Entourage is banging my ISP 1,000+ Times...Help!

[DigMar]

Hello,

I have a strange Entourage email problem for the group. I have so far
unsuccessfully searched forums and Apple for the answer to this one, so
perhaps someone here has a solution.

I am running a Power Mac G4, OSX 10.3.9, with Office 2004. My ISP
notified me, that my machine has started (since January) banging away
at her server every minute or so trying to check email with the wrong
password. (To the tune of about 500 Error log entries per day per email
box - 2 boxes in total)

Now, my Entourage is checking my mail and delivering the mail for both
accounts successfully as far as I can see. I can send and receive mail
without any errors or problems, so it is obviously something that I
can't see or monitor. Again, I can send and receive mail fine, but my
ISP says something on my machine is checking my mail with the wrong
email password(s).

Here is what I have done thus far with no success:

1. I have deleted Virtual PC - In case the Outlook in there was
causing some kind of error
2. Rebuilt my Entourage several times
3. Deleted any and all Entourage files that were backup, etc.
4. Deleted and re-added my email accounts within Entourage
5. Rebuilt permissions

I have also considered the possibility of a virus, but do not run a
virus scan software, which incidentally, leads to another offhanded
comment not related to my problem. I know many Mac people, and none use
a virus scan software. I have been on a Mac for 14 years and never used
a v-scan software. I did load Symantec a year ago or so after bowing to
marketing pressures. My machine immediately became useless, slowing to
a crawl and ultimately crashing many times. Ultimately, after much tech
support Symantec refunded my money. (No viruses ere found BTW) The
software was worse than a possible virus I was forced to conclude.
I'm sure there are millions running Symantec's V-scan software, but
for some reason it blew up my machine.

Anyway, does anyone have any idea what may be causing my unexplained
Entourage email problems? My ISP is beginning to get a bit annoyed with
1,000+ attempts on her server a day from my machine. I am single
handedly filling up her server error logs!

Thanks,

Corey

 

[mmmmark]

Hello,

I have a strange Entourage email problem for the group. I have so far
unsuccessfully searched forums and Apple for the answer to this one, so
perhaps someone here has a solution.

I am running a Power Mac G4, OSX 10.3.9, with Office 2004. My ISP
notified me, that my machine has started (since January) banging away
at her server every minute or so trying to check email with the wrong
password. (To the tune of about 500 Error log entries per day per email
box - 2 boxes in total)

Now, my Entourage is checking my mail and delivering the mail for both
accounts successfully as far as I can see. I can send and receive mail
without any errors or problems, so it is obviously something that I
can't see or monitor. Again, I can send and receive mail fine, but my
ISP says something on my machine is checking my mail with the wrong
email password(s).

Here is what I have done thus far with no success:

1. I have deleted Virtual PC - In case the Outlook in there was
causing some kind of error
2. Rebuilt my Entourage several times
3. Deleted any and all Entourage files that were backup, etc.
4. Deleted and re-added my email accounts within Entourage
5. Rebuilt permissions

I have also considered the possibility of a virus, but do not run a
virus scan software, which incidentally, leads to another offhanded
comment not related to my problem. I know many Mac people, and none use
a virus scan software. I have been on a Mac for 14 years and never used
a v-scan software. I did load Symantec a year ago or so after bowing to
marketing pressures. My machine immediately became useless, slowing to
a crawl and ultimately crashing many times. Ultimately, after much tech
support Symantec refunded my money. (No viruses ere found BTW) The
software was worse than a possible virus I was forced to conclude.
I'm sure there are millions running Symantec's V-scan software, but
for some reason it blew up my machine.

Anyway, does anyone have any idea what may be causing my unexplained
Entourage email problems? My ISP is beginning to get a bit annoyed with
1,000+ attempts on her server a day from my machine. I am single
handedly filling up her server error logs!

Thanks,

Corey

I can't speak to your error log situation, but I can recommend a free virus
scanner. Try this one: http://www.clamxav.com/. It is an OSX GUI to an
open source virus scanner.

I've been using it for awhile and am pleased. Just tell it to scan your
downloads folder (desktop or whatever you've chosen). Don't set it to use a
quarantine folder--there can be problems with it losing your email.

Good luck,
-Mark

 

[DigMar]

Mark,

Thanks for the info. Interestingly I noticed that the page you directed
me to says: "...Back in the days before OS X, the number of viruses
which attacked Macintosh users totalled somewhere between about 60 and
80. Today, the number of viruses actively attacking OS X users
is...NONE!" Interesteing if there are really.."None".

I will run and check my system, but have a feeling my Entourrage is not
virus related. We will see shortly.

 

[mmmmark]

Mark,

Thanks for the info. Interestingly I noticed that the page you directed
me to says: "...Back in the days before OS X, the number of viruses
which attacked Macintosh users totalled somewhere between about 60 and
80. Today, the number of viruses actively attacking OS X users
is...NONE!" Interesteing if there are really.."None".

I will run and check my system, but have a feeling my Entourrage is not
virus related. We will see shortly.

Yeah, I don't think it is virus related either, but I keep my computer
checked just to be sure (and so I don't inadvertently affect my PC using
brethren).

 

[DigMar]

Ah yes, I so often forget about my PC brethren living on the dark side.
They all shutter in amazement when I tell them I have no need for a
virus scan. (Other than to protect them from themselves that is) I
never want Mac to outsell the Windoze environment. There's safety in
obscurity! Who wants to bother to write a virus to take down the Mac
community.. it just ins't sexy enough and probably wouldn't make the
evening news.

I am scanning now.. nothing so far. My Entourage problem remains
however, so hopefully someone will be able to offer some help before my
ISP gives me the boot!

 

[Chris Ridd]

Ah yes, I so often forget about my PC brethren living on the dark side.
They all shutter in amazement when I tell them I have no need for a
virus scan. (Other than to protect them from themselves that is) I
never want Mac to outsell the Windoze environment. There's safety in
obscurity! Who wants to bother to write a virus to take down the Mac
community.. it just ins't sexy enough and probably wouldn't make the
evening news.

I am scanning now.. nothing so far. My Entourage problem remains
however, so hopefully someone will be able to offer some help before my
ISP gives me the boot!

A useful way to attack the problem is to use something like Little Snitch
<http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/>. It lets you know when *any*
application is trying to make a network connection, and to where.

It sounds like running the trial version will be sufficient to let you know
what's trying to connect to your ISP.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[DigMar]

Excellent. Thanks Chris, I will give that a try now.

Corey