Corrupt email message

[lookingforsupport]

I am trying to help a nonagenarian with a problem whereby her iPad email app crashes as soon as the page opens, because of a corrupt message on the server. Problem started when she tried to send an email, and got an error code 10006, valid email address required. Since then, her email simply crashes on opening. I have cleared all the folders, trash, outgoing, drafts, etc etc, all of them. (by logging into her email on browser.) She needs to be able to get her email the way she has always been able.  BT refuses to help because I don't have her entire life history, and they think I may be some sort of terrorist. I just, simply, want this corrupt message to be removed from the server, because iPad email won't work while it keeps trying to send this corrupt message. Thanks.

[gg30340]

Are you able to send and receive emails when you log onto the BTMail account via a web browser (web mail)

If there is a "corrupted" message on the server, when you log onto her email account via webmail (using a browser) you should be able to see where the "corrupted" email is located. It will either be in the Draft folder or the Sent folder and you should be able to delete it.

If you are able to send and receive emails via webmail and there is no "corrupted" email showing in the account it is more likely that the problem is with the email app on the iPad.

It may be that you will have to delete the email account from the iPad and then set it up again. 

If you do that make sure you use the correct settings as per the following link.

What are the settings for outgoing and incoming BT Email servers? | BT Help

I very much doubt that BT think you are a terrorist and they are correct in not assisting you to access her email account without her express permission to BT. While you know who you are and your relationship to her BT don't.

I suspect you would be annoyed if BT assisted anybody other than you to access your email account on the callers say so.

[lookingforsupport]

Thanks for taking time to offer input, it's appreciated.  I can send and receive messages via browser, with no let or hindrance. I used that channel to clear all sent messages, outgoing, draft, temporary, and every other folder imaginable. There are no hiding places in which this message can be hidden.  I deleted the account and reestablished it. This allowed the iPad Mail app to work perfectly for 3 days. It started to crash again, so the lady brought it back to me. When I 'double tap' the home button, to see the running apps, sure enough the rogue message is back there as the 'running Mail app.' though the app itself will not maintain an open window.

The message is the exact same one, and has the exact same error message.

This is after emptying all the folders, deleting the app then re-establishing it.

Yet mail on the browser still works perfectly.

I would be very tempted, if it were anyone else, to just say: "hey, just use mail on the browser.' However, the lady is used to doing Mail the way she has always done, and she's 90.  She knows nothing, I mean nothing at all about how any of this stuff works. She just knows that if you click the blue button, messages are there and she can send messages.  It's very difficult.

I hear what you say about security etc etc, but I have her iPad, I am in her mail. I accessed her mail through my mail package, just to see. I added my account to her iPad, just to see.  Sometimes in life a little flexibility goes a long way. Sometimes, rules which are ostensibly perfectly acceptable, just get in the way of an old guy (me) trying to help an even older lady.

There's a file, on the server, and I need it removed. That's all I ask.

Thanks again for taking time to offer input,

[mispeltyuoth]

I've never used an iPad (or any other Apple product) so am not sure if this will work but I had a similar problem with an Android mail app. I force closed the app and deleted the cache. This didn't affect any of the settings etc. but it cleared the problem.

If that doesn't work, another alternative may be to delete the app and re-install it,

[lookingforsupport]

Thanks for your message.  I did go through the remove/reinstall the account, which worked for a few days, but the problem returned. This is why I suspected the server.

I had thought of deleting cache in the iOS mail pkg  -  now, if only I knew how to achieve that.

App developers (iOS more and more these days) try to keep the engine room away from prying eyes. Time was, 30 years ago, you could get under the bonnet (hood?) to see what was actually going on, but these days it's deemed much too dangerous.

I will try again to see if I can find anything cache related.

The very last thing I want to do is anything in which the email data is lost. There are thousands of messages, and it would be cataclysmic if they were lost.  I don't imagine they're backed up anywhere.

Thanks again for your suggestions

cheers

t

[gg30340]

I still suspect that the problem is with the email client or a corrupted/incorrect email address that the lady is using prior to the problem happening however I have notified the moderators of the forum about your problem.

Once they have read this they may be able to help although the fact it is not your email account may prohibit them from doing so without the express permission of the account holder regardless of your view that " Sometimes in life a little flexibility goes a long way. Sometimes, rules which are ostensibly perfectly acceptable, just get in the way of an old guy (me) trying to help an even older lady".

They are very busy at present so it can take up to 48 hours for them to contact you. They will do this by posting on this thread.

[lookingforsupport]

Thank you for taking time to offer input, it's appreciated. 

I don't flippantly disregard your opinion that it's the client  -  it honestly wouldn't surprise me. But if I have deleted the contents of all the folders other than inbox and sent, where can a duff file be lurking?  The net suggests that to delete the cache it's a matter of deleting, then reinstating the account, which I have done. Twice.  The client then works for a while before starting to crash again.

I am starting to believe that it may be that the only option I have is to back up all the messages, then totally nuke the account and all data. But that course of action fills me with dread. This account has never been backed up, and if it were somehow lost, it would be devastating.

I may be forced to somehow explain to the owner that browser mail is the only option - because that route is working perfectly. But, she really doesn't grasp anything of this thing, so getting her to understand will not be a trivial exercise.

Thank you again

TB

[DavidM]

Hi @lookingforsupport and welcome to our community.

Thanks for posting about your friends email. Can you just clarify, are you able to send and receive emails on other devices / web mail for this account?

Cheers

David

[lookingforsupport]

Hello, thanks for your input.  I can see, receive and send mail on web mail with no problem.

My notion that the problem had to be on the server was down to the fact that I have cleared all folders which would have any bearing on outgoing mail. The rogue message failed with error code 10006, invalid email address, when sending to a recipient who was a regular recipient and was in the contacts list.

The message did not clear even after removing the account from the device and reinstating it. I had already emptied draft, temp, sent, etc  -  all folders, prior to reinstating the account. I can't imagine anywhere else this file may be hiding.

My thoughts were that if this message survived all the clearing of folders etc, and reinstating mail it must be on the server somehow.

Thanks again for your input.

t

[DavidM]

Thanks for confirming that @lookingforsupport .

I'm not sure there's a lot we can do to help but I'll be happy to give it a go. I'll need a few details so I'll drop you over a private message now so you can get in touch.

Cheers

David