Outlook Express and PDF files

[DebbyWilford]

I am having a problem in the network in my office and sorry to say I am the resident IT person (the bookkeeper), lucky me.

We often have to scan documents (in PDF form) and send them across the network and across the internet to others in the office or lenders and realitors outside the office.  All the computers in our network are Dells and the ones I am having trouble with are 260's with 40 GB hard drives, 512k RAM and running W2k.

2 of these computers, there are 8 all together, are having trouble sending email with PDF attachments.  We can send the exact same email and attachment from another computer but these 2 will not allow the email to go.  Sometimes it locks up the program and other times it will simply bounce the message back.  We had been advised by someone at our ISP that the reason the messages where bouncing back was that our mail server would not allow an attachment the size we were sending (20mg) to go.  This did not make sense really because another computer in the network could send the same attachment but we took that into consideration.  We acquired a program to host our own email so that the only limit on the size was our hard drive.  These 2 computers are still having  problems and one of them is a recent problem.  He did not have problems before and does now.  I am guessing this is a setting on their computers but heck if I know where it is or how to change it.

Can you help me?  The boss is 1 of the 2 having a problem and he is UPSET.

[soybean]

Could this possibly apply to you: You cannot send messages that contain an attachment in Outlook 2000 or Outlook Express 5.5 for Windows 2000

As I understand you, you no longer use your former ISP to send these files.  Is that right?  What is the "program to host our own email"?  Do you mean you opened a special email account with a vendor offering high capacity email service?  Or, do you mean a program installed on your computers?

Even if that's the case, what about the limitations of the recipient's ISP?  Could this still be a problem?  

20MB is a very large file to be sending via email.  Could you break those scanned documents down into smaller PDF's and send the smaller files?  

I think an alternative to emailing large PDF's would be to get a web hosting account and upload PDF files to a web server.  You could publish a simple web page with links to the PDF's.  Does the company already have a website?  Are these documents too private in nature for such distribution?  For more privacy under this approach, emailing links to the files rather than putting them on a web page would be an option.

[DebbyWilford]

We still use the same ISP.  We purchased Merak Mail to host our email on our own server and our connection is T-1.  These people even have in office trouble.  We are talking send a message down the hall to our server then back down the hall the other way to someone else in the office.  No internet involved.

I know that 20 MB is large but the paradox is that the same 20MB file can be emailed from another computer with the same hardware and software, in the same building on the same network.  The others can consistently email files this big and the 2 in question can not.  The real question in my mind is why can 6 computers that are just the same as these to do it and not these 2?

As for the files these are closing documents for land purchases.  We are a title company so yes the documents are different from buyer to buyer and contain VERY sensitive information.  They would be HUDs, loan numbers and amounts, social security numbers, ...

And this information would change from one file to another.  If you close 80 or 90 files each month you could not post this information anywhere that someone could "access" them because if by chance some hacker got into your system you might as well say "Please, steal this person's identity and let me help you with all this information." as well as the other 79 people we did business this month.  Besides you would have to have someone employed full time just to change it from one hour to the next.  If we can't hire a full time IT person we sure can't hire someone to do that.

[DebbyWilford]

Sorry I did not answer one of your questions.  They do not have a limit on the size of attachments at our ISP.  They knew this was a problem when we got the program.  Merak mail is the progam they use as an ISP and while I can set a attachment size limit in the program there is none so that they can send any size they want.  This was our ISP's suggestion to get around the size limit impossed by our mail servce provider which was not our ISP.  They had a working relationship to the company we purchased our domain names from.

10 years ago they helped us set up our network and can help us with somethings but are far to busy to help us find little bugs like this.  We live is a small town and have tried other "professionals" in the area but they are far less reliable and harder to get a phone call from much less a visit.

[soybean]

Well, it's unfortunate you can't find a good consultant; I think a good one could provide some valuable help in this matter.

I now understand the sensitive nature of your documents and your concerns about uploading them to a web server for access by outsiders.  But, for internal communication, have you explored other ways of sharing documents, besides email?  You say you have a server in the office for internal use.  Do you put any files ON the server so that anyone in the office can access them?   Perhaps a Network Hard Drive such as this one from Western Digital would be a solution for internal purposes:  320 GB, 7200 RPM, 8 MB CacheWDXE3200JB.

Concerning your question about the two computers that won't send email like the others, I don't know.  Did you read the link I posted in my previous message?  An extreme approach would be to format the hard drive on those two computers and reinstall Win 2K and see it that solves the problem.  

[DebbyWilford]

We do have most of our documents saved to the server and so in most situations anyone can pull up any document generated within our office right off of the server.  In fact the two pieces of proprietory software we use that are made just for title companies are on the server with local installs for each machine in the building.  

The problem is when we have to go to a source outside our database for docs or information and then have to send that to whomever is working a file.  Another problem lies in the fact that the boss is computer illiterate and thinks that if we just do the right thing and have the right program and hold our mouth just right we will eliminate all problems with the network and with email.  He does not get it is not a perfect system and never will be.  The more computers you link the more chance for bugs.  And how do you fix that?  Sorry, venting.

The server has 4 - 73 GB hard drives on it.  In addition to our server, we have a powervault that has 4 160 GB harddrives.  The smallest hard drive on an individual computer is 40 GB and most of them do not store their data on their on machine.  I do but I am a bird of a different feather.  So I don't think space is our problem as there is plenty of hard drive space on the server, the powervault and on all the machines.  

You may find this amusing but one of the two computers that we are having problems with is one that we recently had to format - in a manner of speaking.  The hard drive was going out and we backed everything up and got a brand new, clean as a whistle drive from Dell and reinstalled all the programs and files.  It is even possible that this may have been the point in time that she was no longer able to send PDF attachments.  She can send other types of attachments just not the scans we do of documents that come in from other places.  The programs we have will generated an attachment that she does not have trouble sending.  Jo just cannot remember when she began having this problem and since this is my second job they try not to bug me unless they cannot work.

In addition to working out all the bugs in our software, I fix the computers and anything else that breaks in our office, order all equipment and software, manage all vendors, plan all trips and mange the finances in two business, a partnership, several trust and individuals.  Fortunately they don't call me until they cannot manage any more or unless the computer or program is down and they can not work.  So they could have a problem for a while before I am aware of it.  On the other hand, if the boss cannot remember how to turn his computer off I get a call.

[soybean]

Debby, I suggest you consider some solutions other than Outlook Express for sending these large files.  Do you have Outlook in the office?  If so, and it's on the two computers that have problems using Outlook Express to send these files, try using Outlook.

And, two other options come to mind: Windows Messenger and NetMeeting.   Windows Messenger is, as you may know, an instant messaging program, but it also allows users to Share Photos, Documents, Applications & More.  If you'd like some help in testing it, let me know, either by posting here or sending a PM (Private Message) from this forum.  NetMeeting, an online collaboration tool, also can be used for sending files.  I recently experienced it for the first time when a friend introduced me to it.  And, we tested the sending of files to each other; it worked.  NetMeeting is free and can be used on any Windows OS starting from Win 98 up through Win XP.

Still another option: Can access you email via a web browser?  If use Outlook Express with my Earthlink account, but I can also access my mail by going to www.earthlink.net, clicking on the Web Mail link at the top of the page, and logging on to my email account.  From that browser (I use Internet Explorer)   window, I can compose messages and I can attach any file on my computer to a message.  

[DebbyWilford]

Thanks for you help.  I will try experimenting with messenger.  Is Windows Messenger the same as MSN messenger?   I am guessing it is but wanted to be sure.  We use MSN, AOL and Trillian in the office depending on what our lenders and realitors use.  I am certain that the computers in question have Outlook as we all have MS Office on our computers.  I have not had any experience with NetMeeting but will definitely look into that also.

I have talked with another source (a programer friend) in addition to chatting with you and he told me that he thinks I am on the right trail thinking it is a memory problem with the machines.  When the boss tried to send his 3 MB PDF file he told me himself that he had open 4 or 5 other programs at the same time, and knowing him it was more.  I never work on his computer that he does not have 2 or 3 explorer windows open, 2 email programs as well as 2 or 3 applications.  I am also relatively sure that Jo had multiple programs open on her machine at the same time she was trying to send her file the day we were having so much trouble.  The other guy I talked to yesterday suggested that I have them close all programs, restart the machine and then open only the email program and try and send the email.  He also suggested I increase the virtual memory settings but I had already done that.  If that work it would be a good litmus test for whether or not this was a memory problem.

We shall see.  Thanks for your help and if I find something that works or that it is definitely a memory problem I will post another reply here.

Thanks again.

[soybean]

Windows Messenger is not the same as MSN messenger.  However, if you already have MSN messenger, you should be able to use it to send files, according the info I see MSN Messenger Version 7.0.  If you want to install Windows Messenger, go to Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, click on the button on the left side of the panel, the button named Add/Remove Windows Components, scroll down to the list of components until you see Windows Messenger, and select it for installation.

I'm skeptical of the shortage of memory theory.  As a test, I sent a 10MB file to myself yesterday and had no problem.  My OS is Win XP, with 512MB memory.  Your computers have 512MB, right?  In your first post, you said "512k"; I presume you intended to say 512MB.  

Anyway, I think you have better options than Outlook Express.  Since you have Office, why not transition to Outlook for email?  It will take awhile to get used to it but, in the long run, I think your office will be better off it they use Outlook for email.

[DebbyWilford]

I cannot tell you why they use Outlook Express unless it is that they were using it long before we all had MS Office.  The other business here is a law office and law office's worship (or used to) at the alter of WordPerfect.  The law office has been in operation for about 30 years and the owner opened the Title Company about 9 years ago so they have always used WordPerfect and Outlook Express.  They acquired MS Office when they began getting lots of docs in Word and had trouble opening them without having to completely reformat the doc so now we have both.

You are correct about my mistake on the memory I did mean 512 MB for RAM.  The reason I thought is was a memory problem is that I have 6 other machines just like these 2 and they have no problem at all so I am guessing it is a problem with the computer itself.  Either hardware or software configurations.

The next hurdle would be to try and get the entire office to switch to Outlook.  We shall see how that goes.

[Rob Pomeroy]

Do it.  WordPerfect and Outlook Express are just not up to snuff these days.  (I used to be a huge WordPerfect fan, and say that with some regret.  The reveal codes feature blew away all of Microsoft's formatting foibles at the time.)

[DebbyWilford]

I am an old WordPerfect girl myself but MS products just work better with other MS products and we want to move him off of WP to Word but he won't budge.  I have 2 other staff members (that is 3 out of 10 and we have all been here years where everyone else leaves as often as he changes his socks) trying to help me to get him to change but it is a NO GO.

Unfortunately I have virtually no power to change things but am held responsible for them anyway.  When I get really annoyed about it all I just tell him I can't help him he will have to hire someone to do it and besides I am too busy with the books.

I was a tax accountant in a firm for 5 years before I worked for him and he used to try and get me to do returns when I first got here too but I flat out refused.  I told him I was not qualified to do tax returns and he would have to send them to a professional.  We went round and round about that.  When I get tired of being chewed on about how things should work in his mind I tell him "I'm sorry, I can't do that call _________ ."  They then tell  him exactly what I have been telling him - it doesn't work that way and he goes "Oh, well OK."  As if he had not been told that before.

Switching him to Word is a whole other deal.  We have tons of network problems with WP that they won't even talk to us about if we pay them $125 an hour.  "That is not a WP problem it is a network problem" and they cannot help us.  We just quit calling about 2 years ago.  I told him he would have to switch or live with it.  He decided to live with it until next time then throw a fit about it - while still living with it.  Go figure.  You would think if you said here is a solution that will eliminate these problems he would jump at it but he does not want to learn any new programs.  EVER!

It is a control issue.  He has LOTS of them.  He wants to do what he wants, the way he wants and he wants you to make it work.  Sometimes you just have to say tough and just walk off and leave him to himself.

I am talking to the only other semi-techie in the office we will see what we can do.

Thanks

[Rob Pomeroy]

Sounds like someone needs to give the old chauvanist a good slapping...

[DebbyWilford]

Could be.  But since he's a lawyer who is gonna do it.  I'll get tired of this one day and go do something else.  I change careers every few years.  Decide - "OK, I know how to do that now, what else can I do."  I guess that is part of the reason I got "so many skills", cause I can't decide what I want to be when I grow up.

I have thought a lot about taking some more courses and learning more about computers and getting a job somewhere as an IT person.

I've done lots of things but they all had to do with one of two things; computers or numbers.  I may go back to teaching high school math in a couple of years.  I liked that and loved the kids.  I still see my students all around and they ask me when I'm going back even though they aren't in school any more.  If you hear some story about a lawyer in East Texas being mysteriously killed with computer components you will know I had enough and left.  I will mouse or keyboard him to death.  Maybe they won't catch me.

[Rob Pomeroy]

Rest assured none of us will turn you in.

Unless the reward is very big.