multiple copies of emails coming into inbox

Not enough information:
 

• What type of account is this? I'm guessing it's POP3, but if you're not sure, right-click on the account name in the folder pane and select Properties. The type of account is given at the top of the Server(s) tab. The properties dialogue for an HTTP account has three tabs, for a POP3 account four and for an IMAP4 account five.

• Who is the Email Service Provider (usually apparent from the part of the email address after the '@' symbol)?

POP3 is an old email protocol that has survived for thirty years because it's so reliable. One aspect of this reliability is that if anything goes wrong during a mail download session, the process starts again from the beginning to make absolutely sure that every message is downloaded.

In your case, there is probably a message in the mailbox at the server that Windows Live Mail can't or won't download. When it's this message's turn to be downloaded, the program says No and the download starts again at the first message to be downloaded. You end up in a loop.

To stop this from happening, then, sign in to your account in webmail. Start by emptying the folders for spam and deleted items, then move all of the messages in the inbox to a user-created folder. Once the inbox is empty, do send/receive for the account in Windows Live Mail. You should see a No new email messages status message at the right-hand end of the status bar.

Now move the oldest half of the messages in the temporary folder that haven't yet been downloaded back into the inbox and again send/receive in Windows Live Mail. Rinse and repeat, halving the number of messages moved each time until you can identify any message that is interfering with the POP3 download.

Thank you for your reply.

I can confirm POP3  account.

The ESP is talktalk.

Talktalk are adamant that the issue is with the 3rd party ie Windows Live Mail because the TalkTalk webmail account does not have the problem.

Any further comments at all?

RW

I can confirm POP3  account.

OK, thank you.

Talktalk are adamant that the issue is with the 3rd party ie Windows Live Mail because the TalkTalk webmail account does not have the problem.

That is a complete non sequitur. Webmail and mail client access via POP3 are different systems having nothing to do with one another except that they're both accessing the same message database. 

Any further comments at all?

Did you try the steps I suggested?

Your suggestions make sense...am about to follow your advice now!

Can you expand on what you mean re ESP provider...can the issue still be down to them?

So here goes...will feedback!

Many thanks!

RW

Thank you so far Firedog!

I have spent hours now going through your suggested steps.

Then I went through getting rid of the accumulated items (65000 items) in the Inbox.

Was about to celebrate when I notice that new e mails are now being duplicated a few minutes after coming on-line.

So it would appear that we have not quite solved situation...we have got to a manageable state but clearly things will build up again if the symptom persists.

Any further hints welcome...need to solve as am a bit deflated by the ongoing situation.

Thank you.

BW

... new e mails are now being duplicated a few minutes after coming on-line.

Press Ctrl-Shift-O for Options. On the General tab,
 

• If you have Send and receive messages at start-up enabled, disable it.
   
• If Check for new messages every n minutes is enabled, set n to not less than 10.

Do you still see duplicates 'a few minutes after coming on-line'?

Changing these settings will reveal whether there's some conflict between an ongoing download session and a new one. When you launch the program, wait a minute or two for the program to start responding to commands after doing its start-up stuff. Then you can click Send/Receive to download new messages.

If this doesn't change anything, you might have to deselect the option to Leave a copy of messages on the server to see whether that has any bearing on the issue. Let's try the other first.

Many thanks once again!

Will give it a go...fingers crossed!

... getting rid of the accumulated items (65000 items) in the Inbox.

Every one of those messages has an entry in the message database index which will have to be amended to mark it as deleted. This might take a long time, so it's as well to leave the program running but not interfere with it meanwhile.

OK...I put the suggestions into action yesterday.

I went into WLM this morning,clicked on to Send/Receive and picked up a few messages (single copies).

A couple of hours later a further 4 copies of those few messages have appeared in the Inbox.

What now?

Shall I deselect 'Leave a copy of messages on the server'...or have you another suggestion at this point at all?

Let's keep trying...must get it all sorted soon.

Thank you for what you are doing to assist me...much appreciated!

RW

See chain of events above... when logging and pressing Send/Receive new  messages are coming in ...then followed by repeats of messages already received and opened.

EG: messages received on 3rd February now have 7 copies in INBOX.

So gradually the INBOX is building up again!

Suggestions please!

Many thanks

RW