Well after seemingly fixing the email fault with Outlook it continued to return intermittently.

• give up on Outlook – Microsoft are of the devil
• install Mozilla Thunderbird
• Mozilla are not of the devil
• Test Thunderbird
• Thunderbird doesn’t work either
• recheck settings
• Thunderbird has same intermittent fault as Outlook
• Apologise to Microsoft, Outlook and all the little Microserfs who created it and do a wonderful job keeping it updated
• Uninstall Thunderbird – no point in having two redundant email clients
• check facebook
• facebook down for maintenance
• facebook is of the devil
• realise that the only thing that could affect both Outlook and Thunderbird is Norton
• (now worry about whether I have used the right word, affect or effect – can’t be bothered to check dictionary)
• turn off all of Norton and live update (I’m not getting caught out like before)
• Uninstall all of the Security software on the PC
• Hope that the PC doesn’t get attacked whilst doing this delicate operation
• test Outlook, it works
• Reinstall security software – restart a silly number of times
• test Outlook, it works
• scan PC to check I haven’t been attacked
• wait silly amount of time
• sleep

If anyone feels called to buy me one of these please feel free to leave a message in the comments