WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

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stuck
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WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuck »

I don't have WLM but a friend has said to me:
I have two email addresses, one the <ISPname> one, the other a Google Mail account, in effect. The emails come into the <ISPname> server, and are then downloaded to WLM and also forwarded by the server to the Google Mail account. This is so that I can look at them on my ‘phone without disturbing the main email system.

There are no problems downloading to the Google Mail (an IMAP account, by the way) but if larger than 2 MBs does not get through to the normal WLM folders. Annoying!

The blocking started about a month ago and affects two PCs and a netbook in the same way so it cannot be anything that I have done – and <ISPname> say it is nothing they can do as you can see the emails on their server if use their webmail.
He's already tired http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... leshoot-ui without and success.

Anybody here got any ideas?

Ken

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Leif
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by Leif »

I don't have WLM either, but I know some email clients have an option to limit downloading on email size.
(With my HTC, for example, I can select to download the header only, 1KB (text only), 5KB.... 1MB, or Unlimited.)

Could there be a setting like that?
Leif

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stuck
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuck »

Don't know! I will ask my friend but he's about 200 miles away so there will be a time lag between any ideas posted here and me being able to report back.

Ken

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stuckling1
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuckling1 »

Just firing up WLM for the first time in donkey's years (for a brief while it was my mail client of choice but I now use Outlook) to have a little look...

I can confirm that both the HTC mail app and GMail for Android have options to limit the sizes of downloaded messages (which I have set as maximum)

As far as I can see though, there is no such setting in Windows Live Mail (I've looked in Account Settings, and Mail Options), so perhaps it's something else.
This post http://msgroups.net/microsoft.public.wi ... ils-1-2-MB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; suggests an Antivirus scanner might be causing trouble... But that is for a POP account not an IMAP account.

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stuck
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuck »

stuckling1 wrote:As far as I can see though, there is no such setting in Windows Live Mail
That chimes with what my friend says as well.

I don't know which AV he is using but, like you, I found stuff via Google that suggested an AV app (specifically BitDefender) might cause this problem but I didn't get any feedback from him on that point. Since the link you give is less specifc on the AV app in question I'll ask him again about his AV app.

Thanks,

Ken

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stuck
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuck »

My friend reports tht he uses MSE. He's of the opinion that since the block happened to both his laptops and his netbook at the same time that the problem is down to something MS rolled out.

Are we out of ideas here?

Ken

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HansV
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by HansV »

Microsoft released a new version (4.0) of MSE last week, but your friend reported that the problem started a month ago, so it can't be due to the new version...
Best wishes,
Hans

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Leif
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by Leif »

Is there any consistency in the attachments? I recently had a recipient who didn't receive a 2.5MB .zip attachment I sent, but when resent as a 3MB .doc, it arrived OK.
I've no idea what client they were using, but I was surprised that the zip appeared to be blocked, but the doc got through OK.
Leif

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stuck
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuck »

Thanks Hans & Leif. I'll ask him to check if he's got MSE v4 and about the types of attachments.

Ken

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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuck »

HansV wrote:Microsoft released a new version (4.0) of MSE last week, but your friend reported that the problem started a month ago, so it can't be due to the new version...
No, he's confirmed the problem was there with v3 and still there with v4
Leif wrote:Is there any consistency in the attachments?
Seems not, he says, "The type of file does not seem to make a difference – happens with PDFs and JPGs."

Ken

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Leif
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by Leif »

OK, could it be a server timeout?

(Equivalent to the issue in Eileen's Lounge • View topic - Outlook 2003 open large email)
Leif

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Argus
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by Argus »

Good one Leif, but that was via IMAP, I think. It seems he has no problem via Google and IMAP.
---
Edit:
I don't know what I was thinking; it's worth trying, increasing the time-out value. On the other hand, he didn't mention a time-out error message; perhaps there are no such messages in WLM; keep it simple and all that.
---
File type was also a good candidate.

AV software can do odd things; and is sometimes used as a proxy. One would think that simple software such as WLM and MSE would work very well, and they probably do, otherwise there would be lots of comments. So we have to find what’s unique in this case, the ESP/ISP, the files etc.

WLM isn't the most advanced client, wonder if there's a possibility to log the POP connection? It seems like there are some settings for troubleshooting; it can achieve something. Hmm, as most in this thread, :laugh: I don't use WLM.

(If it had been a SMTP issue, sending, it’s usually easy to read the server’s reply (when/if the client queries): "250-SIZE...".)

For example, instructions from here:
How to Log POP and IMAP Traffic to Troubleshoot Windows Live Mail, Windows Mail or Outlook Express Email Problems (about.com)
To log POP traffic
In Windows Live Mail and Windows Mail:
Go to the Advanced tab.
Click Maintenance...
Make sure both General and E-mail (Windows Live Mail) or both Mail and IMAP (Windows Mail and Outlook Express) are checked under Troubleshooting.
Click OK.
It seems like it will create a file, WindowsLiveMail.log, in the mail folder.

There is also a question about this at MS Answers, covering different versions: How can I collect log files from Windows Live Mail

Perhaps worth a try; download some test mails, and check the log file. As usual don't forget to turn off the log files when finished.

Since it seems to be all about the size, no matter what file type, it can't be some old setting from Office, or could it?

In the registry, if it has been installed, there seems to be keys for size as well. Such as

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\Preferences
or
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\Preferences
for 2010. They can contain a value, "MaximumAttachmentSize", for the total attachment size.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2222370" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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stuck
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by stuck »

Thanks Argus, I've pointed my friend to your ideas and encouraged him again to register here so he can provide direct feedback. Meanwhile, we wait.

Ken

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Argus
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Re: WLM will not download attachments >2Mb

Post by Argus »

BTW, I don't know how the log files work in WLM; but it is possible that it will print passwords in plaintext (I know one client that does), so your friend might want to take a close look at the file(s) before posting them somewhere.
Byelingual    When you speak two languages but start losing vocabulary in both of them.