POP3 clients taking up to 5 minutes to load...

[Burke Hamblin]

I normally use Gmail's web interface to check my email, but I've recently gotten a domain and want to use a POP3 client to manage mail. However, I've run into a strange problem that I've been unable to solve via Googlin' (unless my Google aptitude is just that bad).

I installed Thunderbird 2.0.0.14, but when I opened the program, it took nearly 5 minutes for it to load. I restarted, same thing. Trying to kill it using the Task Manager resulted in a lockup of the system. I finally uninstalled it, cleaned out the registry entries and reinstalled, same behavior. I then tried Outlook Express as a test, same thing. Then I installed Pegasus Mail, same thing. I've tried a couple of other obscure POP3 clients too, and each of them exhibit this same odd problem.

I have a 2.33 GHz C2D, 3 GB of RAM, plenty of room on the hard drive, and my Windows XP SP3 installation is well-maintained. I've used POP3 clients in the past, but I've never experienced this kind of an across-the-board issue.

Any insights, jeers, or WinPimp backhands are welcome.

 

[PTNL]

Any antivirus or internet security apps running? Any software firewall apps running?

However, my first thoughts are if this is happening across the board with POP3 clients from several different vendors then I'd try thinking at the network and/or ISP level:
- If you go through a router, try going straight to the DSL/Cable/etc. modem that you have (temporarily).
- If this is a laptop, then try going to a free WiFi hotspot and testing the POP connection from there. Or drag the desktop to a friend's place that uses a different ISP and networking equipment.