Genealogy Chat

Judy, you've found the answer! I have too much mail in my "filing cabinet" (waayyyyyy to much mail). Thank you for solving my problem. Hope this helps someone else, as well.

Lisa....sorry for the delay in responding! I've emailed you. Judy

Hi Judy. I hate computers and don't understand them so I THINK I understand what you are saying. However, I usually receive the mailerdaemon after someone has tried writing TO me and I never receive their mail (this happened at LEAST 3 times); and once when I sent an email to my mum, she told me the next day she never received it (and that day I received the mailerdaemon notice AND her mailbox wasn't full). So, I'm receiving the mailerdaemon emails "in place of" mail that contacts are trying to send. It's as if there is a hitch in the program somewhere. It doesn't tell me that my mail is undeliverable to "Jane" in Canada (when "Jane" actually did try to send me something); it tells me that "jbjelk@..."cannot be delivered. I received about 2 or 3 other mailerdaemon notices, but couldn't determine where they were from, as none of my "recent" contacts had sent anything and they had all received my mail ok (except for one time with a Canadian contact who is yet to write to me). I've tried to help GC/GR members and I've corresponded with perhaps 30-50 people during the past 9 months so I am worried that either one of them is contacting me, or a GC/GR member who has helped me is writing and thinking I don't care. Any ideas, Judy? Thanks for reading this.

"Mailerdaemon" is your ISP's way of advising you that mail you've sent was unable to reach it's recipient. It is, however, often virus related....not that you have a virus but that somewhere down the line a virus has picked up your address and is sending out mail masked as you in hopes that someone who knows you, or someone who hasn't taken the advise not to open mail either from strangers or opening before scanning an attachment with their anti-virus prior to opening it, will download the attachment, unleashing the virus into your PC. When the virus that is using your e-mail address sends to a recipient who either is blocking unknown senders or their anti-virus is picking it up, the infected mail is being bounced back to your e-mail's inbox advising you that the mail you attempted to send could not be sent.....which is why, often , you won't recognize a piece of mail that was sent. Although it is safe to open and read a piece of mail that shows having an attachment, NEVER attempt to download the attachment to see what it is....it is a virus. It's safe to open to see if it is a legitimate "mailerdaemon." Judy

Hi Bob: The last time I received mail like this, it was actually not something that was RETURNED to me, but rather an email that was SENT to me and wasn't able to get through! So, if that's the case, I've got to start contacting people, asking if they've tried to contact me within the past day or two. This one has "...wasn't able to deliver your message...a permanent error." I've only contacted 7 people in the past two days, so it won't be too hard to contact them again; just hoping it isn't a problem with an incoming email, like the last time. Thanks so much for your help, Bob. (I'll send out emails again, asking if they've received today's and yesterday's, thanks, Bob.)

Hi Sue, I also thought they were virus-related and immediately deleted them (none of them have ever contained attachments). Then I found out they were from friends. Hate to have to write to everyone I know, asking if they sent something. :~( But thanks for making me feel better about the virus "thing". :~)

Hi Lisa, I have had mail returned by Mail Daemon thought they were a virus one so I have deleted them, but since found out that it is not a virus....... Sue

This is the third time during the past year that I have received "mailerdaemon" notices. The last time, perhaps two months ago, a couple of my emails were not sent properly, and at least two were not delivered to me. As in the past, today's notice includes an address I've never heard of, yet the last time this happened (with an unknown address) it turned out to be a GC/GR contact. Is there something I am doing wrong (although I've had the computer almost 4 years and it never happened during the first three years)? Is there something I can check? I would be very grateful for any suggestions, as I don't want to miss important mail, nor do I want people to think I am not returning their letters. I appreciate any and all help. Thank you, Lisa PS I tried contacting my provider the last time but they never replied. Obviously, I need to do that again. :~)

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