202426 - Send Message Error, but mail is sent

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(MailNews Core :: Networking: SMTP, defect)

Description

[Ryan Means]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4b) Gecko/20030417
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4b) Gecko/20030417

When I try to send a message using a secure connection to my SMTP server, I will
occasionally get an error:

Send Message Error

Sending of message failed.
The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server
mail.law.berkeley.edu failed...etc.

However, in the Sending Messages status box, the progress bar is full and the
status reads "Mail sent successfully". When I check with the recipient, they say
that they did in fact receive the message. 

This problem only happens occasionally, and I can't seem to create a particular
situation in which it always occurs.

Reproducible: Sometimes

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Compose Message
2. Send Message


Actual Results:  
Error dialog appears but message is still sent

Expected Results:  
Sent the message without an error dialog

Comment 1

[Christian Eyrich]

Since this is only occasionally it's really hard to track.

Is the mail that hasn't been send in the Sent folder anyway or just gone in the
electronic nowhere?

Do you use more than this one SMTP server for sending mails? And if so, does
this although happen when sendig via other servers?

Do you think, there was really an error connecting to the server or is it just
Mozilla choking (maybe the server is known as unrealiable, or when using other
apps you also have problems)?

Did you sometimes get error messages and the mail wasn't handled as everything's
right?

Comment 2

[Richard G. Roman]

I can confirm this bug on Windows NT with Mozilla 1.4, although it does not
appear on Windows 2000. Downgrading to 1.3.1 fixed the problem.

I tried using "nc -l -p 25", and thus emulating an smtp. Mozilla reported the
error when the "smtp" first replied with the 250 code.

Hope this helps and I wrote it to the right place... :)

Comment 3

[George F. VerDuin]

I have a progressivly developing case of this bug.
It began Early January with random occurance that (I seem to recall) self-clear
the "Send Error" window.
Now at the end of January it happens consistently with each message and is
persistent and does not clear the window without clicking "OK".
When it began, it was accompanied by a significant new delay in completing the
transmission even on non-errored messages.

No change in platform since installation of most recent kernal.
  Mozilla 1.5 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv; 1.5) Gecko/20031007
  Red Hat 8.0 - Kernal 2.4.20-27.8
  AMD MP 2000+
  ISP - SBC Ameritech POP/SMTP
  LAN /w Speedstream hub & port

Message is sent but not filed in "sent" folder.
Progress bar in "Send" window remains empty.
Outlook Express on same LAN uneffected.
NOTE: see also bug 163892 for expansion on subject
This is taken to SBC tech desk in past week.

Note-2: I have trouble getting this bug to select using bugzilla search engine.
 I found it via link from 163892...

Comment 4

[George F. VerDuin]

Since comment #3, this error has been 100% involked on sending mail.
The work-around is to:
1) Click "Send" icon
2) See "Sending Message - <subject>" window report "Delivering Mail..."
3) See "error" window as described.
4) click on desktop but off window.
5) click on compose window - see "Sending Message" window report "Mail send
successfully"
6) click on OK in "error" window.
7) click on "X" to close compose window - see "save?" window pop up.
8) click on "save" to cause message to go to drafts folder
9) move messages from draft to sent folder.

The following changes to configuration:
a) Mozilla is now rev 1.6 [gecko 20040113]
b) speadstream is replaced by Cayman 3546 gateway & switch

System requirements are all present and of higher than minimum revision.

Comment 5

[lesndave]

I, too have this problem ALL the time now, on a win2k machine.  I am new to
Mozilla, but... this is getting old Fast.  Sometimes the "message delivered
successfully" message in the background is absent, ... and it still is trying to
deliver, but on EVERY message now, I get "Message send error ...blahblah" even
when the message went.  Can we get this off of "uncomfirmed"?

Comment 6

[lesndave]

(In reply to comment #5)
> I, too have this problem ALL the time now, on a win2k machine.  I am new to
> Mozilla, but... this is getting old Fast.  Sometimes the "message delivered
> successfully" message in the background is absent, ... and it still is trying to
> deliver, but on EVERY message now, I get "Message send error ...blahblah" even
> when the message went.  Can we get this off of "uncomfirmed"?

Oh, and I, too, have Mozilla 1.6 Gecko/20040113

Comment 7

[lesndave]

Tonight I sent two messages without error.  Go figure.  One short. one short
with a long attachment.  Glad for the change... but not holding breath.

Comment 8

[Chris Lancaster]

I posted my report here, I supose I should have posted here perhaps, as this
seems to be a more current bug report... (sorry I am new to bugzilla etc.)

http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=163892#c15

Comment 9

[Chris Lancaster]

Attachment: Screen Capture of SMTP Error message

Comment 10

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

do you still have this problem?

Comment 11

[Richard G. Roman]

I do not have access to a Windows NT machine anymore, and in my case the bug was Win NT specific.

(In reply to comment #10)
> do you still have this problem?
> 

Comment 12

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Copying my comment from bug 163892:

This bug plagues me. See the previous attachment.

I use IMAP to read and organise my mail, and I store my sent mail on the IMAP
server so I can read it from other computers. At random points in time, I will
receive a "Sending of message failed" error while, at the same time, the status
bar shows that the message *WAS* sent.

Sending mail presumably takes a two-step process: Step 1 is to send the mail
via SMTP. Step 2 is to copy the mail into the Sent folder on IMAP. If Step 1
fails, I have no choice but to send the message again to force the mail into
Sent. The mail **WAS SENT** but the compose window just sits there looking
stupid. Nothing gets copied into Sent. So I can but dump duplicate mails on the
recipient (great fun if they have large attachments) until Thunderbird is
willing to acknowledge that the send operation worked.

Switching away from the compose window while it sends -- despite the overall
CPU usage only being in the 20-30% range -- seems to notably increase the odds
that Thunderbird will fail to recognise that the message sent. (I don't have
Windows set to prioritise frontmost applications.)

I am not using any authentication for SMTP or anything fancy.

Thunderbird 2.0.0.4, Windows 2000.

Comment 13

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Attachment: Inconsistent mail status in Thunderbird

A screenshot showing the error dialog incorrectly contradicting the status bar.

Comment 15

[st601486]

Hi,

If it's any help, I used to notice a similar problem.  If I remember right, it seemed to happen if the SMTP server abruptly "hung up" on the TLS session.  But it was kind of a "race condition".  That is, if the FIN/ACK came back fast enough after the SMTP QUIT, I didn't get the error.  That is, all the SMTP commands were completed correctly, the TCP session was closing too fast, so, per the specification, Thunderbird was reporting an error. Or something like that.

But whatever.  I generally just ignore the error message.  I can poke around if my notes and get more details if you want.  I just saw this thread and decided to throw 2 cents in.  Yeah, it's been two years but  ...

-K

Comment 16

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

(In reply to comment #15)

> But whatever.  I generally just ignore the error message.  I can poke around if
> my notes and get more details if you want.  I just saw this thread and decided
> to throw 2 cents in.  Yeah, it's been two years but  ...

We'd be interested for sure.

Comment 17

[[e-mail]]

Attachment: 1st dialogue box says mail sent successfully, after timeout error message pops up, But mail is sent

Confirmation of bug in Thunderbird 7.01, sending via MS Exchange with STARTTLS, port 587, normal password

Comment 18

[[e-mail]]

Attachment: Log of the smtp communication between Thunderbird and Exchange

This is a logfile of the smtp communication between Thunderbird and Exchange ending with a 2.6.0 mail queued for delivery. The mail is indeed sent, but Thunderbird doesn't close the send dialogue and after some time issues the error message: "mail could not be sent because server timed out"

Comment 19

[Semyon Volkov]

I have the same error. It affected on near 7 Thunderbird 12.0.1 installation on different OS (Windows XP, Ubuntu linux). I connect to MS Exchange server via IMAP4 (SSL/TLS + normal password) and SMTP (STARTTLS + normal passowrd). 

"The mail is indeed sent, but Thunderbird doesn't close the send dialogue and after some time issues the error message: "mail could not be sent because server timed out" - Comment 18

Comment 20

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(In reply to [e-mail] from comment #18)
> Created attachment 568378 [details]
> Log of the smtp communication between Thunderbird and Exchange
> The mail is indeed sent, but Thunderbird doesn't close the send dialogue
> and after some time issues the error message: "mail could not be sent because server timed out"

After successful mail send, Tb issues QUIT, and waits for 221 response to QUIT.
> Example of smtp11.dti.ne.jp :
> 00000607 0.47785458 [4748] 0[192c140]: SMTP Response: 250 2.0.0 o7I5LfcG023320 Message accepted for delivery 
> 00000616 0.47839600 [4748] 0[192c140]: SMTP Send: QUIT  
> 00000667 0.49194354 [4748] 0[192c140]: SMTP Response: 221 2.0.0 smtp11.dti.ne.jp closing connection

"221 response to QUIT" is not seen in your SMTP log. MS Exchange's SMTP server perhaps closes connection just after "221 response"(or may close connection without "221 response"). It may be SSL relevant phenomenon.

(In reply to Semyon Volkov from comment #19)
> It affected on near 7 Thunderbird 12.0.1 installation on different OS (Windows XP, Ubuntu linux). I connect to MS Exchange server via IMAP4 and SMTP.

"Connection loss before 221 response to QUIT" in Tb 12 is currently processed by bug 758878. See bug 758878 comment #22, please.

Comment 21

[LW]

I have always had this issue, including latest build - 16.0.2

But, it occurs when I send mails with large attachments ~ around 18-25MBs
(inline images mostly),

I have tried to change timeout,
In one older build, do not remember which, it happened less than now.

Comment 22

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

Removing myslef on all the bugs I'm cced on. Please NI me if you need something on MailNews Core bugs from me.

Comment 23

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

semyon, mwi, LW, or anyone...

do you still see this problem?