Help with outlook not sending mail (0x80042109)

[morr]

Hi all,

I'm having difficulty resolving an outlook 2007 sending problem, error code 0x80042109, cannot connect to outgoing server.

The machine in question is a Dell XPS M1330 laptop running Vista SP2. This is the only problem on a machine which otherwise is running fine.

There was no anti-virus or anti-malware installed and the windows firewall was disabled.

Steps I have taken,


Verified all server names, ports and passwords etc are correct.
Set up an additional email account using different outgoing servers (my own) to eliminate any issues with the original smtp server.
Starting outlook in safe mode.
Creating a new profile in outlook.
System restore to a date before the problem manifested.
Tested in safe mode, no difference.

Ran norton removal tool to remove any remaining elements as I know this machine previously had it installed.
Installed MSE, scanned - nothing found
Installed AntiMalwareBytes, Scanned, 10 items found and removed.

Performed inbuilt office diagnostics - no errors found.
Performed an office repair using original disc.

Removed office using rip out office 2007
Reinstalled office from original disc.

....I think that's everything listed....

Any advice on where to check next?

 

[red12049]

Hi all,

I'm having difficulty resolving an outlook 2007 sending problem, error code 0x80042109, cannot connect to outgoing server.

The machine in question is a Dell XPS M1330 laptop running Vista SP2. This is the only problem on a machine which otherwise is running fine.

There was no anti-virus or anti-malware installed and the windows firewall was disabled.

Steps I have taken,


Verified all server names, ports and passwords etc are correct.
Set up an additional email account using different outgoing servers (my own) to eliminate any issues with the original smtp server.
Starting outlook in safe mode.
Creating a new profile in outlook.
System restore to a date before the problem manifested.
Tested in safe mode, no difference.

Ran norton removal tool to remove any remaining elements as I know this machine previously had it installed.
Installed MSE, scanned - nothing found
Installed AntiMalwareBytes, Scanned, 10 items found and removed.

Performed inbuilt office diagnostics - no errors found.
Performed an office repair using original disc.

Removed office using rip out office 2007
Reinstalled office from original disc.

....I think that's everything listed....

Any advice on where to check next?

Can you telnet into either SMTP server from the affected machine?

Rick

 

[4ycr]

when you used your own smtp did it work, you never said.
can you ping the mail server?
can the computer access the mail server on a different ISP?
have you tried thunderbird?
Is it using standard ports? one of my email accounts used to use different ones?
can another computer access the mail server and see his email on his network

 

[morr]

Hmmm....

just tried a CMD prompt and it says telnet is not a recognised command!

 

[red12049]

Hmmm....

just tried a CMD prompt and it says telnet is not a recognised command!

Methinks you still have some gremlins to exorcise....

Rick

Maybe I spoke too fast...

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/2050/vista_install_enable_telnet_client_server/

Rick

 

[morr]

the 2nd email account I set up is a duplicate of one working on my own pc, it returned the same error.

Have not tried any other clients such as thunderbird.

ports are normal 25 & 110

pinging the server is fine.

 

[Martyn]

Telnet is off by default in Windows 7 and I think Vista.

 

[morr]

I'm attempting to enable the telnet client now, but having selected it and clicked OK, its not progressing past the please wait dialogue box.

I've run SFC for fun whilst waiting (no errors found) and still no progress.
Rebooted and tried again, no difference!

I've to head out now on calls, so I'll leave it waiting and if I'm very lucky it may have been enabled when I return

Thanks for the replies so far, I'll check back again later.

edit:
Telnet is now installed and it cannot connect to the server

 

[TLE]

Have a look at the following MS knowledge base article.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/813514

I have seen simliar issue when a users outlook profile becomes corrupt. The article above explains it more depth, but I think this is the best place for you to start looking into a solution.

 

[morr]

Have a look at the following MS knowledge base article.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/813514

I have seen simliar issue when a users outlook profile becomes corrupt. The article above explains it more depth, but I think this is the best place for you to start looking into a solution.

I've already been thru that article thanks, unfortunatly the problem does not seem to be profile related.



Having played around with the telnet I discovered I can connect to my mail server on port 2525 but not port 25 (port 25 works fine on my own machine)
Using this port and my test account I can now send mail from the machine.

The problem therefore seems to be something local to the laptop which is blocking port 25, whilst with my own server i could get around this by changing to 2525, this may not work with the clients ISP's mailserver, their support (magnet.ie) is unable to tell me if they have any acceptable alternative.
So it seems I must find out how the machine itself is blocking the port, any suggestions?

 

[morr]

This is continuing to confuse me

The machine appears to be continuing to block outgoing connections on port 25 with the windows firewall turned on or off, however if I turn the firewall on and add an exception for outlook specifically on this port it then permits the traffic to one smtp server, yet continues to block it on another SMTP server.
It gets more complicated still, the server that continues to be blocked (my ISP) does not require authentication on the outgoing server, yet the machine will not connect unless I use both an alternative port and supply authentication credentials.

This is really perplexing me as this appears to point towards the firewall playing a part yet turning it off is ineffective whilst turned on with an exception is partly successful. BTW are no 3rd party firewalls installed and no other protective software other than the MSE & MBAM as mentioned above.

I have since received an alternative port number from the clients ISP which "may" work but I cannot test this until I have the machine back at the clients home. Whilst this means I may be able to sort the clients problem, its not guaranteed and of course is merely a workaround. I'll really like to get to the heart of this and find out how the machine is blocking the primary port in the first place.

I'm really running out of ideas at this stage and have exhausted all resources I can Google.......

Anyone got any ideas?

 

[wimwauters]

Try resetting the windows TCPIP settings and re-registering the relevant DLLs

 

[d3v]

I wish OP's would post the conclusions of their problems so we can learn.

 

[gazza]

I have had this problem many times and in all cases you will need to do a nuke & pave job to fix the port 25 connection problem.

 

[dogskool]

I have seen many routers that have firewalls built in to them as well.

 

[morr]

I wish OP's would post the conclusions of their problems so we can learn.

Sorry, you're absolutely right I should have returned to close off the thread

..many routers that have firewalls...

not the problem on this occasion as the routers were permitting other machines to communicate on port 25, plus this problem was occurring on both the clients and my routers.

...you will need to do a nuke & pave job....

That's precisely what I ended up having to do. I could not afford to spend any more time on it so I used the trusty Fabs auto backup4tech and went the N&P route.