Can't send mail - outgoing server problem

I am using Mail. OS X.4.6. Yesterday I used Mail with no problem. Today when I 'sent' an email, a pop up told me I couldn't use the outgoing server (the server in the email account selected), and suggested two others (one of which is no longer an account). The outgoing server for the email account selected has not changed.

Mail keeps information about outgoing servers in a separate list, independently of any specific mail account. The account settings just associate one of the available outgoing servers with each account. Deleting an account doesn't remove the outgoing server from the list. Orphaned or dangling outgoing server entries (i.e. not associated with any account) sometimes cause sending problems, so you may want to fix that, even though it could very well have nothing to do with your problem -- actually, it could very well be that you don't have a problem, and this is just a transient error.
Go to Preferences > Accounts > Account Information > Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP), choose Edit Server List from the popup menu, and delete any servers that shouldn't be there. The Edit Server List sheet shows the account each outgoing server is associated with.
Alternatively, Mail comes with some scripts available under the Script menu when that menu is enabled. There is a Manage SMTP Servers there that finds any unused outgoing mail servers and gives you the option to delete them. Type "Script Menu" in Mail Help for more information on this feature.

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Can't send mail with server -- upgrade OS?

I have a new MB, so have been setting things up. In the course of all this, I realized, what with checking settings, etc., that I can easily send mail from the new laptop, which is running whatever the latest OS is -- I think that's 15.5.5, but I have nearly constant difficulties with Mail on my desktop, which is running 15.5.2. I keep getting -- but not always -- messages saying mail can't be sent using the selected server; do I want to try another server or try later, or what. But on the laptop -- I don't get that at all.
I did a search on the Apple site and its recommendation? Upgrade the OS. Now, I can certainly do that, though I always hold my breath for fear something will go wrong and I'll break something that wasn't broken, so to speak.
Is anyone else having this issue? Did upgrading the OS stop it? I probably will have to, because I really do need the Mail program to work as it should. I'm getting ready to move to it from Entourage, but I can't if I can't send mail.

I suddenly started having the can't send mail problem yesterday, and I'm on 10.5.5, so upgrading the OS is not a fix. I followed all the directions here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1307?viewlocale=en_US
and that did not work. But it might, if quitting is done at the right time....
I don't know what fixed it, and I'm not sure if it will remain fixed (last night I fixed it on my own, only to find when I started up this morning that it wasn't working again), but today I followed the advice from another discussion to delete the outgoing server (in prefs/accounts/outgoing pulldown menu) and make a new one... make sure to delete all mail that is pending (anything in outbox save as draft and delete)... and to quit. In other words - follow the instructions on the support page or some of the other discussions, but quit before trying to send again. The other thing I did was do a software upgrade - there was something for airport and a security fix that I installed. Whether it was doing just the right stuff in just the right order or if it was the software installs that moved things along, I can't say. By the looks of it, this seems to be a long time issue for Apple Mail, though I've been using it for years without issue.

Can't send emails - outgoing server issues

Randomly my phone won't let me send an email. It sits in the Outbox unsent and never sends.
But strangely I'm able to receive emails. I have 3 email accounts set up on my phone, I've never had a problem until now - Over the weekend I updated to iOS 7.0.2 this may have changed something in the settings....
When I go to send it's says "CANNOT SEND MAIL, CHECK THE ACCOUNT SETTINGS FOR THE OUTGOING SERVER" - I've checked the settings, but don't know what i'm looking for
Can anyone assist?
thanks
VB

Mail keeps information about outgoing servers in a separate list, independently of any specific mail account. The account settings just associate one of the available outgoing servers with each account. Deleting an account doesn't remove the outgoing server from the list. Orphaned or dangling outgoing server entries (i.e. not associated with any account) sometimes cause sending problems, so you may want to fix that, even though it could very well have nothing to do with your problem -- actually, it could very well be that you don't have a problem, and this is just a transient error.
Go to Preferences > Accounts > Account Information > Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP), choose Edit Server List from the popup menu, and delete any servers that shouldn't be there. The Edit Server List sheet shows the account each outgoing server is associated with.
Alternatively, Mail comes with some scripts available under the Script menu when that menu is enabled. There is a Manage SMTP Servers there that finds any unused outgoing mail servers and gives you the option to delete them. Type "Script Menu" in Mail Help for more information on this feature.

Can't send mail with Server 10.4.8

Yes... I'm very new at this.
I've got 10.4.8 server set up as a mail server, with SMTP enabled. I think I have DNS configured properly, but I can't send email. I can recieve email. If I run mail (ie, the command "mail") from the terminal, I can send any user email, and they can retrieve that email using the Mac mail app. However, when I try to use the mail app to send, I get the error "cannot send message using the server dns.cha.com". I'm sure I'm doing something very obviously wrong. Following is a dump of postconf -n. Any help out there?
Thanks,
Eric
dns:~ esmith$ postconf -n
command_directory = /usr/sbin
config_directory = /etc/postfix
daemon_directory = /usr/libexec/postfix
debugpeerlevel = 2
enableserveroptions = yes
html_directory = no
inet_interfaces = all
mail_owner = postfix
mailboxsizelimit = 0
mailbox_transport = cyrus
mailq_path = /usr/bin/mailq
manpage_directory = /usr/share/man
mydestination = $myhostname,localhost.$mydomain,localhost
mydomain = cha.com
mydomain_fallback = localhost
myhostname = dns.cha.com
mynetworks = 127.0.0.1/32,dns.cha.com,10.0.1.7,10.0.1.4
mynetworks_style = host
newaliases_path = /usr/bin/newaliases
queue_directory = /private/var/spool/postfix
readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix
sample_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/examples
sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail
setgid_group = postdrop
smtpdpw_server_securityoptions = none
smtpdrecipientrestrictions = permitmynetworks,reject_unauthdestination,permit
smtpdsasl_authenable = no
smtpdtls_certfile = /etc/certificates/Default.crt
smtpdtls_keyfile = /etc/certificates/Default.key
smtpduse_pwserver = no
smtpdusetls = no
unknownlocal_recipient_rejectcode = 550

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, I still have the same trouble sending mail: it works from the command line, but not from the mail application. The mail error is "cannot send message using server xxx.xxx.xxx", which is the same message that would be sent even if I entered a bogus mail server address. I use the same machine name for the SMTP server and POP server. When I watch the connections pane, I see my computer making a POP connection to get mail, so the DNS must be OK.
Here's the config again... thanks for any help you can offer!
dns:~ esmith$ postconf -n
command_directory = /usr/sbin
config_directory = /etc/postfix
daemon_directory = /usr/libexec/postfix
debugpeerlevel = 2
enableserveroptions = yes
html_directory = no
inet_interfaces = all
mail_owner = postfix
mailboxsizelimit = 0
mailbox_transport = cyrus
mailq_path = /usr/bin/mailq
manpage_directory = /usr/share/man
mydestination = $myhostname,localhost.$mydomain,localhost
mydomain = cha.com
mydomain_fallback = localhost
myhostname = dns.cha.com
mynetworks = 127.0.0.1/32,10.0.1.0/24
mynetworks_style = host
newaliases_path = /usr/bin/newaliases
queue_directory = /private/var/spool/postfix
readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix
sample_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/examples
sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail
setgid_group = postdrop
smtpdpw_server_securityoptions = none
smtpdrecipientrestrictions = permitmynetworks,reject_unauthdestination,permit
smtpdsasl_authenable = no
smtpdtls_certfile = /etc/certificates/Default.crt
smtpdtls_keyfile = /etc/certificates/Default.key
smtpduse_pwserver = no
smtpdusetls = no
unknownlocal_recipient_rejectcode = 550

TS4291 I can't send mail from my iPad apps, I just get the error message, 'The recipient- was rejected by the server because it does not allow relaying.' Does anyone know what this means and how to fix the problem.

I can't send mail from my iPad apps, I just get the error message, 'The recipient… was rejected by the server because it does not allow relaying.' Does anyone know what this means and how to fix the problem.

iOS: Unable to send or receive email
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3899
Can’t Send Emails on iPad – Troubleshooting Steps
http://ipadhelp.com/ipad-help/ipad-cant-send-emails-troubleshooting-steps/
Setting up and troubleshooting Mail
http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/assistant/mail/
Using a POP account with multiple devices
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3228
iOS: Adding an email account
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4810
iOS: Setting up an Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN email account
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1694
Server does not allow relaying email error, fix
http://appletoolbox.com/2012/01/server-does-not-allow-relaying-email-error-fix/
Why Does My iPad Say "Cannot Connect to Server"?
http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8693415_ipad-say-cannot-connect-server.html
How to Sync Contacts with Your iPad Using iTunes
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-sync-contacts-with-your-ipad-using- itunes.html
iOS: 'Mailbox Locked', account is in use on another device, or prompt to re-enter POP3 password
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2621
eMail Groups - You can use a third party app that many users recommend.
MailShot - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mailshot-pro-group-email-done/id445996226?mt=8
Group Email - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/group-email!-mail-client-attachments/id380690305 ?mt=8
iPad Mail
http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/mail/
Configuration problems with IMAP e-mail on iOS with a non-standard SSL port.
http://colinrobbins.me/2013/02/09/configuration-problems-with-imap-e-mail-on-ios -with-a-non-standard-ssl-port/
Try this first - Reset the iPad by holding down on the Sleep and Home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons. (This is equivalent to rebooting your computer.)
Or this - Delete the account in Mail and then set it up again. Settings->Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Accounts Tap on the Account, then on the red button that says Remove Account.
 Cheers, Tom

Can't Send Mail Via HughesNet SMTP Server

After installing 10.5 I find that I can receive mail from my ISP (HughesNet) but I can't send mail through the smtp server. I've tried every setting possible and even duplicated the settings off my wife's 10.4.10 iMac and I still can't send mail. All I see is that the smtp service is "Offline."
Fortunately, I have a .Mac account so I can send mail using that smtp server. But I'd like to be abel to use my HughesNet server.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

My mom uses RoadRunner by Time Warner. She was able to receive email using Leopard and Mail but not send. SMTP server was the big problem like everyone else here experienced. We finally were able to get it to work using many ideas here. What we did:
1) Delete com.apple.mail.plist from the User/Library/Preferences folder (BACK UP YOUR EMAIL FIRST)
2) Open Mail and create a new account but disable the automatic set-up feature, put your info in manually.
3) Uncheck " Use only this server" from the outgoing mail
4) Under the Advanced tab on Mail Prefs "port set to 25", Uncheck "SSL" box, and uncheck "Use Authentication"
5) Now hit Create
It took Mail about 20 minutes to contact the SMTP server, but it did and now I can send and receive Mail without any problems on her computer.
Bad Apple...stop criticizing MS and Vista when your own house is not in order yet. Hope this helps someone out there.....

Outgoing server problems in Mail

I am having trouble with my outgoing server in Mail. It basically will not allow me to send mail. But it is the same server setting I have always used. I can receive mail wih no problem. This applies to several different accounts, all using the same server settings. I would think it could be my ISP's mail server, but I can send mail with no problems from the same server when using the email client in Mozilla (on a different machine). The outgoing server name and port all match from the machine that works to the one that doesn't, so I'm wondering if it's just an issue with Mail?
Anybody got any suggestions?

Could be something like that, but my Mozilla ap (on a different machine) uses port 25 for the outgoing server as well, and I've had zero problems with it.
But I'll take your advice and investigate switching ports and see if that makes a difference.
I might say, though, that I've found Mail to be a much more finicky program than my Mozilla mail client. It (Mail) seems to take certain accounts off and on line for no apparent reason. I've used the Mozilla mail feature for years and it is rock solid (which is why I still use it today: it is my wife that uses Mail and her account giving us the problems).

Can't send mail, get message: the smtp server rejected the password. I tried lock and unlock keychain. I tried unlock captcha. Gmail works okay, it is Mail that does not. Help!! :(

Can't send mail, get message: the smtp server rejected the password. I tried lock and unlock keychain. I tried unlock captcha. Gmail works okay, it is Mail that does not. Help!!

Hi
You need to check with your ISP whether or not the send mail server (SMTP) requires a password. Some do, but many do not. When you know the correct password to send mail, then you need to tell Mail as follows:
Mail menu > Preferences > Accounts > Select the account
Click on the Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) combo box, and select Edit SMTP Server List...
In the Account Information tab put the server name
In the Advanced Tab, set up the authentication information from your ISP.
Good luck
Bob

Can't send mail - server properly configured and up

I'm unable to send mail. Here's roughly the sequence of events that
got me where I am:
1) Connect through a firewall using VPN (the Cisco VPN client)
over the wireless interface
2) Compose a message, and click 'Send'
3) The server is down, so I get the "Can't send e-mail" pop-up
dialog
4) Click 'Try later'
5) Reconnect later while the server is up, and try to send
6) Still see the "Can't send" pop-up
Steps 3) and 4) happened a lot. In particular, turning on the
wireless interface in order to connect over VPN causes Mail to try
(and fail) to connect to the server.
The server is up; I can reach it with "telnet <server> 25".
Moreover, Mail's own "Connection Doctor" says it's able to connect
to the server.
This configuration worked until the sequence of events described above,
and nothing on the server side has changed since.
I've tried everything I can think of to get Mail back in a working state.
Notably I've deleted the contents of "Outbox", quit Mail, and then restarted.
I've also deleted and re-created the server configuration, without success.

Two additional data points:
1) I found a mail server I could use from outside the firewall.
When I added that server, and closed the VPN session, Mail was
(finally!) able to send. (But see below why you shouldn't rush
to blame VPN).
2) When there are two mail servers configured in preferences, the
"Can't send mail" pop-up gives you the list of choices. If you
select an alternate server from the list, the "Try selected
server" button ought to try the new server. Instead, the
pop-up reappears, still complaining about the old server.
As for why I'm not prepared to blame (only) the VPN:
* Note that the server is perfectly accessible; telnet works,
and Mail's Connection Doctor says the server is up.
* Point 2) above indicates some problem in Mail with the logic
for retrying access to the failed server.

Can receive but can't send mail via BT Yahoo SMTP server port 995

Suddenly I can't send mail from my BT/Yahoo account but can still receive mail. The message that i get is that it was rejected by the server. I have not changed the server - it is still SMTP via port 995, using SSL. Help!! Why should this have ocurred out of the blue and what do I do?

Hi Dancing Brave,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
I recommend starting with the steps in this article if you are not able to send mail:
OS X Mail: Troubleshooting sending and receiving email messages
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3276
Best,
Jeremy

Receiving mail, but can't send mail with attachments?

Hello,
I can't send mails anymore, I have been able to send some without any attachments (i.e. reply doesn't work as it automatically attaches the original text). This started 3 days ago. Also, my mail doesn't seem to recognize powerpoint and word docs., but I a know the people who have send me such files do not have VISTA. When I choose "open with" then it works. So I have 2 problems, one being moe urgent then the other.
1) can't send mail with attachments
2) .doc (word), .pps (powerpoint)attachments are not always recognized.
thank you all!!!

Try going into Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > select the account > account name , tap on SMTP (under the 'Outgoing Mail Server' heading) and then tap on your Primary Server and try entering your email account and password and see if it then works

Can't send Mail on dial up Earthlink?

We have set up a sub account for a grandson on Apple's Mail application. After many problems finally got Mail to receive message but can't send mail.
He gets the message: "his email earthlink.net can not be contaced on port 25, message delivery failed." The primary account works well.
He is on an eMac 10.3 with dial up to earthlink.net

Although I have cable modem service at home with Time Warner (RoadRunner), I've kept an old Earthlink dial-up account for use when traveling in case a high speed wired or wireless connection isn't available which is becoming less common.
If Earthlink is your ISP used for connecting to the internet via dial-up access, I use the following Earthlink SMTP settings for my Earthlink account.
Outgoing Mail Server: smtpauth.earthlink.net
Server Port: 25 (which should work if connecting to the internet via Earthlink dial-up access).
Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): Off or not selected.
Authentication: MD5 Challenge-Response
User Name: The entire Earthlink email address.
Password: The account's password - the same password used to check the incoming mail server for new messages.

Can´t send mail on any account

Hi,
Suddenly all of my accounts can´t send mail...
it pops up a window saying mail can´t use this smtp, and it doesn´t matter what I choose for selected server, nothing works.
And if I change the outgoing mail server settings in preferences it does not change in the pop up.
I did not change anything.
I have tried to start new account but nothing works.

Gunz,
For your .mac account, if you are using the smtp.mac.com as the Outgoing Server, change the Port to be Port 587, and test. Although you are using many different venues, more and more ISPs are blocking Port 25 for all but their own SMTP. Are the other accounts unrelated to your ISP? If so, their SMTP may need to be presented either on Port 587, or still another.
If you are having a problem with the SMTP provided by your ISP, then a change in policy may have been accompanied by a new name for their SMTP, or a new Authentication protocol.
More info, please, but first test with Port 587 and the smtp.mac.com.
Ernie

Can't send mail- password rejected

I just got a new MacBook and after setting up Mail, I can receive emails but I can't send them. I get an error message that reads "The SMTP server “smtpauth.earthlink.net” rejected the password. Please re-enter your password, or cancel." But then when I re-enter the password, it still rejects it. I've read every troubleshooting thing I can find, but nothing will solve this problem. I've checked the outgoing mail server, my user name and password and everything is correct. And I still can't send mail. HELP!

Hi
You need to check with your ISP whether or not the send mail server (SMTP) requires a password. Some do, but many do not. When you know the correct password to send mail, then you need to tell Mail as follows:
Mail menu > Preferences > Accounts > Select the account
Click on the Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) combo box, and select Edit SMTP Server List...
In the Account Information tab put the server name
In the Advanced Tab, set up the authentication information from your ISP.
Good luck
Bob

I can't send mail and I can't delete mail.

I just can't send mail but receive it just fine.
As well, deleting mail is a problem.

When this happened on my iPhone, I had to go into the mail, contacts, calendars settings and then put my password into the outgoing mail server. Not sure if this is a solution to your problem but it's always worth having a look

Can't send mail - outgoing server problem

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