
-checked my server settings in Apple Mail, updating to inbound.att.net

Could not find any useful explanation on these boards for the problem (and had
to create another, new separate account to post here.  Grr.

Changed my primary email from @sbcglobal.net to @gmail.com so at least I can get
notices from AT&T about my DSL service.  Fortunately that's all I used the
@sbcglobal account for and logging on the DSL modem.

Oddly, @sbcglobal.net works after the primary email address change

[EhrMahGerd]

This worked for me (I kept all settings the same as before--pop.att.yahoo.com/port 995 and smtp.att.yahoo.com/port 465, SSL enabled):

I removed the most recent Microsoft update for Outlook 2003 (I didn't think to save the number of the update--sorry!), which had been automatically installed in mid-August 2012. I did this using Control Panel (Add or Remvoe Programs). As soon as I completed this uninstall, the settings worked as they had before. I hope this helps!