Am trying to do a repair install to resolve an e-mail problem. I can send and receive ok via the ISP webmail but there is some kind of issue with my regular client - SeaMonkey  Mail in this instance - resulting in my being unable to send in particular, but the same problem exists with Outlook if I try that. It would seem to be something to do with "permissions" as far as I can make out.

Not having the knowledge to tackle this- ISP not helpful since from their point of view mail can at least be sent and received, I thought a repair install to be the best option to try next, being familiar with this process. However, on this installation the usual setup files simply fail to load, either with an ide or usb cd connection.

Is there any likely explanation for this? I have XP installed on D drive with the C drive for the page file in FAT 32. Could this have any relevance? Surely that should not make any difference and setup should just go ahead in the usual way?

Any thoughts appreciated!

Hi,

Turning off Windows Firewall seems to have kickstarted the Webmail referred to earlier, but did not help with the e-mail apps, so Firewall not the factor. In fact there is not presently AV on the installation in question, either, ruling that out.

I have just been over every aspect of the SeaMail configuration to make sure that it is identical to a working configuration on this laptop.

SeaMail just "times out" now when attempting to connect - send error message is just "unable to connect". With Outlook I can receive but when sending get the error message that the server rejects this as I am "not allowed to send mail to ( whichever mail address it is, even my own). Error 550 0x800CCC79

As for the repair install, no error message as such. The CD spins up as usual when loading up files but the usual screen never appears and then the CD just gradually winds down with nothing further happening.

Haven't got into imaging yet so this is quite a critical option to have back. Well, I couldn't even do a full reinstall as it stands! Nothing wrong with optical units. I was not intending to use recovery console, but the repair option alternative along with fresh install. Re-doing Microsoft updates is usually a far better option than all the other re-installs/hotkey resets /tweaks etc.

Any clues here?

Thanks for your interest!

Hi again!
Have tried the TCP/IP suggestion without success!
XP CD reads fine.
Have installed Paragon Partition Manager. Am trying to eliminate the "C" Pagefile Drive, which I can only imagine may be the problem.

Have put the pagefile back on "D", the OS Drive, so that C drive is hopefully now redundant.

I can see however, that C Drive is set as Primary, and D Drive as Logical. Is this perhaps where the problem lies?

Is it possible to have the D drive as the Primary drive by deleting C (... Partition Manager warning " You are destroying a bootable partition)!"), or would this render the OS unbootable?

I am familiar with the idea of having the pagefile on a separate hard drive altogether, but on this install it was more convenient to keep the pagefile on the main drive in the first instance, and I have seen the idea of D rather than C drive for the OS as a security measure in any case, and the hope in this instance was to maximise performance in the placement of the pagefile there at the same time.

Is there something that should have been done differently in the initial setup to avoid the kinds of difficulties now apparent, or is there no connection?