All email locked up, O/E and Hotmail

New problem started yesterday, Globalmailer email server won’t connect. Using Windows XP SP3, Internet Explorer 6, Outlook Express is primary email program. Every time I try to open Outlook Express I get an Error Message. First a popup box that says:

Please enter your user name and password for the following server Globalmailer.

It correctly shows Globalmailer as server. Displays correct user name. There’s a place to enter password below and that’s that already filled in, showing asterisks, so no idea what the letters are. If I click on that as-is, the way it’s already auto-filled in, I get another popup that says:

There was a problem logging onto your mail server. Your Password was rejected. Account: ‘globalmailer.net’, Server: ‘globalmailer.net’, Protocol: POP3, Server Response: ‘-ERR Unable to log on’, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 0x800CCC90, Error Number: 0x800CCC92

Happened a couple of times yesterday but then corrected itself later when O/E checked for new messages, or after closing program and reopening.

Today I tried clicking on popup, the way it pops up already filled in, but no go. First time it reacted by giving the second popup above, 'There was a problem etc.’ Now it just gives the same popup again and again, to please enter password, same box & message. I tried correcting the password, still rejects it.

Only changes to computer are Avast! updates. Have defragged, run Avast! scan, Trend Micro Housecall, Malwarebytes scan, no change. This morning I used my Hotmail account as a standby. Now Hotmail won’t finish loading, cannot open messages to read and it’s useless too! Disabled Avast! and it makes no difference, everything still screwed up. Current Avast Program Version is 6.0.1407, Virus Definitions Version 120418-2.

Are you using Avast Internet Security?

edit: I scanned older posts and found that you attempted to buy AIS but had problems. So are you using the free edition?

Port 110 is not a secure connection. Does your email provider require a secure connection? If so, what ports do they use?

Are you certain that you are using the correct user-name and password? Have you tried connecting to hotmail and/or Globalmailer outside of Outlook Express?

Did you mean avast version 7.0.1407? The most recent version of avast is 7.0.1426 found here → http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=95170.0

Both avast! and Internet Explorer 6 are out of date so I assume that there is more that needs updating. Secunia PSI 2.0 is a good piece of software that checks the software on your computer and lets you know if anything needs updated. → http://secunia.com/products/consumer/psi/

Do you have windows update automatically check for updates? And install?