How do I stop it!

MJB · 20-10-2004, 18:19

I have been getting so much spam and porn on my NTL account that I took advice and created a new address and I deleted the main one from Outlook.

Only thing is, Outlook still downloads the email from the main address even though it's not on there. How? And mores to the point, how can I stop it downloading?

I'm confused

MovedGoalPosts · 20-10-2004, 18:28

To clarify, are you using Outlook Express, or Outlook Full, in which case which version of Outlook?

When you created your new email account, was this a change of username of the master account name, or a new email account only? If the former, I did find that some stuff was forwarded for a while by ntl's servers, but then died out. Presumably your new email addy is not somethign that is already getting spammed by easily being guessed.

MJB · 20-10-2004, 18:33

It's Outllook 2003.

I created a new email address within my account. I cannot delete my main account, so I thought by not having it set up in Outlook, it wouldn't download and just stay on the server. I was obviously wrong, but I don't want to keep recieiving them!

paulyoung666 · 20-10-2004, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJB

It's Outllook 2003.

I created a new email address within my account. I cannot delete my main account, so I thought by not having it set up in Outlook, it wouldn't download and just stay on the server. I was obviously wrong, but I don't want to keep recieiving them!

i would have thought that as well

, i swapped my e-mail addy and it worked fine

, not that it helps you

MovedGoalPosts · 20-10-2004, 19:08

Very odd, you sure you haven't got some sort of mail forwarding accidentally set up? You can check that via the ntlworld webmail?

MJB · 20-10-2004, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

Very odd, you sure you haven't got some sort of mail forwarding accidentally set up? You can check that via the ntlworld webmail?

Nope. Double checked........ this is a bit of a brainteaser

MovedGoalPosts · 20-10-2004, 19:22

You could try completely deleting the current outlook profile, then reboot the PC (I always find that helps to clear dodgy M$ software), before creating a new profile and thus email send and receive outlook settings.

Back up your existing outlook mailbox before you do this, just in case you end up wiping something you really needed.

MJB · 20-10-2004, 23:28

Well I don't know if this worked, but..... I had my PC upgraded, so I transfered all my settings to my laptop. Today I got my new PC back with a clean install and I transfered back all the settings and deleted my main account.... only it didn't delete did it

To me it's like being able to open a Word document without Word installed.....

I don't wish to be rude, but if I contacted TS about this, surely they would blame my software.

Very strange

Tricky · 20-10-2004, 23:39

Create your new account in Outlook which you've probably done
Set this as Default
Then try delete your porn account!
beyond that create a new user account in XP (you are XP arn't you) and then this account will get a new profile!

danielf · 21-10-2004, 00:02

Just a thought (which doesn't solve your problem): You say the account that gets all the spam is your main account, so you can't delete it. I assume you mean your main NTL account here?

If you delete it from outlook, it will still be getting all the spam. I might be wrong, but would this become problematic in the future, as the mailbox will fill up. (I'm assuming you don't want to make a regular habit of deleting the spam via webmail)

Perhaps you should consider contacting NTL to see if you can get a new main account/get the old one deleted?

MJB · 21-10-2004, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielf

Perhaps you should consider contacting NTL to see if you can get a new main account/get the old one deleted?

I think this may be the only answer.

danielf · 21-10-2004, 00:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJB

I think this may be the only answer.

I think you should be able to delete it from outlook, but I think you may still have a problem with the account. Seeing you will hardly be the only one to have this problem (even if you never use the account), I would think/hope NTL will allow you to change it.

To reduce the risk of this happening again, I would not use the new account.

MovedGoalPosts · 21-10-2004, 01:22

You don't need to contact CS to change your username, use this link https://autoreg.autoregister.net/cgi-bin/chguid (also available linked from the ntlworld.com site). Changing the username, changes the email addy of your master account too. For a little while it might get some emails from your old username account forwarded, but those soon die out. It worked for me a few months ago.

Just remember when you choose a new account name to have something obscure that the "guessing dictionary scanners" spamming programs won't expect. A few odd characters in the name will work.

Having set up that account, don't use it for email. Always uyse one of the other 14 email addys you can set up, so changing those, or deleting them don't affect your master account.

MJB · 21-10-2004, 08:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

You don't need to contact CS to change your username, use this link https://autoreg.autoregister.net/cgi-bin/chguid (also available linked from the ntlworld.com site). Changing the username, changes the email addy of your master account too. For a little while it might get some emails from your old username account forwarded, but those soon die out. It worked for me a few months ago.

Just remember when you choose a new account name to have something obscure that the "guessing dictionary scanners" spamming programs won't expect. A few odd characters in the name will work.

Having set up that account, don't use it for email. Always uyse one of the other 14 email addys you can set up, so changing those, or deleting them don't affect your master account.

Hey EXCELLENT - it's worked! Cheers MGP

If I now send a message to the old addy it gets rejected

The one strange thing is I still have to use my old log in name to access my webspace

Might that change (maybe the server hasn't updated or something?).

Anyway, I look forward to coming down in the morning and not having to face endless mails about pills, porn & other such crap

MovedGoalPosts · 21-10-2004, 12:46

Glad to be of help

I'd get your webspace backed up a.s.a.p. It may simply expire without warning as ntl eventually update their records. You should, I think, get a new webspace under your new username. That perhaps is the disadvantage of changing your username.

*edit: If you use Outlook 2003 it does have a reasonable spam filter (junk mail). You do need to update the occasional M$ patch for it from the M$ Office website.