Microsoft KB Archive/176731

Knowledge Base

OL97: Error Message: No Transport Provider Was Available for Delivery to This Recipient

Article ID: 176731

Article Last Modified on 1/22/2007

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Outlook 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q176731

SYMPTOMS

When you send an e-mail message, you may receive an undeliverable message from the System Administrator. The body of the error message is as follows:

No transport provider was available for delivery to this recipient.

CAUSE

This issue can occur for several reasons, which include:

• A damaged personal folder (.pst) file.
• No mail transport service in the mail profile.
• You are using the CompuServe mail transport.
• You upgraded your Microsoft Network (MSN) mail from Classic to POP3/SMTP.
• A damaged contact.
• An apostrophe in your computer name.
• Outlook is not properly configured for offline folder use.
• The mail server requires that the addresses be enclosed in angle brackets (<>).
• An incorrect e-mail type.
• No delivery or address type for Microsoft Mail service

RESOLUTION

This section contains a resolution for each of the preceding causes. To resolve this issue, determine which cause produces this issue in your case. For additional information about troubleshooting procedures, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

161973 OL97: Troubleshooting Outlook Configuration Problems

After you determine the cause of the issue, locate that cause in this section.

A Damaged Personal Folder File

Remove the personal folder (.pst) file from your mail profile and add a new one:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Mail or Mail and Fax icon.
3. Click the personal folder, click Remove, and then click Yes.
4. Click Add, click Personal Folders, and then click OK. Type a name for the folder, click Open, click OK, and then click OK again.

NOTE: All mail messages, contacts, tasks, journal entries, appointments, and so on, will remain in your old .pst file. If you import information from your old .pst file to the new .pst file, damaged information may also be imported.

No Mail Transport Service in the Mail Profile

Add the proper mail transport to your mail profile:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Mail or Mail and Fax icon.
3. Click Add, and then click to select the mail transport service that you want to install. Click OK.
4. Enter the information as requested for the mail transport that you are installing.

You Are Using the CompuServe Mail Transport

For additional information about configuring Outlook with the CompuServe mail transport, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

170694 OL97: Unable to Send Mail Using the CompuServe Mail Service

You Upgraded Your MSN Mail From Classic to POP3/SMTP

Change the e-mail type from MSN (or MSNINET) to SMTP:

1. Open a contact, right-click the e-mail address, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Addressing tab, and then type SMTP next to E-mail type.
3. Click Save and Close to close the contact.

An E-mail type of MSN or MSNINET is not recognized as a valid e-mail type with the Internet mail transport.

A Damaged Contact

Delete and re-create the contact:

1. Delete the contact:
   1. In the Contact folder, click to select the damaged contact.
   2. On the Edit menu, click Delete, or press CTRL+D to delete the contact.
2. Create a new contact:
   1. On the Contact menu, click New Contact.
   2. Enter the information in the Contact form, and then click Save and Close.

An Apostrophe in Your Computer Name

Remove the apostrophe from your computer name:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Network icon.
3. Click the Identification tab, and then type a new name for your computer that does not contain an apostrophe.

Outlook Is Not Properly Configured for Offline Folder Use

To configure Outlook for offline folder usage:

1. On the Tools menu, click Services.
2. Click Microsoft Exchange Server, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Offline Folder File Settings.
4. Either type the path or browse to the file that you want to use as the offline folder file.
5. Click OK if you receive the following message:

   path file_name.ost could not be found. Would you like to create it?

6. Click OK, and then click to select the Choose the connection type when starting check box on the General tab.
7. Click OK, and then click OK again.
8. On the Tools menu, point to Synchronize, and then click All Folders.
   
   NOTE: You must be connected to the server for this step.

The Mail Server Requires That Addresses Be in Angle Brackets

Some Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) servers require that addresses be enclosed in angle brackets. This is particularly true for older mail server systems. In addition, your e-mail name, which is defined in the Internet e-mail information service properties, must also be enclosed in angle brackets.

If your SMTP server requires that addresses be enclosed in angle brackets, the e-mail addresses should have the following format:

<someone@microsoft.com>

Check with your Internet service provider (ISP) for the addressing requirements.

To enable recipients with newer servers to reply to your messages, you must type your e-mail name in the Reply Name box without angle brackets.

An Incorrect E-mail Type

Determine whether the e-mail type is something other than what the mail server requires, and if it is, change the e-mail type for your contact (this is also the cause in the "You Updated Your MSN Mail from Classic to POP3/SMTP" section of this article):

1. On the Go menu, click Contacts.
2. Open the contact that is generating the error message.
3. Right-click the e-mail address, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
4. Click the Addressing tab, and then type SMTP next to E-mail type, if the box is blank or contains something different than SMTP. There must be a value in this box.
5. Click OK, and then click Save and Close.

NOTE: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the standard Internet e-mail type. If you are unsure what e-mail type your server uses, contact your Internet service provider (ISP).

No Delivery or Address Type for Microsoft Mail Service

This issue can occur if you are using Outlook with the Corporate or Workgroup (CW) setup option, the Microsoft Mail service is in your profile, and the delivery options or address type settings are incorrect. To check these settings:

1. Quit Outlook.
2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click the Mail or Mail and Fax icon.
4. If you have more than one profile, click Show Profiles.
5. On the General tab, click your Microsoft Mail profile, and then click Properties.
6. Click the Services tab, click Microsoft Mail, and then click Properties.
7. Click the Delivery tab, make sure both the Enable Outlogin mail Delivery and Enable Incoming mail Delivery check boxes are selected, and then click Address Types.
8. Make sure that at least one address type is listed and selected, click OK, click OK, click OK, and then click Close.

MORE INFORMATION

Troubleshooting Damaged .pst Files

For additional information about troubleshooting damaged .pst files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

161323 OL97: Undeliverable Mail Message When Sending Internet Mail

161973 OL97: Troubleshooting Outlook Configuration Problems

Installing and Configuring Mail Transports

For additional information about installing and configuring mail transports, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

162203 User Profiles and Information Services

Configuring CompuServe Mail

Additional query words: NDR 8.0 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb KB176731

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