Tools | Accounts | Mail | Properties | Advanced. Uncheck "Break apart
messages........".

Do you want the messages in Sent Items.old? If not, just delete it. If you
want them, you'll need a recovery tool.

DBXtract:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXtract/Default.aspx

DBXpress: {much faster for large files}
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

You also need to compact your folders to help get this going again, but get
the messages out of Sent Items.old first.

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 Outlook Express advice:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your
mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.

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.

Clear the Temporary Internet Files often. In IE | Tools | Internet Options |
Delete Files button. And check the box to Delete Offline content.

And backup often.

Backup and Resto

http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/

http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"B17" wrote in message
8...
A few days ago tried to send a message with several Word and Excel
files attached. Got an error message: "The message could not be sent.
An error has occurred". Finally sent it in 3 separate emails
successfully.

Shortly thereafter sending stopped working completely and received the
same error message.

Friend recommended renaming "Sent Items" folder from .dbx to .old.
Did so and could send a couple of messages and then problem recurred.

Also downloaded IE6 and reinstalled - no help.

Here's an OE log of what happens:


Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1807
SMTP Log started at 06/02/2006 16:51:11
SMTP: 16:51:11 [rx] 220 ibm57aec.bellsouth.net ESMTP server ready Fri,
2 Jun 2006 16:50:26 -0400
SMTP: 16:51:11 [tx] HELO COMPUTERNAME
SMTP: 16:51:11 [rx] 250 ibm57aec.bellsouth.net
SMTP: 16:51:11 [tx] MAIL FROM: email
SMTP: 16:51:11 [rx] 250 Sender email Ok
SMTP: 16:51:11 [tx] RCPT TO: email
SMTP: 16:51:12 [rx] 250 Recipient email Ok
SMTP: 16:51:12 [tx] RCPT TO: email
SMTP: 16:51:12 [rx] 250 Recipient email Ok
SMTP: 16:51:12 [tx] DATA
SMTP: 16:51:12 [rx] 354 Please start mail input.
SMTP: 16:51:12 [tx]
.
SMTP: 16:51:12 [rx] 250 Mail queued for delivery.
SMTP: 16:51:12 [tx] QUIT
SMTP: 16:51:12 [rx] 221 Closing connection. Good bye.


Any help greatly appreciated! Webmail can't import my address book,
so it's hard to use.