Check to see how many e-mail messages you have in your inbox or the folder of each of your accounts.

Large amounts of e-mail take longer to synchronize with the e-mail servers, which can cause delays.

E-mail synchronization time also depends on your connection speed. It will take longer to synchronize over dial-up than over broadband. This is particularly true the first time a sync takes place, or right after upgrading to a newer version of MSN Explorer.

This initial synchronization delay is a one-time occurrence and needs to complete so your MSN Mail will work correctly.

If you are signed in to MSN Explorer, you can start e-mail synchronization by:

Click Mail & More at the top of your MSN Explorer screen.

Click the Synchronization button (an envelope with two green arrows) at the top of your Mail Inbox screen, or press the F5 key on your keyboard.

If any error messages appear, write them down and search MSN Solution Center for a solution, or ask a question.

Press the CTRL+SHIFT+F9 keys on your keyboard to clear the local data store.

Note: You are required to go through the steps to setup your sign-in screen by entering the username and password before you can use the MSN Explorer.

MSN may take longer to sign-in as we just cleared the local store and it is required to rebuild the data for your use.

Disable any firewall or security software, and then re-enable the software.

Warning: This workaround may make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses while the firewall or security software is disabled.

Click here for steps to disable and re-enable your firewall or security software.

If your network contains other hardware such as routers, hubs, switches, or a wireless access point, and you are attempting to use POP3 to retrieve your e-mail, try bypassing this hardware and connecting your computer directly to the modem. If you cannot do this, contact your Internet service provider (ISP) for more information.