Email on Windows 7

[Johnboy]

I know I'm not the first to be disappointed that OE has been dropped from W7. I have tried using live mail and whilst it has some good features it's not what I want to continue using my ISP (Talktalk) addresses. I do not want any kind of web mail.

Can anyone advise an alternative free email client that will broadly equal (or surpass) OE and which works with W7.

Previously I used XP but lost most when my old laptop expired suddenly, so no suggestions such as copy across from your old OS etc. I have limited knowledge and experience of computing so assume a complete novice when you reply, please.

Here's hoping.

Johnboy

 

[Veedaz]

Hi Johnboy welcome to Windows 7 Forums

Take a look at Hotmail >

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0098980.html

http://login.live.com/login.srf?wa=...e.com/default.aspx&lc=2057&id=64855&mkt=en-gb

 

[Johnboy]

Veedaz - thanks for your quick reply, and suggestions. But Hotmail is a webmail system, isn't it? I want to have my inbox/sent items available off as well as online. I don't want it stored remotely. I have opened a Windows live mail address (also a webmail system) but want to get back to having my taltalk emails directly onto the desktop, not via live mail, or googlemail etc.

Do you know if something like Thunderbird, or Postbox would work like OE, or are they webmail systems too?

TIA

Johnboy

 

[Veedaz]

Thunderbird is supposed to be good, its a desktop client >

Link > http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/all.html

 

[clifford_cooley]

Hi Johnboy - Welcome to w7forums

I read something about HotMail not supporting POP3 now. I'm not sure if this is true or not. If this is true, it does not matter which Email client you use. If there is a different way to store Email locally without POP3, I am not aware of it.

PS - please take my post lightly, I'm only adding to the conversation not stating fact.

 

[Veedaz]

On a side note:

Poppeeper (freeware) works in Windows 7 32 / 64-bit is a desktop Notification, Sent Mail Viewer and uses your mail providers security, I use this and i can read replies to threads and PMs at this Forum without logging in (if you have set notification in User CP), I find it very handy.

Link > http://www.poppeeper.com/download.php

 

[pbcopter]

OE was removed back when Vista was introduced.
There is now Windows Live Mail (not a web based mail client) from Microsoft.

http://download.live.com/

 

[Johnboy]

Thanks to all you guys for your suggestions.

I have decided to try Thunderbird 3 on one of my email addresses to see if it gives me what I want. Download and setup went smoothly. I will report back after a trial period.

In passing, I am surprised there hasn't been more publicity at the decision by Microsoft to just drop Outlook Express. There must be many users who will feel they are being co-erced into using Windows Live Mail, and if they find it suits them they are more likely to drift away from their existing ISP if they stop using the ISP email address. In my case I have several 'valuable to me' Talktalk addresses, but if I give up and change to 'Live' addresses, I have less reason to stay with Talktalk in future.

I would add that Talktalk have been as much use as a chocolate teapot on this issue. I asked for advice on emails when I got Win7 in November. They said they hadn't been trained on Win7 at that time but promised to send me something 'in a week or so' - it never came. I asked again for advice when the Sales people called to renew my contract 2 weeks ago, they promised the Tech people would call 'within 24 hours' - I'm still waiting. I emailed them asking for the same help one week ago. I have had an auto acknowledgement but no more.

So you see, to get help within minutes of asking a question seems like a minor miracle. Well done Forum guys!

A happier Johnboy

 

[pbcopter]

Microsoft changed from Outlook Express to Windows Mail when they introduced Vista (quite awhile ago). It operated much the same as OE. Because of many issues with lawsuits from EU, mostly, they left a Mail client out of Windows 7 and instead offered a downloadable Email client, Windows Live Mail.

Windows Live Mail is a downloadable program that is essentially the same as Windows mail that was included in Vista. Microsoft is not coersing anyone to use it, quite the opposite. Use what you want but understand Windows Live Mail is NOT web based.

Perhaps you are confusing it with Windows Live Hotmail.

I do think Thunderbird is a good program.

 

[Core]

For a free meal, Thunderbird is good, but it does pale in comparison to Outlook (not Express mind you...never touched that).

One thing that kept me using Outlook for so long and resisting switching to webmail was lack of offline access. Fortunately, Google offers that now, so I am an extremely happy Google Apps user.

 

[Kougar]

As Pbcopter said, the reason there hasn't been much said about the removal of Outlook Express is because Microsoft changed to offering Windows Mail instead via an optional download.

Between Thunderbird 3, Windows Mail, or even Outlook I'm sure you'll find something that works better than OE did.

 

[vargatron]

Windows 7 and Outlook Exchange Accounts

Ok, Windows Live Mail does allow you to read offline but does anyone know if it'll let you access exchange server accounts?

For example I use two Yahoo! accounts and an email account from my college. The Yahoo! accounts are of course POP3 but the college account is an exchange account. When I first loaded Windows 7 and installed Outlook 2007 I set up my Yahoo! accounts first. The only problem is that Windows has never allowed you to set up an exchange account while running Outlook (aside from the intitial setup which I missed because I setup Yahoo! first). In previous versions of Windows you had to go to Control Panel and then MAIL to set up an exchange account after the fact but alas W7 doesn't have MAIL.

I d/l WLM and I couldn't find a way to set up an exchange account.

I won't go into all the gruesome details but I ultimately had to reinstall Windows 7 and Outlook so that I could setup my exchange first. Now everything is the way I want it.

Does anyone else have any ideas on how you can add an exchange account after the fact? I will have a work email soon and that will most likely be an exchange account also.

 

[Johnboy]

Update

Just to let you know that Thunderbird was not straightforward. Messages were received OK but it would not Send as the set-up had not used Pop3.

Rather than sort that out I decided to have another go with Windows Live Mail. I opened a second User Account and installed from scratch. Much better this time, only problem is every incoming Talktalk message is listed twice - once in its own account and once within my Live Mail account (on the new User Account).

Talktalk emailed me after 10 days, saying download Outlook Express! When I mailed back that Win 7 does not support OE a more senior adviser apologised and said use Windows Mail (not Win Live Mail!).

I don't understand what Vargatron is trying to do! but if it is about setting up in the right order (?) could establishing an additional User Account be a way forward? Not an easy option if you are long established and then have to copy over everything stored before uninstalling the original account though.

By the way, when I set up the second user account, I was offered another 60 day free trial of an Office 2007 suite of software. Strange!

Forum posts have been helpful, thanks.

Johnboy

 

[davehc]

Fwiw, Johnboy, if you look in "Tools" "message rules" you will probably find a way that suits you, to eliminate the double mail problem. I have multiple accounts for the family, all through the same ISP.By specific instructions from the "rules"choices, they are all redirected or left on the server for te corect recipient.

 

[Johnboy]

Thanks davehc. This may sound daft but I can't find the way in to 'Tools', let alone 'Message Rules'.

Assume no prior expertise in my case, please!

 

[clifford_cooley]

Thanks davehc. This may sound daft but I can't find the way in to 'Tools', let alone 'Message Rules'.

Press the "Alt key", this will temporarily show the File Menu if it is hidden.

 

[Johnboy]

The Alt key does indeed do the trick.

Many thanks, Clifford.

 

[davehc]

Go along on the top bar to the small windows on the roght side (after the paintbrush) click it and you will see an option "show menu bar" which will make the bar permanent.

 

[Johnboy]

There's good news and bad news!

Thanks to Clifford and davehc I have found the Tools > Message Rules. I set up a Delete message against one email address and I now get those in only one Inbox - that's the good news. Only problem is, it's not the box I want them in. They appear within the Live Mail 'hosted' account but go direct to the Deleted box in the Talktalk 'stand-alone' account.

Will experiment further and let you know the result.