277886 - SMTP send failed, reinstall fixes, caused by virus software

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Thunderbird :: General, defect)

Description

[Preetham Kajekar]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.5) Gecko/20041107 Firefox/1.0
Build Identifier: Thunderbird 20041206

-Every now and then, when i try to send messages, the get a the dialoag 
"Sending of messages failed. connecting to SMTP server failed...."
It happens very often and was first noticed about 4 days back.
Reinstallingg TB solves the problem but it appears again. 
-Once this happens, it keeps happening and reinstall is the only way out.
-Running : Win XP SP2 (faced probs even with SP1)
-Captured traffic and noticede thatt TB actually does not even attempt to
connect to my SMTP server. 
-Only work around at this point is reinstalling.
-Laptop has 2 cards LAN/Wireless. I connect using one or both. 


Let me know if any log files are needed

Reproducible: Sometimes

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Type mail. Try sending mail. Sometimes u get this message and then no mails
can be sent
2.
3.

Actual Results:  
The Send message failed dialog appears.
Tried restarting TB/laptop - no go

Expected Results:  
Send my mail

Comment 1

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

Please create a SMTP log and attach it (via "create new attachment" link in this
bug) : http://www.mozilla.org/quality/mailnews/mail-troubleshoot.html

Comment 2

[Preetham Kajekar]

Attachment: SMTP log file requested by the developer

- Attchd the SMTP logs. Nothing usefull found.

I noticed that
- I find this problem after reboot. I usually hibernate WinXP.
- I used LAN at office and wireless at home/office. Could switching from one to
another be causing this prob. 
- now only on wireless and sending mail not working even after re-install.

Comment 3

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

> Nothing usefull found.
Absolutely NO.

Your SMTP log says ;
> 0[274b28]: SMTP Send: MAIL FROM:<[e-mail]> SIZE=5873
> 0[274b28]: SMTP Response: 250 <[e-mail]>... Sender ok
> 0[274b28]: SMTP Send: RCPT TO:<[e-mail]>
> 0[274b28]: SMTP Response: 550 <[e-mail]>... Relaying denied

Wasn't error message of "550 Relaying denied" displayed on sending failure?

This rejection is DUP of Bug 228198 and *NOT* bug of mail client.
See Bug 228198 and contact with your provider for spam policy.

Your case sounds "POP before SMTP is required" case.
Try "Get Msg" before send mail.

Please note that "POP before SMTP" is not supported by Thunderbird.
"POP before SMTP" is achieved by one of nexts or both;
- "Get Msgs" manually, then send mail
- Set shorter time than retention period of POP authentication(depends on server)
  as automatic mail check interval.
So, if "Check for new messages at start up" is unchecked, first SMTP send after
restart of Thunderbird will be rejected, and if PC is suspended by hybernation
for long time, SMTP send after hybernation will be rejected because POP access
by "Check new message every NN minutes" could not be done while hybernation.

There is possibility of another problem in your case.
 - Automatic mail download is not done after hybernation.
If you think this problem is included in your case, get protocol log of both
POP3 and SMTP when hybernation is used.
 - set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=SMTP:5,POP3:5

Anyway, SMTP AUTH(login) is better way than "POP before SMTP", if your provider
supports SMTP AUTH(login).

Comment 4

[dgo]

I have the same bug (dialog : "Sending of messages failed. connecting to SMTP
server failed....")
Using TB 1.0.2 and Winxp sp2, wireless connection. TB don't want to send email
after an hibernation. Sometime, after reboot it is ok. Otherwise, I have to
reinstall TB to solve this problem.

Comment 5

[Jan]

Got exactly the same problem here, on Win XP SP2, TB 1.0.2 french, wireless
connection (I had the condition on a ethernet cable network desktop machine a
few days ago, but it went away after reboot, so I can't confirm it there). Details: 
- Has happened now already for the 5th time in a month;
- happens at random, but indeed I think on first send tentative after wake-up
from slumber;
- is not a "POP-before SMTP" problem: checked that (indeed, last time, I was
replying to an email I had just received);
- is not related to changing the provier or the SMTP server: it bugged today
exactly in the same conditions where it worked yesterday.
- can not be fixed by re-typing the smtp server account settings: even after
deleting all alternative servers under the "advanced" button (which just
provided a convenient way of switching smtp when switching providers), the only
correct server still gets misreported as "not responding". 
- I never succeeded in curing it by rebooting (with the possible exception of
the desktop machine above). Reinstalling is the only fix I found. Just plain
overwrite reinstallation works, one does not even have to reboot the machine. 

Let me kow if log files are needed, but tell me how to do so !-)
Jan

Comment 6

[Jan]

OK, I just managed to make logging work (nevermind the request at the end of my
previous message). The result of logging SMTP at level 1 is... empty! an empty
file. I checked by lgging both POP3 and SMPT, and POP3 logging definitely yields
a lot of entries. Attached, a log where I entered TB, checked messages, received
1 (spam), tried to send got the error dialog, then quit. 
As I said, logging only smtp yielded a blank log (even after checking messages,
and then trying to send several times, dismissing the error dialog). 
Good luck, 
Jan

Comment 7

[Jan]

Attachment: pop3 and smtp log

Here is the log. One more element: in my cases, each time this condition
arises, the smtp error dialog appears immediately after the "send" request.
There does not seem to e any network lag...

Comment 8

[Jan]

OK, I reinstalled and messages get sent again. 
Something fishy, though: the smtp log is still empty! POP3 gets logged OK. 
Here is the batch file I used for logging: 
set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=SMTP:1
set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=POP3:1
set NSPR_LOG_FILE=c:\tb_smtplog.txt
start thunderbird

Shouldn't it work?
Sorry for the many posts... 

Comment 9

[David :Bienvenu]

if we can't even connect to the smtp server, there won't be anything in the log.
This usually means that the smtp server isn't reachable at all.

you could try logging the dns lookup to see what's going on

the log module is "nsHostResolver"

I've never tried it myself, but it should work.

Comment 10

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

btw: Do you use a firewall on your system ?

Comment 11

[Jan]

I do use windows' firewall, set to allow some exceptions. 
I tried to log DNS lookup, without success. 
Here is the batch command file I used (I tried a higher number on pop3 logging
to avoir being cluttered by it):

set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=SMTP:1
set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=POP3:4
set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=nsHostResolver:1
set NSPR_LOG_FILE=c:\tb_smtplog.txt
start thunderbird

Result: blank log, after sending and then receiving successfully a test e-mail
to myself. 
???

Comment 12

[Preetham Kajekar]

I doubt it is a name lookup problem. When I was facing this (not seen this for a
while), i did check for all kind of network issues and found nothing. Also, my
incoming and SMTP srvers are the same and incoming would always work. 

Comment 13

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(In reply to comment #11)
Jan, you killed both of SMTP logging and POP3 logging. 
Use next batch.
> set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=SMTP:5,POP3:5,nsHostResolver:5
> set NSPR_LOG_FILE=c:\tb_smtplog.txt
> start thunderbird

Comment 14

[Jan]

OK, used those batch commands and i've definitely got some SMTP logging now.
That's a good place to start. Now I'll just have to wait until the next time the
error crops up and post the log... 
But I still got the feeling that TB just doesn't check. 

Comment 15

[Jan]

Attachment: pop3 and smtp log with broken SMTP

OK, here we go again. No SMTP connection possible this morning. The machine had
not been sleeping, but internet (WAN) connections had been shut off during the
night. The log attached is obtained in this condition. 

Steps to produce this log: 
- launch TB with .bat file proposed at comment 12 or 13 above
- check mail
- try to send message, dismiss error dialog stating SMTP server is not
available (the dialog appears immediately upon trying to send)
- try to send again, dismiss error dialog again
- quit TB. 

Reminder: WinXP SP2 with firewall enabled, WIFI (Intel centrino) connection to
Linksys wireless gateway (and firewall there too), TB 1.0.2 French. 
All other ntework protocols work.

Comment 16

[Jan]

Again no smtp this morning. This happened after a hard reboot, so it seems that
it is not a hibernation problem. 

Comment 17

[John Petrosky]

This problem is most likely the result of a misconfiguration of the user's virus
scanning and or firewall software. I have recently solved this problem with a
user who was using McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.0.

By default, SMTP port 25 is blocked. The port 25 block is implemented to keep
mass-mailing viruses such as Bagle and Netsky from mass mailing from the user's
workstation. McAfee does have an allow list of approved processes. However, upon
installation it does not appear that it includes Thunderbird as an approved
process. (This may only occur if VScan is installed PRIOR to installing TB.)

While the following procedures are specific to McAfee (running under Win32),
they should be applicable to other Virus Scanning products.

Procedures:

Disable the On-Access Scanner (right click on McAfee icon in task bar).
Attempt to send mail, mail should now send successfully.
If successful, renable On-Access Scanner and proceed as follows.
Open VirusScan console.
Open Properties page for Access Protection.
Choose the Port Blocking Tab.
Remove the checkbox from port 25 blocking.
Apply and save changes, double check to see if change is in effect.
Attempt to send mail, mail should send successfully.
If successful, go back to the Port Blocking Tab and check port 25 blocking.
Edit the entry for port 25. Under approved processes make sure the following
processes are listed:  thunderbird.exe THUNDER~1.EXE
Save and double check changes.
Attempt to send mail, mail should send successfully.
If successful, problem is resolved, virus scanning is unaffected, and SMTP port
blocking is still active for all unapproved processes.

It also appears that reinstalling Thunderbird works to solve the problem
temporarily, but as soon as the workstation is rebooted or exits hibernation,
the port block is back in effect.

Comment 18

[brian]

I was having the same problem until my provider started allowing the use of an
alternate SMTP port.  No I don't have the problem.  When I went back to look a
McAfee, SMTP port 25 was blocked.  I agree that this was a problem with McAfee
blocking the SMTP port.

Comment 19

[Jan]

(In reply to comment #17)
Right! I had McAfee viruscan enabled on my workstation, and disbabling the
blocking of port 25 solved the problem for now. 
It should be noted thed that "thunderbird.exe" appeared several times is the
allowed exceptions lst, but this was useless since the process was called
"THUNDE~1.EXE" on my machine. 
*BEWARE*: the exception must be called "THUNDE~1.EXE" and not "THUNDER~1.EXE" as
suggested in post 17 (excerpt quoted below). 

Anyway, thanks a lot for finding this, if it is a permanent fix indeed it's
marvelous! Why reinstallation fixed the condition temporarily, until it broke
again at some random time, and why thunderbird appearedin the allowed exception
with a wrong name, remains a mystery. 

> If successful, go back to the Port Blocking Tab and check port 25 blocking.
> Edit the entry for port 25. Under approved processes make sure the following
> processes are listed:  thunderbird.exe THUNDER~1.EXE

Comment 20

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

closing per comment 18 and comment 19 => virus software.
if you still see this problem on a current version, please reopen the bug.