Outlook

[CrimeScene]

My O/S is Win2000. I am using Outlook 2002 (10.4712.4219) SP-2, which was installed from an "Office XP Pro" CD.

For some strange and unknown reason, and not on every occasion, Outlook is inserting single-quotes around the e-mail address in the "TO:" field. Outlook is pulling the address in from its Contact address book. When this happens, the email gets "stuck" in the Outbox. Again, this issue doesn't occur all the time .. but it does occur often.

Moreover, email addresses (as shown in the TO: field) vary in their format as follows:
'contact name 1' (contact_1@theirdomain.com)
contact name 2 <contact_2@another.net>

I noticed a setting in Outlook for which I cannot find any documentation:
(1) Go to Contacts and open any contact for editing.
(2) Double-click the contact's E-mail address.
(3) A window opens named &quot;E-mail Properties&quot;, on which is a setting named &quot;E-mail Type&quot;.

That setting is defaulted to &quot;SMTP&quot; and is grayed out. If I click the &quot;Custom Type&quot; button, the BUTTON's name changes to &quot;Internet Type&quot; and you are now permitted to alter the 'smtp' value. I didn't alter it, but I DID leave it at &quot;Internet Type&quot; with SMTP showing. Does this have anything to do with it?

Does anyone have any idea why Outlook is doing this? I can tell you that I installed &quot;Office XP Pro&quot; on top of my previously installed &quot;Office 2000 Pro&quot;. Maybe the address book didn't convert properly? Again, some contacts work fine when sending them email.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[joegz]

I am guess it is the autocomplete feature that is inserting the address in to to field. These e-mail addresses whether current or not get pulled from a cache.

When you start typing the address and it comes up with an incorrect address in the list highlight it and then delete it to take it out of cache.

joegz
&quot;Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is.&quot;

 

[CrimeScene]

Yes, I believe you are correct in that the e-mail addresses get placed in a cache. What a STUPID idea on Microsoft's part. Sometimes, when it auto-fills an email address, it reads (for example):

'bob wire (email)' <bobwire@yada.cc>

But the &quot;display name&quot; in Outlook does NOT contain &quot;(email)&quot;. If I go back to the Contacts and update Bob Wire's entry, then the auto-fill properly lists his email. So stupid.

Since initially posting here, I have discovered that the problem is not with how the e-mail addresses are auto-filled; all formats are valid SMTP addresses. The problem has something to do with Outlook itself. When messages get hung up in my Outbox, all I have to do is exit Outlook, and ensure the &quot;Outlook.exe&quot; app ends (Task Manager), then restart Outlook and click Send. Then, they are able to be sent.

On that note, I often find TWO copies of &quot;Outlook.exe&quot; in the task manager window. I've read on various forums that this can be virus-related. However, I am running the latest NIS/NAV from Norton, I scan regularly, and even re-installed Outlook, yet the problem persists. It may be due to installing Office XP Pro on a Win2k O/S; the disks say it's valid to install this way, but perhaps there are compatibility issues. Clearly, there are.

 

[CrimeScene]

Update: I am able to get the stuck emails out the door, by doing the following:

1. Open the stuck email in the Outbox,
2. Click Accounts and re-assign the &quot;send from&quot; acct (I have several email address under several domains),
3. Click Send to close the email,
4. Click Send/Receive button.

If I don't do this, some email will remain in my Outbox until I exit and reload Outlook.

What a piece of crap.