Avast and OE + Hotmail

[OriginalTorch]

Hello.  I have been having a problem for a while sending mail using OE.  The kind people at Windows Live Help haven't been able to help, and I am starting to think it may be a compatibility problem with Avast.  If so, I could sure use some help.

I am running Windows XP SP1 (old computer, and not enough RAM to satisfactorily upgrade to SP2 let alone SP3).  I use OE6 for my email program and I have Avast!4.8

I am able to receive email without problem (the POP3 hotmail as well as my other accounts) but I cannot send hotmail.

I currently have the internet mail and outlook/exchange providers turned off (this was a necessary step -- or at least it worked if it wasn't completely necessary) to being able to receive email from my sympatico account.

When attempting to send email using the hotmail POP3 I get the following error:

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'Hotmail (POP)', Server: 'smtp.live.com', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): Yes, Socket Error: 10061, Error Number: 0x800CCC

My sympatico mail also uses port 25, and I do not have any difficulty sending/receiving mail with that account, but I would prefer to continue to use my hotmail account rather than have all of my contacts have to update their mail lists.

If anybody here can help, I would certainly appreciate it.

Torch.

[YoKenny]

Welcome OriginalTorch

Hotmail should only be accessed through IE and not Outlook Express as it uses a propriety protocol not SMTP. 

Running SP1 is a recipe for disaster and if the system does not have enough RAM for SP2 then XP must run at a nails pace.

How much RAM does the system have?

My old XP Home system that I am trying to sell has 512MB RAM and it takes about 5 minutes to boot up and about 2 miniutes to display Google in IE.

[maxwachtel]

Try using port 587 using ssl
http://windowslivehelp.com/solutions/settings/archive/2009/02/18/how-to-add-your-e-mail-account-to-microsoft-outlook-express.aspx

[Pondus]

Hotmail should only be accessed through IE and not Outlook Express as it uses a propriety protocol not SMTP. 

As of March 12, 2009, POP3 access is now available free to all Hotmail users worldwide.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_POP_server_for_hotmail

http://www.emailaddressmanager.com/tips/mail-settings.html

[OriginalTorch]

@YoKenny: Actually, startup and program use is not bad at all, and hotmail has changed to POP3.  Even before the change, OE was a fine way to read hotmail though.  I've been doing it for years.  I have 368MB Ram.

As per the suggestions on the microsoft page, I have tried port 587 but I get an immediate error message:
Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes for this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Account: 'Hotmail (POP)', Server: 'smtp.live.com', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 587, Secure(SSL): Yes, Error Number: 0x800CCC0F

I was hoping that somebody would have some advice with regards to avast.  I am not sure the problem lies there, but I have certainly tried everything that I can think of.