Email can be great when it works well. From keeping in touch with family members to requesting information from businesses and other organizations, nothing beats email. Want to send the same message to multiple people? Communicate with someone across continents? Submit photos, manuscripts, or other information? In terms of speed and efficiency, this near-instantaneous medium is one of the most useful attributes of modern life.
E-mail is not without its problems, however. If you enter the intended recipient's name and the message bounces back, you may not have praised the email. The same goes for annoyances such as not opening attachments. However, with a little patience, most email problems can be easily resolved. Below are four common email problems and solutions to fix them.
Problem - Bounced Messages
This is probably the most frustrating of all email problems. Take your time composing your message, click the Send button, and consider your task complete. But the next thing I notice is that the message shows up in my inbox with a caption saying it didn't reach the intended recipient.
Solution
First, make sure the recipient's address is entered correctly. This may seem obvious, but sometimes the only mistake is the wrong character, such as using "com" instead of "net". Once you know the correct address, just double check each character. If not, you may need to experiment by sending multiple messages or entering another slightly different address. With this approach, you just keep track of which messages are being sent back and compare it to the overall list of addresses you're using. If you sent 4 variants but only 3 were returned, I used a process of elimination to solve the problem.
Sometimes the recipient is the source of the problem. If the message reaches other addresses but fails here, try another way to contact the intended recipient and report the situation. The causes can range from a temporary problem with the recipient's server, to switching to another email provider for her, to a full inbox. In this case, the best thing to do is just wait. Alternatively, a phone call or other communication from you may be required to obtain the correct e-mail address. If all messages are bounced, there may be a connection problem. See below for details.
Problem 2 – You Have Lost Your Connection
Sometimes a failure to send or receive e-mail can be traced to a lost connection with your Internet service provider.
Solutions
If you see a “failure to connect” or “no response” message or have otherwise determined that you have failed to connect, double check to make certain there are no physical problems.
First, check your cables and connections. If you use a dial-up modem, listen to make sure it produces the normal high-pitched dialing sound. If not, the problem could be a loose connection. Locate the phone cord that runs from the back of your computer to the phone jack, and then make sure that each end is plugged in snugly.
If you will don't hear the expected dialing sound, check to make sure your phone cord is undamaged. If it seems worn, replace it with a new one. Other steps include making certain the line is plugged into the right port, and checking the phone jack by plugging the cord into a different jack. If you hear the dialing sound after any of these steps, you have made a successful connection.
Connection problems may be more common with dial-up modems than with broadband connections, but the latter are also dependent on physical connections. A loose wire or poorly connected cable can easily be problematic. Sometimes a glitch occurs that can be best addressed by repeating portions of the initial set-up process. A simple fix touted by Verizon technical service reps for some DSL (digital subscriber line) customers is to disconnect the three lines from the back of the modem and then reconnect them in a specified order. When this action is taken, the online connection is immediately regained.
If you are online but keep getting bumped off, the lost connection can be the result of an unintended software command. In Outlook Express, for example, you will find the command “Hang up when finished.” If the box in front of this phrase is checked, the connection will automatically be severed each time you send or download e-mail. Sometimes a misdirected click of your mouse will cause you to place a check in the box even though you do not realize it. Simply click on the check mark to make it disappear, and the hang-ups will cease.
These 2 common e-mail problems are quite easy to determine and when rectified will make your emailing experience more enjoyable.
