[BC] Some Swine gave my computer flu..

[Chris Gebhardt]

Hey Tom,

tpt at literock93r.com wrote:
> Had the secretary scan it with her flat bed HP scanner, convert to  
> PDF, then she e-mails the PDF to my e-mail address from her computer.  
> I try to send the PDF out as an attachment.  Wait for forever, and  
> then the e-mail screen dumps.
> 
> OK, our broadband is too busy (cable) or problem at Vert-Biz. So I try  
> my other account. Same thing happens???

Did I see my name?  Oh... well, kinda.  ;)

> Well, since the PDF is sitting in my e-mail account I figure I have an  
> internet problem, so I'll go home and try it. (Same ISP but different  
> system--I live 18 miles from the station, in a different state).
> 
> Exact same problem.  Can't send the PDF attachment. OK, open it in my  
> full copy of Adobe and edit it by inserting a cover page, then save  
> again. Maybe that will "wash" the file.  Still no luck. Try to e-mail  
> myself (from one account to the other). Same thing.  E-mailed  
> something else from one account to the other (a PDF copy of a Volumax  
> manual I had on my computer). Goes through just fine.
> Now I am having my partner bring the original home so that I can scan  
> on my tired Canon multi-function. (Doesn't make great scans anymore,  
> for some odd reason. Copies-yes, scans, no.)  Want to get this out  
> tonight.
> 
> Never saw this before.  Do I need to find an exorcist?  Or--being more  
> rational,
> is there something that attached itself to the PDF that the e-mail  
> servers find objectionable?  Like--to continue the twilight zone  
> analogy, the gremlin sitting on the air plane wing that only one  
> passenger can see.

Actually, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's unlikely to be an 
email server that's giving you a problem.   It's more likely to be 
something installed on your computer.   Check your anti-virus / 
anti-spyware settings.   Turn OFF any outbound email checks.   Why? 
Because if you're running a good anti-virus on your system (which will 
TSR and scan anything that pops into memory), then anything you compose 
is going to be clean.   Why waste effort with scanning what you already 
know is clean?

The anti-virus programs are absolutely horrible in this regard.  They 
create proxy servers on the PC which will act as a middle-man between 
your email program and the email server.  With our hosting customers, 
the most frequent cause of SMTP problems is anti-virus (closely followed 
by the cable/dsl/dial-up/etc ISP blocking port 25).

Best of luck with the email.   And if it's something affecting an 
account that VIRTBIZ provides, please be sure and open a ticket.  We've 
got some of the best support guys around.  Or at least, that's what they 
tell me.  ;)

Chris Gebhardt
VIRTBIZ Internet Services
chris at virtbiz.com | (972) 485-4125