Cannot send email - error message is Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

Anonymous

I currently use Windows Vista and access my mail via Windows Mail. When I am connected to my "home" internet router, I can send and receive emails absolutely fine. When I am away from home and try to connect to a hotel internet router (using a key) or a friends internet router (using a key), I can only receive email and not send. The error message I get is: The connection to the server has failed. It then mentions Account, Server, Protocol, Port and Secure (SSL) details followed by Socket Error: 10060 and Error Number: 0x800CCC0E. Does anyone know why I have a problem when I am away from home? Any help greatly appreciated.

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Anonymous

Hi MartiniGirl,

This behavior occurs due to the following two causes.

If SSL is unchecked in the Windows Mail Properties, then this issue occurs. If you've already enabled SSL and you still can't send e-mails, your ISP might be blocking the port that you are using for the outgoing server. If this is the case, try 25 or 587 by going into Windows Mail Properties and then clicking on Advanced Tab.

Outgoing Mail SMTP: 25

An invalid server name also causes this error. It should be pop3.live.com for the incoming server while smtp.live.com for outgoing.

In the Windows Mail properties window, click on Server Tab and type the following in the boxes beside Incoming Mail (POP3) and Outgoing Mail (SMTP).

Incoming Mail (POP3): pop3.live.com

Outgoing Mail (SMTP): smtp.live.com

Once you’ve done the following changes, click on apply. Now open Windows Mail and try to send messages.

Also, like Palcouk said you need to check the option Log on using Secure Password Authentication in the logon information.

Here is how you do it.

1. Under Logon Information, click Log on using.

2. In the Account name box, type you Windows Mail Member ID (everything before the at sign (@) of your Windows Mail address).

3. In the Password box, type your Windows Mail account password.

4. Click to select the Log on using Secure Password Authentication check box.

5. Click OK to close the Outgoing Mail Server dialog box.

6. Click OK to close the <Mail Account> Properties dialog box.

7. Click Close.

Post your results back.

Mouneshwar R – Microsoft Support

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Anonymous

Looks like you are running into a port 25 block. When you got that error message, was your Internet connection being obtained from Vodafone?

If not, what you experienced is normal. As a general rule, the owner of the SMTP server you are using must be the same as the entity providing

your Internet connection at that moment. For more on this anti-spamming issue see

http://www.postcastserver.com/help/Port_25_Blocking.aspx

The available workarounds are as follows:

Use webmail for sending (via your browser).
Ask Vodafone if they have a port other than '25' for SMTP.
If you frequently send from multiple locations, get a free Gmail account,

configure it for POP access, set it up in Windows Mail, and use that for

your sending chores. Gmail uses port 465 for SMTP, which is not blocked

like port 25 is.

Gary VanderMolen, Microsoft MVP (Mail)

"MartiniGirl" wrote in message news:*** Email address is removed for privacy ***...

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the offer of help on this one.

Unfortunately, every time I try and copy and paste the error message into here, it doesn't work so below I have written out the message verbatum:

The connection to the server has failed. Subject 'test', Account: 'pop3.vodafoneathome.co.uk', Server: 'smtp.vodafoneathome.co.uk,' Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 10060, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

As you can see from the message above, my mail service provider is Vodafone UK.

I hope this is all the information you need but if you need any other details, let me know.

Cheers

Soosie

Gary VanderMolen, MVP (Mail)

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44 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-07-16T16:14:57+00:00

Soosie,

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer; in laypersons' terms, it's the name of the system used to create the "secure connection" over the Internet that hotmail (among others) needs.

What Cody means by "with the one you seen on the Hotmail website" is she's hoping Windows Live Mail will properly synchronize "with the Webmail Inbox you see when logged on to Hotmail via Webmail" (how Mail programs like Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, etc. get your email to and from your actual webmail accounts over the Internet to your computer is called "synchronizing").

Assuming (hoping?) your Windows Mail is at least similar to Windows Live Mail, if you view the Advanced Tab of the properties of the account you're having trouble with, there might be a check box for turning SSL on and off. For Hotmail it (supposedly) needs to be checked (on). However, see my reply to Cody's response to you. I had to switch to Windows Live Mail from Windows XP's Outlook Express because of problems with the spelling checker (caused by installing Office 2007 - the worst thing an experienced Office user can do...). It worked fine, also with my hotmail account, but now I cannot send hotmail, so I do not think Cody's suggestion will help you. [see P.S., below]

I can only suspect a problem with hotmail's SMTP server, but like most excessively large organizations, Microsoft rarely admits they have a problem until they think they've solved it or are forced to admit it, so it may be a while before we can send hotmail without logging on to Webmail (www.hotmail.com) to do it.

In my experience since the days of Windows 98, Microsoft Help is rarely helpful and the cost in time and stress is typically extremly high. Most but not all problems eventually get solved, or Microsoft replaces the application with a new one (that may turn out to have other problems). Dealing with it is the price we pay for letting organziations get too large, and for allowing ourselves to be come dependent on technology we don't entirely understand (invention is the mother of necessity). Don't let it get to you; it's not worth it.

Kent

P.S. Microsoft responded the next day with a solution that works for Windows Live Mail, so switching to Windows Live Mail might help; but you may have to use port 587 (Advanced tab) and you'll need to check both SSL (Servers tab) and server requires authentication (Advanced tab) to set up your Hotmail account.
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Anonymous

2010-07-16T15:32:02+00:00

Sorry Microsoft, but I have been using Windows Live Mail for some time. It works fine for sending and receiving for all of my cox accounts, but will not send for my Windows Live (hotmail) account. When I try to send, I get this timeout error:

The connection to the server has failed.

Subject 'Test email ohne Anhang'

Server: 'smtp.live.com'

Windows Live Mail Error ID: 0x800CCC0E

Protocol: SMTP

Port: 25

Secure(SSL): Yes

Socket Error: 10060

Furthermore, if I try to use port 587 as suggested on some posts and sites (Windows Live Mail doesn't give me the option of trying TLS instead of SSL), I immediately get the error:

The message could not be sent because the server rejected the sender's e-mail address. The sender's e-mail address was'[my_ID]@hotmail.com'.

Subject 'Test email ohne Anhang'

Server Error: 550

Server Response: 550 5.7.3 Requested action aborted; user not authenticated

Server: 'smtp.live.com'

Windows Live Mail Error ID: 0x800CCC78

Protocol: SMTP

Port: 587

Secure(SSL): Yes

In any case, since Port 25 works fine with all my other accounts, I'd be surprised if that's the problem. Also, when I use hotmail's webmail, I'm sometimes required to authenticate by typing characters from a distorted bitmap; Windows Live Mail can't be expected to do that.

Makes me wonder if the people who made the suggestions have ever tried them... I've spent a few hours messing with this, and when I search for help on "Requested action aborted; user not authenticated". Windowslivehelp.com tells me it's experiencing technical difficulties. Strange that Microsoft help sites so often have difficulties when I'm trying to find the solution to a problem. It's also amazing that the help available in hotmail webmail says nothing about the server settings for using hotmail in Windows Live Mail; and that the only post in response to a question about the latter error on windowslivehelp.com refers to an article called "how-to-add-your-e-mail-account-to-microsoft-outlook-express.aspx", when I had to switch to Windows Live Mail because Outlook Express would no longer work properly (something having to do with the spelling checker). I would have looked at the article if windowslivehelp.com weren't "experiencing technical difficulties", but wouldn't be surprised if I'm told to make settings I can't make because Windows Live Mail is not Outlook Express.
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Anonymous

2010-03-15T15:50:01+00:00

Can anyone help me please? Unfortunately, my issue still remains unresolved but if someone could just tell me what SSL is (as per Mouneshwar R's response above), it may be that I resolve everything from there so just need to find out what SSL is please.

Cheers

Soosie
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