421 cannot connect to smtp server windows live mail

The frustrating error "421 cannot connect to SMTP server"!

This error typically occurs when Windows Live Mail (WLM) is unable to establish a connection to the SMTP server to send emails. Here are some troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the issue:

  1. Check your internet connection: Ensure that your internet connection is stable and working properly. Restart your router and modem if necessary.
  2. Verify your SMTP server settings: Double-check your SMTP server settings in WLM. You can do this by following these steps:
    • Open Windows Live Mail.
    • Click on "File" > "Account Settings" > "Account".
    • Look for the "SMTP" server settings and ensure they are correct. The default SMTP server for Windows Live Mail is usually smtp.live.com or smtp-mail.outlook.com.
    • Make sure the port number is set to 587 (or 25 if your ISP allows it).
  3. Check your account settings: Ensure that your email account settings are correct. You can do this by following these steps:
    • Open Windows Live Mail.
    • Click on "File" > "Account Settings" > "Account".
    • Look for the "Incoming mail server" and "Outgoing mail server" settings. Ensure they are correct and match your email provider's settings.
  4. Check for firewall or antivirus software issues: Firewalls or antivirus software might be blocking the connection. Try temporarily disabling them to see if it resolves the issue.
  5. Check for Windows Live Mail updates: Ensure that WLM is up-to-date. You can do this by following these steps:
    • Open Windows Live Mail.
    • Click on "Help" > "Check for updates".
    • If an update is available, install it and restart WLM.
  6. Reset Windows Live Mail: If none of the above steps work, try resetting WLM to its default settings. You can do this by following these steps:
    • Open Windows Live Mail.
    • Click on "File" > "Options" > "Advanced".
    • Click on "Reset" and then "Reset" again to confirm.
  7. Contact your email provider: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, contact your email provider's support team to see if there are any issues on their end.

If you're still experiencing issues, you may want to consider using a different email client or switching to a different email provider.