I run Windows 98 with Outlook Express. Ever since starting my account with my new ISP my email has not been functioning effectively. Sending short text messages is usually not a problem, but sending larger messages or messages with attachments (Word files, small graphics etc) causes Outlook (and my ISP’s own email service most of the time) to infinitely try to send the message, without it ever actually being sent. For instance, Outlook displays ’sending message’ on the task bar for ages, and it eventually times out, or the Sending Message window displays for a long time with constant ’server has not responded for X seconds’ messages. Sending messages from elsewhere (work for instance), the messages, regardless of size, send instantly. Are my Outlook/IE4/general settings at fault, or is it a problem with my ISP?

There could be a number of reasons that you cannot send large files over email. Sometimes, ISPs have limits on the size of files which can be sent. A good idea would be to ask someone else who uses the same ISP as you do, to send you a large file and see if you can receive the file. In any event, I suggest that you contact your ISP to ask them this question because it is obviously an ISP/Client problem (since it only started after swapping ISPs). Sorry that I could not provide more assistance.