Troubleshooting Common Errors in Outlook Express

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There are a slew of error messages that one may encounter while using Microsoft Outlook Express (MSOE). These messages are usually the result of MSOE not functioning properly, causing such issues as crashing, failed start-ups, inability to send and receive mail or more. This article addresses the most common MSOE errors, the cause of these errors and possible remedies.

Recognizing the Error

In order to understand what a particular MSOE error means, it is important to learn how to read an MSOE error message. The error message will appear in a dialog box and, usually, will not give the average user any real insight into the error that has occurred. Therefore, it is important to make a note of the error number, which is usually located at the end of the error message.

The remainder of this article will address MSOE problems by error number, as this is the most common ways to recognize a particular error.

General Errors

0x800CCC00: Authentication did not load

If you receive this error, reboot your computer and try to open the program again. Next, check “service status” for any mail problems. If the problem persists, it is possible that your mail account has become corrupt. Setup a new account in MSOE and re-enter your mail connection details.

0x800CCC01: Invalid certificate content or 0x800CCC02: Invalid certificate date

This error mans that the digital certification of your encrypted emails cannot be verified because your digital certificate is either out-of-date or has been revoked. Have your certificate re-issued or try recreating your mail account profile.

0x800CCC03: User already connected
This error means that the mail server believes that you are already logged into your mailbox. To correct, close all connections on all machines and wait about 20 minutes to reconnect. If you are not logged onto another computer then someone may be using your account or something may be wrong with the account. If this problem persists, recreate your mail account profile.

0x800CCC05: Not connected to server
This means that MSOE cannot communicate with the mail server. To correct this issue, be sure that you are connected to the Internet. If you are connected, double-check your mail server address. If you are not connected to the Internet, reconnect and try again.

0x800CCC0A: Incomplete

This error could possibly be the result of a corrupted pop3uidl file. To correct, close your Internet connection and all programs. Search for the file pop3uid.dbx and rename it pop3uid.xxx. Reconnect to the Internet and try loading MSOE again. If this does not work, reboot and try again.

If the pop3uidl is not the issue and the problem persists, it is possible that mail that is waiting in the mail server has been corrupted. This is often caused by a large file attachment or mail with missing headers. For Pop3 accounts, you may view the contents of your mailbox by accessing your mail via the Internet. This may allow you to identify the problem and delete the email that is causing the problem.

0x800CCC0B: Server or mail drop is busy

The mail server may be running slowly because of heavy email traffic. Wait 5 minutes and try again. If the problem continues, check the service status page to see if there is a known problem with the particular email service.

0x800CCC0D: Cannot locate server

To correct this issue, be sure that you are connected to the Internet. If you are connected, double-check your mail server address. If you are not connected to the Internet, reconnect and try again.

0x800CCC0E: Cannot connect to server

To correct this issue, be sure that you are connected to the Internet. If you are connected, double-check your mail server address. If you are not connected to the Internet, reconnect and try again.

0x800CCC0F: Connection closed

This error means that your modem or network was disconnected. If you access the Internet through a dial-up connection, there may be noise on your phone line and you may need updated modem drivers, or an init string. With other Internet connections, the problem may be with your network hardware or drivers.

0x800CCC10: Address not known on server

MSOE cannot deliver an email because the address is invalid. Check the spelling and format of the address and try again. You will need to delete the old message from your outbox to stop the error from repeating.

0x800CCC11: Mailing list not known on server

MSOE cannot deliver to a particular mailing list, possibly because one of the email addresses is invalid. Check the spelling and format of all addresses.

0x800CCC12 or 0x800CCC13 or 0x800CCC14 or 0x800CCC15: Winsock problems

This error usually means that there is a glitch in your network protocols. A common fix is to re-install your TCP/IP and sometimes a simple re-boot will correct the problem.

0x800CCC16: User account not recognized

This error usually means that your username and/or password are wrong. If they are correct, try setting up another identity with the same account details. If this works, the original account has been corrupted.

0x800CCC17: User canceled operation

This error occurs if you press cancel during the sending and receiving of email. If this problem continues, the file pop3uidl.dbx may have become corrupt. Search for the file pop3uid.dbx and rename it pop3uid.xxx. Reboot your system and reload MSOE.

0x800CCC18: Logon attempt failed

This error means that MSOE was rejected while attempting to connect to your mailbox. To correct this issue, verify your account information and make sure that the account is still active.

0x800CCC19: Timeout

This error is usually the result of a temporary glitch. Try rebooting your system and loading the program again. If the problem persists, the file pop3uidl.dbx may have become corrupt. Search for the file pop3uid.dbx and rename it pop3uid.xxx. Reboot your system and reload MSOE.

0x800CCC1A: Unable to connect using SSL

This error indicates a problem connecting using the “Secure Socket Layer” or “SSL”. To correct, turn off SSL in the Outlook Express settings.

POP3 Errors

Problems that occur with Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) will affect the receipt and download of your emails. You may receive any of the following error messages when MSEO experiences POP3 issues:

0x800420CB: Mail cannot be stored on server
0x800CCC90: Client response invalid
0x800CCC91: Invalid user name or user not found
0x800CCC92: Password not valid for account.
0x800CCC93: Unable to interpret response.
0x800CCC94: Command required.
0x800CCC95: No messages on server.
0x800CCC96: No messages marked for retrieval.
0x800CCC97: Message ID out of range.

POP3 errors usually occur as a result of a temporary glitch, a file corruption, or because of incorrect account details.

Check to be sure that your connection details are correct. You may have changed you account details recently and failed to note those changes in MSOE or perhaps you have initiated “caps lock” while entering your case-sensitive password. The easiest way to see if your connection details are correct is to use window’s Telnet program. This will verify whether your details are incorrect or if the error is related to another MSOE issue.

To use Telnet click “start” and choose “run”. In the prompt window, type cmd (when using Windows NT, 2000 or XP) or type command (when using Windows 95, 98 or ME). In the new window type telnet 110 then click “enter”.

At this point, you should be connected to the mail server and you should receive a response “+OK Hello there”. This response confirms that you are connected to the mail server. Type, user <username> and hit “enter”. If the username is correct, you should get the following message “+OK Password required”. Type, pass <your password> and hit “enter”. If the password is correct, the mail server will say, “+OK Well done”.

SMTP Errors

Problems that occur with Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) will affect your ability to send emails. You may receive any of the following error messages when MSEO experiences POP3 issues:

0x800CCC60: Invalid response.
0x800CCC61: Unknown error code.
0x800CCC62: Syntax error returned.
0x800CCC63: Parameter syntax incorrect.
0x800CCC64: Command not implemented.
0x800CCC65: Improper command sequence.
0x800CCC66: Command not implemented.
0x800CCC67: Command not available.
0x800CCC68: Mailbox is locked and busy.
0x800CCC69: Mailbox not found.
0x800CCC6A: Error processing request.
0x800CCC6B: User mailbox is known, but mailbox not on this server.
0x800CCC6C: No space to store messages.
0x800CCC6D: Storage limit exceeded.
0x800CCC6E: Invalid mailbox name syntax.
0x800CCC6F: Transaction failed.
0x800CCC78: Unknown sender.
0x800CCC79: Server rejected recipients.
0x800CCC7A: No sender address specified.
0x800CCC7B: No recipients specified.

STMP problems often occur because of a temporary glitch. However, it is possible that the outgoing mail server address is incorrect. Verify that your outgoing mail server address is correct. This is the first thing you should check.

If your outgoing mail server address is correct, test your access to port 25 and see if your email is being blocked, using a telnet client. If you can connect to the outgoing mail server through port 25, this will confirm that the issue is with the application itself or your settings.

To use Telnet click “start” and choose “run”. In the prompt window, type cmd (when using Windows NT, 2000 or XP) or type command (when using Windows 95, 98 or ME). In the new window type telnet 25 then click “enter”.

At this point, you should be connected to the mail server and you should receive a response that begins with “220”, which confirms that port 25 is open. If you do not receive the “220” response, either the mail server is not functioning properly, you're not connected to the Internet or something on your system is blocking port 25.

NNTP Errors

The Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) allows MSOE to function as a newsgroup client. You may receive any of the following error messages when experiencing NNTP issues:

0x800CCCA0: News server response error.
0x800CCCA1: Newsgroup access failed.
0x800CCCA2: Command to server failed.
0x800CCCA3: Unable to display list.
0x800CCCA4: Unable to open group.
0x800CCCA5: Group not on server.
0x800CCCA6: Message not on server.
0x800CCCA7: Message header not found.
0x800CCCA8: Message body not found.
0x800CCCA9: Unable to post to server.
0x800CCCAA: Unable to open next message.
0x800CCCAB: Unable to display date.
0x800CCCAC: Unable to display headers.
0x800CCCAD: Unable to display MIME headers.
0x800CCCAE: Invalid user or password.

NNTP issues will result in the inability to post to or download from a newsgroup. In most cases, these issues occur as a result of incorrect settings or corrupt posts. Be sure to check your settings. If there is a problem with your newsgroup service, it will be indicated on the “status” page.

IMAP Errors

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) allows MSOE to store emails on the mail server, allowing you to access both old and new mail. You may receive any of the following error messages when MSEO experiences IMAP issues:

0x800CCCD1: Login failed.
0x800CCCD2: Message tagged.
0x800CCCD3: Invalid response to request.
0x800CCCD4: Syntax error.
0x800CCCD5: Not an IMAP server.
0x800CCCD6: Buffer limit exceeded.
0x800CCCD7: Recovery error.
0x800CCCD8: Incomplete data.
0x800CCCD9: Connection not allowed.
0x800CCCDA: Unknown response.
0x800CCCDB: Has changed.
0x800CCCDC: Command failed.
0x800CCCDD: Unexpected disconnect.
0x800CCCDE: Invalid server state.
0x800CCCDF: Unable to authorize client.
0x800CCCE0: No more authorization types.

Problems that occur with your IMAP are similar to those experienced with a POP3 mail system. If you are using an IMAP service, make sure that your settings are correct. Because IMAP stores all of your emails on the server, it is possible that a corrupt email or one with a large attachment may be the cause of problem.

RAS/DUN Errors

Remote Access Server/ Dial Up Network (RAS/DUN) errors indicate a problem with your dial up or network system. You may receive any of the following error messages when MSEO experiences RAS/DUN issues:

0x800CCCC2: Not installed.
0x800CCCC3: Process not found.
0x800CCCC4: Error returned.
0x800CCCC5: Connection damaged or missing.
0x800CCCC6: Error getting dial settings.

If you receive RAS/DUN errors check your MSEO connection settings, as incorrect settings are usually the culprit.

Winsock Errors

0x800CCC40: Network subsystem is unusable.
0x800CCC41: Windows Sockets cannot support this application.
0x800CCC43: Bad address.
0x800CCC44: Unable to load Windows Sockets.
0x800CCC45: Operation now in progress.

Winsock is the component MSOE uses for all of its Internet communication. Winsock (Windows Socket/ Socket2) errors are usually caused by problems within the application or your operating system. Often, they are a result of a bad configuration. This issue may be temporary and disappear following a reboot. Otherwise, it may be the result of a corruption MSOE file.

Additional Troubleshooting Options

If the above tips do not solve reoccurring errors you are experiencing while using MSOE, refer to Microsoft's Knowledge Base, which contains helpful information on MSOE errors and problems. Also do not overlook the easiest solution of all, a corrupted Windows registry .. see below!