As a software developer, I get a lot of friends and family asking me which computer they should buy. For quite a few years, the answer has always been Dell. Recently I recommended Dell Dimension 3000 to a couple of friends and they both took my advice and purchased systems. The systems are similar in hardware configuration (some differences since they were purchased a month apart) and both came with Windows XP Home pre-installed. Everything about the hardware and software appears to be working fine except neither of them can get Outlook Express to access their email accounts. They can browse the web, they just can't get their email - Outlook Express errors saying the mail server timed out. These are as-delivered systems. Nothing has been installed, they were just setup, configured their dial-up accounts and configured their email accounts. They use different ISPs and they both can still get their email on their old machines. They have both spent many hours on the phone with Dell tech support and their respective ISPs only to find no joy. Now it has become my problem... This would seem very much like there is a conflict with software that Dell is pre-installing. Should I format the harddrive and start with a fresh Windows XP Home install or just have them return them to Dell for a refund?
Refund is not an option for at leat one of them as it was bought over 21 days ago...
Mail server timed out could be for many reasons.
Try disabling their firewall(s) temporarily and see what that does. If that doesn't work, try:
1) Run the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard on the new computer to make a floppy.
2) Run the floppy on the old computer. Choose custom, then delete everything except for OE.
3) Create the file.
4) Bring it over to the new computer, run FAST, bring in the file. It will do the email setup as well as bringing in all the history.
Why hasn't Dell step them through that? Dell is on the hook for 3 years support, they should be the ones to solve the problem or refund the money. These are average users - use a computer to browse the internet and get email. These computers are basiclly 50% defective. This isn't a case of an incorrect email account configuration, this is a problem with the machines configuration - would appear to be some conflict with the mass of pre-installed software.
Neither account is web based, both are POP3 accounts. Why is it silly to expect Dell to handle software issues? Dell is not a "hardware manufacturer", they sell hardware, they sell software, they sell accessories. They sold and installed the software along with the hardware. Both machines are "as-delivered", nothing added or removed and they don't work as advertised. Hardware, software, it doesn't matter, it's a Dell problem and they should be responsible for fixing it.
Once you get to the bottom of the problem . . you will find it is a configuration problem . . either with the firewall or with the POP mail servers/ Userid/ password.
Try downloading and installing Thunderbird mail. I find it much more error-free than OE and the user interface is almost identical. If it doesn't work, or they don't like it, you can always uninstall.
A very important point that you might have overlooked--Outlook Express no longer works with http-web mail like Hotmail. To use Hotmail with Outlook and OE, you must now pay extra for Hotmail Plus. And it's silly to expect Dell to handle email programs and other software. Dell is a hardware manufacturer.
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=878462
I agree that Dell should help fix the problem. My problem with e-mail that I've never pursued is when I try to email a link or page, outlook express comes up instead of my yahoo mailbox which I have as my default email. I'm probably not saying this right, but if I have that set as my default, shouldn't that automatically come up instead of outlook? It tried to walk me through setting up the account, but I do not want that. Can anyone tell me how to do this?
So I am not the only one!!
see
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=si_sysperf&message.id=15932
I am waiting another answer from my ISP at this point. Formating the harddrive and start with a fresh Windows XP Home did not resolve anything in my case, it even made it worse........
If my problem get fixed, I will let you know how.
Good luck.
Unfortunetaly changing a program do not solve the problem, I tried different ones same error response. Thunderbird (I really like it is working well on my odl Dimension with Windows 98 Se.
Last October I bought a Dell 4600 and immediately discovered that Half of the web pages I tried to access wouldn't come up. And not always the same ones. I called nuDELLi support, and was on the phone with a tech person in India for a total of 10 hours trying to figure out what the problem was. We reconfigured the computer, reinstalled windows, tweeked every option in IE, even temporarily installed Netscape to see if it still happened. Finally I spoke to a superviser, who connected me with someone in the States ( knew that because he spoke english without an accent) and after he tried a few of the same tweeks we tried before, I told him I wanted a new computer. After all I only had it 4 days, 2 of which I spent on the phone with tech support. A week later the new computer came and I sent the other one back. The new one is OK. The only thing I discovered was that the hard drive is 70 GB instead of the 80 it's supposed to have. Not a big deal for me, it just erks me.
I to thought that getting a Dell was like getting a superior computer to the other ones. If it works, it is. But if it doesn't it's a nightmare. Worse tech support yet. They immediately want you to re-install your system if they can't solve the problem on the first try. I recently had a problem with a blue screen at shutdown. I called tech support, and the second thing out of her mouth was " I want you to reinstall the system". I begged off, and said I would call back. I checked the support on the computer, and figured out it was my Norton antivirus2005. I removed it and fixed the problem. Maybe the tech people should have Dell support installed on their computers.
Not quite sure what you mean, Mary, I have both an OE and a Hotmail accou8nt on the same computer and they both work fine, but separately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@Mary G wrote:
A very important point that you might have overlooked--Outlook Express no longer works with http-web mail like Hotmail. To use Hotmail with Outlook and OE, you must now pay extra for Hotmail Plus. And it's silly to expect Dell to handle email programs and other software. Dell is a hardware manufacturer.
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=878462
Everything about the hardware and software appears to be working fine except neither of them can get Outlook Express to access their email accounts.
I'd suggest installing a 3rd-party POP3 client to see if that works - if it does then presumably Outlook Express simply doesn't work.
If you want to get hardcore, then I'd also consider snooping the IP traffic from a machine that fails and compare it with a machine that works. Then you'll be better-placed to decide if it's Outlook Express, the OS, or the ISP at fault. Almost certainly
not the ISP, most likely.
People get confused regularly what Dell actually supports in their warranty. We do not support "how to" support with software. That is advanced support. We put the machines together as you specifiy. Then the customers add all kinds of third party software that there is no way for us to know how it works together. The software we provide is in straight from the factory. It's warranted for 21 days as it would be in any store you would go to. Please go to the link below for information on this and other subjects here.
It would seem you misread or misunderstood my post. Both of the machines are "as delivered" from Dell - nothing has been installed or removed. This isn't a "how to" issue, it's a problem with how Dell configured the machines. Dell tech support hasn't been able to resolve the issue in the 21 day period (considering how poor Dell tech support has become, that's not a big surprise). It's amazing that only response from a Dell representative in this thread is a "not our problem" back peddle. Good business practice :/ gg Dell...
You ( or someone ) configured the mail settings . . Dell did not do this for you . . accept that the settings are wrong and set about correcting them . . your Outlook Express profile is likely corrupt and needs to be deleted and you can start the mail configuration again.
rickmktg
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Goob The Noob
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February 15th, 2005 14:00
Goob The Noob
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simpswr
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arnieday
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Mary G
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aldazar84
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February 15th, 2005 17:00
I agree that Dell should help fix the problem. My problem with e-mail that I've never pursued is when I try to email a link or page, outlook express comes up instead of my yahoo mailbox which I have as my default email. I'm probably not saying this right, but if I have that set as my default, shouldn't that automatically come up instead of outlook? It tried to walk me through setting up the account, but I do not want that. Can anyone tell me how to do this?
Thanks, Sue
zedtvl
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February 16th, 2005 01:00
see
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=si_sysperf&message.id=15932
I am waiting another answer from my ISP at this point. Formating the harddrive and start with a fresh Windows XP Home did not resolve anything in my case, it even made it worse........
If my problem get fixed, I will let you know how.
Good luck.
zedtvl
13 Posts
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February 16th, 2005 01:00
twl845
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February 16th, 2005 21:00
Last October I bought a Dell 4600 and immediately discovered that Half of the web pages I tried to access wouldn't come up. And not always the same ones. I called nuDELLi support, and was on the phone with a tech person in India for a total of 10 hours trying to figure out what the problem was. We reconfigured the computer, reinstalled windows, tweeked every option in IE, even temporarily installed Netscape to see if it still happened. Finally I spoke to a superviser, who connected me with someone in the States ( knew that because he spoke english without an accent) and after he tried a few of the same tweeks we tried before, I told him I wanted a new computer. After all I only had it 4 days, 2 of which I spent on the phone with tech support. A week later the new computer came and I sent the other one back. The new one is OK. The only thing I discovered was that the hard drive is 70 GB instead of the 80 it's supposed to have. Not a big deal for me, it just erks me.
I to thought that getting a Dell was like getting a superior computer to the other ones. If it works, it is. But if it doesn't it's a nightmare. Worse tech support yet. They immediately want you to re-install your system if they can't solve the problem on the first try. I recently had a problem with a blue screen at shutdown. I called tech support, and the second thing out of her mouth was " I want you to reinstall the system". I begged off, and said I would call back. I checked the support on the computer, and figured out it was my Norton antivirus2005. I removed it and fixed the problem. Maybe the tech people should have Dell support installed on their computers.
arnieday
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February 16th, 2005 22:00
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JarmoD
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February 16th, 2005 23:00
Joanne Hamann,
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February 17th, 2005 14:00
People get confused regularly what Dell actually supports in their warranty. We do not support "how to" support with software. That is advanced support. We put the machines together as you specifiy. Then the customers add all kinds of third party software that there is no way for us to know how it works together. The software we provide is in straight from the factory. It's warranted for 21 days as it would be in any store you would go to. Please go to the link below for information on this and other subjects here.
Goob The Noob
6 Posts
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February 17th, 2005 14:00
simpswr
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February 17th, 2005 18:00
You ( or someone ) configured the mail settings . . Dell did not do this for you . . accept that the settings are wrong and set about correcting them . . your Outlook Express profile is likely corrupt and needs to be deleted and you can start the mail configuration again.
wrs