Outlook 2003 - Problems with outgoing messages in the OUTBOX

[Eric G]

I've researched this newsgroup on this subject and found some references, but no real answers to the problem and now I wonder if I'm the only one with this problem?



When you, in Outlook 2003 (possibly earlier versions as well, but not in Outlook 97), place your focus on e.g. the Inbox, create a new message, with or without attachments, and press the send button, the message is placed in the Outbox until such time you select to Send/Receive you message/messages. The message in the Outbox is marked with an envelope symbol and is also marked in italics font.

If you click on, or mark this outgoing message with your cursor keys, the symbol changes to an envelope in front of a page and the italics font change to a regular. If you now select to Send/Receive this message, it will not be transmitted, but stays in the Outbox. No matter what you do, this message will remain in the Outbox. You can open it, you can edit it, you can send it, but it still remains in the Outbox, indicated with the regular font and the symbol indicating that it is an open message.



If you right-click the message, you can however select Forward, the message opens, and after selecting Send, a copy of the message is again placed in the Outbox and can be Sent (if you refrain from selecting/touching it again).



If you put the focus on the Outbox and then select New (for new message), create your message and select Send, the message is again placed in the Outbox, but immediately, so to say "deselected", since it becomes marked in the Outbox.



Now, why is it like this? Why can't you open, and possibly edit a message, in the Outbox, and resend it? Is this a "feature" by design, is it a flaw, or what is it?



I have not found one single reference to it in Microsoft's Knowledgebase, which surprises me.



Please let me know if you know anything about this subject.



Best regards,



Eric G

Stockholm, Sweden

 

[John]

I've researched this newsgroup on this subject and found some references,
but no real answers to the problem and now I wonder if I'm the only one with
this problem?

When you, in Outlook 2003 (possibly earlier versions as well, but not in
Outlook 97), place your focus on e.g. the Inbox, create a new message, with
or without attachments, and press the send button, the message is placed in
the Outbox until such time you select to Send/Receive you message/messages.
The message in the Outbox is marked with an envelope symbol and is also
marked in italics font.

If you click on, or mark this outgoing message with your cursor keys, the
symbol changes to an envelope in front of a page and the italics font change
to a regular. If you now select to Send/Receive this message, it will not be
transmitted, but stays in the Outbox. No matter what you do, this message
will remain in the Outbox. You can open it, you can edit it, you can send
it, but it still remains in the Outbox, indicated with the regular font and
the symbol indicating that it is an open message.

If you right-click the message, you can however select Forward, the message
opens, and after selecting Send, a copy of the message is again placed in
the Outbox and can be Sent (if you refrain from selecting/touching it
again).

If you put the focus on the Outbox and then select New (for new message),
create your message and select Send, the message is again placed in the
Outbox, but immediately, so to say "deselected", since it becomes marked in
the Outbox.

Now, why is it like this? Why can't you open, and possibly edit a message,
in the Outbox, and resend it? Is this a "feature" by design, is it a flaw,
or what is it?

I have not found one single reference to it in Microsoft's Knowledgebase,
which surprises me.

Please let me know if you know anything about this subject.

Best regards,
Eric G
Stockholm, Sweden


I'm no expert by any means, so I don't have a full explanation. However,
when I want to edit a message that is already in the Outbox, I drag it out
of there into Drafts, open and edit it, and then click Send. This puts it
back into the Outbox just like any other message. I hope this helps.

 

[Eric G]

Hi John,

You have a point there, and it's most certainly a possibility. I've done it
myself, but isn't it a somewhat round-about-way of doing thing? Should one
assume that this is a by-design functionality? As far as I can determine, it
doesn't say anything about in the Microsoft manuals or in any of the other
reference works that I've looked at (but maybe I've just not been observant
enough).

Thanks so much for your input John, much appreciated.

I'm still interested hearing from any other users that find this "problem"
annoying or have solutions, or work-arounds.

Best regards,

Eric G

 

[Carol S]

Hello Guys,
This is a flaw. I've used many versions of outlook in past years. I just upgraded to 2003 and it started happening. You shouldn't have to move a msg from the outbox to the draft folder for editing. I've been in the bad habit (for years) of editing messages in the outbox.

The problem as I see it is, when you edit the message (from anywhere) and you hit send, it should go to the outbox (or stay there) and the msg should be queued at that time ( denoted by italics). The icon still shows the msg open - which is not the case at all. This is a 2003 bug. Now, just try getting this info to Microsoft to fix - that's another problem.

Help Microsoft!

 

[Eric G]

Thank you, Carol,

I though it was me, or that I was the only one with that problem, before I
put the post up yesterday.

However, since it is more than one of us experiencing the same problem, and
I also notitced that there was one MVP that also is aware of the matter, it
might come to MS' attention "the natural way", but I will also put through a
support query just for the sake of it.

Best regards,


Eric G

Hello Guys,
This is a flaw. I've used many versions of outlook in past years. I just

upgraded to 2003 and it started happening. You shouldn't have to move a
msg from the outbox to the draft folder for editing. I've been in the bad
habit (for years) of editing messages in the outbox.

The problem as I see it is, when you edit the message (from anywhere) and

you hit send, it should go to the outbox (or stay there) and the msg should
be queued at that time ( denoted by italics). The icon still shows the
msg open - which is not the case at all. This is a 2003 bug. Now, just
try getting this info to Microsoft to fix - that's another problem.

 

[CML]

I have exactly the same problem in Outlook 2003. When I click on send, having completed an email, sometimes the message appears as expected in italics and will then be sent correctly. Other times the message appears in normal font in the outbox & is not picked up when I click send/receive. Opening the message & clicking on send has no effect - the message remains in normal font in the outbox & will not sned whatever I try to do.