OK, I ended up reinstalling Avast and replacing Outlook Express with Thunderbird, I think that was inevitable. But my problem still remained? I finally figured out what was happening. One, I repeat, one of my outgoing email port numbers was changed in OE settings. I did not change it and I’m currently the only one using this computer. I don’t know if an Avast update could done something like that? I suspect something else was the culprit but I have no idea what?

Anyway the problem has been resolved yet again.

Damn gremlins.