Hi dl65,
Yes I can send and receive messages no problem also send attachments, I haven't received one yet though.
I have another computer (stand alone, not networked) with XP Home SP1 with exactly the same set up or options and can forward and reply with no problem. ISP was the same( long story, I am using the old pc with a free offer from a dsl isp that I received with the new pc) OE is the default email on the new pc too. Checked with the isp to make sure it's configured correctly. But since I haven't seen anyone else with this problem I'm obviously doing something wrong.
Thank you and Merlin_2 for your attention to this problem.