Microsoft Mail Live

Over the past decade many organisations will have become reliant on using Microsoft Outlook Express, the free email program that was bundled by default with Microsoft Windows. However, Microsoft no longer offer Outlook Express as a free download or bundled with the latest versions of Windows. Instead, Microsoft offer an alternative email program called Microsoft Mail Live, which is very similar to Outlook Express but has many more advanced and useful features.

Microsoft Mail Live is a powerful communications program with features that include RSS feeds, calendar, contacts, Newsgroups facilities and spam filters. While Outlook Express was installed by default with the Windows operating system, Microsoft Mail must be downloaded from the Microsoft website: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mail?os=other .

Microsoft Mail Live will accept your Outlook Express files and messages if you manually export them from Outlook and then import them to Mail.

Note: Microsoft also introduced another email program called Windows Mail and bundled it with Windows XP. This article is about the more popular and powerful Windows Live Mail that is required to be downloaded from the Microsoft website.

1. What is the difference between Windows Live Mail, Windows Mail, Windows Live Hotmail and MSN Hotmail?

It is common that these naming conventions cause confusion among end users and professionals.

Windows Mail
Windows Mail is a mail program that is only bundled with Windows XP and only works with Windows XP. It is not downloadable or able to be installed any other way. It replaces Outlook Express, which was bundled with previous versions of Windows.

Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Mail is another, different, mail program. It is also a replacement for Outlook Express. It has more features than Outlook and is a free download that also works on Windows XP and more recent versions of Windows.

Windows Live Hotmail
Windows Live Hotmail is Microsoft's free web-based email service. Visit http://mail.live.com and what you're really visiting is Windows Live Hotmail. It's designed to be accessed via the web.

MSN Hotmail
Is the outdated version of Windows Live Hotmail. The confusion exists because the transition from MSN Hotmail to Windows Live Hotmail was done slowly over time and both were available at the same time.

Please note:

• For a period, Windows Live Hotmail users could switch back to MSN Hotmail. This is no longer possible.
• Windows Live Mail (program) will allow you to download your Windows Live Hotmail (web mail). Windows Mail does not.
• The premium (for pay) version of Windows Live Hotmail apparently has additional capabilities that the free version does not, including POP3/SMTP access, which would allow it to be downloaded into any mail program including Windows Mail.

2. Which versions of Windows has Outlook Express?

Windows 2000, 98, 95 are all compatible with Outlook Express and have Outlook Express bundled with the operating system.

Windows 7 and Windows Vista will not support and do not have Outlook Express installed. You will need to use Microsoft Mail Live.

3. Why the name change?

Microsoft changed the name as consumers were often confused by the difference between Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express. Outlook is a commercial product purchasable either individually or as part of the Microsoft Office bundle. As a product Outlook has many features that a business would utilise, whereas Express had less features and was primarily for email.

4. Where to get Windows Live Mail

Windows Live Mail is a download program only and at the time of writing is not bundled with any of the Microsoft Operating Systems.

To download Windows Live Mail visit: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mail?os=other.

5. System requirements

System requirements and details from the Microsoft website:

• Operating system: 32- or 64-bit version of Windows 7, or Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 and the Platform Update for Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2008 with Service Pack 2 and the Platform Update for Windows Server 2008.
• Processor: 1.6 GHz or higher
• Memory: 1 GB of RAM or higher
• Resolution: 1024 × 576 minimum
• Internet connection: Online services require dial-up or high-speed Internet access (provided separately—local or long-distance charges may apply). High-speed Internet access is recommended for some features.
• Graphics card: Windows Live Movie Maker requires a graphics card that supports DirectX 9 or higher and Shader Model 2 or higher.

Additional requirements

Some Windows Live programs have additional requirements:

• Windows Live Photo Gallery and Movie Maker require some components of DirectX 9, which might be installed for you if they're not found on your computer.
• Windows Live Mesh requires OS X 10.5 or newer to run on a Mac.
• Windows Live Messenger video chat requires a webcam, a microphone, speakers or a headset, and high-speed Internet access. HD video chat requires a compatible HD webcam. HD webcams may also have additional system requirements.
  

Notes

• To install or uninstall Windows Live software, you must be logged on to the computer using an administrator account.
• To install platform updates for Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, click Start, click All Programs, click Windows Update, and then select the updates you want.

6. Install Windows Live Mail

Before you begin you must ensure you have permission to install software on the computer. Usually administration rights.

Download Windows Live Mail. Once the download is completed double click the setup icon.

Step 1

 
Click on the "Accept" button to agree to the terms and conditions and move to the next window.

Step 2

 
You can uncheck the three options if you want. Click on the "Install" button to begin installing the program.

Step 3

Select any other Microsoft programs that you would like to install or update.
 
As the download for each program finishes, it will start installing and be ready for you soon.

Once Microsoft Mail Live has been installed a dialogue box similar to the one below will appear, asking you to add a new email account.
 

7. Setting up an email account

Microsoft Live Mail can be used for one email account or multiple email accounts. If you are using Mail Live for multiple email accounts, repeat the instructions below as many times as required.

Before creating a new email account you should have the following details for each of your email accounts:

• Login details - username and password.
• Incoming email server address and type (POP3, IMAP, Mail etc). If you are not sure of the email server addresses, contact the administrator, ISP or web host provider. In most cases, the address can be found on the support/FAQ pages on the ISP website.
• Whether the outgoing email server requires authentication.

8. To create a new email account:

1. Select the Home arrow
2. Options
   
3. Select Email accounts
4. Click the Add button
5. Select Email Account
6. Add your email account details in the box
   
7. Select “Remember this password if you do not want to manually add your email account each time Microsoft Mail Live checks your email.
8. If this email account will be your primary email account select the “Make this my default email account”.
9. Select Next
10. Add your mail server details. These details can be obtained from your ISP or web host provider. If you are an Xtra customer it is advised to contact them as they have various options to combat spam that other ISP’s do not have.
11. Click Add another account if you have multiple accounts to add.
    

9. Lost passwords and server details

• If you have your own domain name as an email address you should contact your web host provider or domain name provider for details.
• ISP email such as the free email address you are given when you sign up for Internet access. You should contact your ISP.
• If you are migrating from Outlook to Mail Live and have multiple accounts and passwords that you need to recover passwords for, there are commercial software packages available including:
  Outlook Express Password Recovery Master
  http://www.rixler.com/outlook_express_password_revealer.htm
  Outlook Express Key
  http://www.lostpassword.com/outlook-express.htm , and many other Office recovery programs. It is advisable not check the disclaimers of such software as some software is illegal or will plant spyware and other viruses on your computer.
• Free web mail providers such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail offer automated online services to recover email addresses. In the first instance visit relevant webmail login page and select "forgot password".

10. Set-up Gmail in Windows Live Mail

Before setting up Microsoft Mail Live with your Gmail account you must first log into your Gmail account and enable POP3 email by selecting "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" from the Gmail Settings.

It is a good idea to clean up all of your Gmail email and folders, delete old emails and empty the Trash and Spam, as Microsoft Mail Live will download all of your email and can crash if there is too many emails to download.

11. Adding your Gmail email as an account:

1. Select the "Home" arrow
2. "Options"
3. Select "Email accounts"
4. Click the "Add" button
5. Select "Email Account"
6. Add your Gmail email
7. Add your Gmail Password
8. Select "Remember this password" if you do not want to manually add your email account each time Microsoft Mail Live checks your email.
9. If this email account will be your primary email account select the “Make this my default email account”.
10. Select "Next"
11. Microsoft Mail Live will automatically complete the server details.
12. All of your email will be downloaded from the Gmail server

12. Set-up Hotmail in Windows Live Mail

1. Select the "Home" arrow
2. "Options"
3. Select "Email accounts"
4. Click the "Add" button
5. Select "Email Account"
6. Add your Hotmail email
7. Add your Hotmail Password
8. Select “Remember this password" if you do not want to manually add your email account each time Microsoft Mail Live checks your email.
9. If this email account will be your primary email account select the “Make this my default email account”.
10. Select Next
11. Microsoft Mail Live will automatically complete the server details.
12. All of your email will be downloaded from the Hotmail server

13. Set-up Yahoo! Mail in Windows Live Mail

To download your Yahoo email to Microsoft Mail Live you must have a commercial subscription to the Yahoo Mail Plus service via: http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/enhancements/mailplus

1. Select the "Home" arrow
2. "Options"
3. Select "Email accounts"
4. Click the "Add" button
5. Select "Email Account"
6. Add your Yahoo email
7. Add your Yahoo Password
8. Select “Remember this password" if you do not want to manually add your email account each time Microsoft Mail Live checks your email.
9. If this email account will be your primary email account select the “Make this my default email account”.
10. Select "Next"
11. Microsoft Mail Live will automatically complete the server details.
12. All of your email will be downloaded from the Yahoo server

Alternatively the following server details can be used:

• Incoming Mail (POP3) Server: pop3.mail.yahoo.com (Use SSL, port: 995)
• Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com (Use SSL, port: 465, use authentication)
• Account Name/Login Name: Your Yahoo! Mail ID (your email address without the “@yahoo.com”)
• Email Address: Your Yahoo! Mail address (e.g., user@yahoo.com)
• Password: Your Yahoo! Mail password

14. Set-up AOL Mail in Windows Live Mail

1. Select the "Home" arrow
2. "Options"
3. Select "Email accounts"
4. Click the "Add" button
5. Select "Email Account"
6. Add your AOL email
7. Add your AOL Password
8. Select “Remember this password" if you do not want to manually add your email account each time Microsoft Mail Live checks your email.
9. If this email account will be your primary email account select the “Make this my default email account”.
10. Select Next
11. Microsoft Mail Live will automatically complete the server details.
12. All of your email will be downloaded from the AOL server

15. Checking email from only one account when you have multiple accounts

From the Home tool bar select the down arrow on the "Send/Receive" button then select the account you wish to check mail for.

16. Microsoft Mail Live Options

Many of the additional options and cutomisations for Mail Live can be found in the Options Tabs found under Home arrow and "Options – Mail" as seen in the image below.
 

A number of Options will be presented under each tab (see image below).
 

General
Allows you to customise the way you are notified of new email and RSS feeds as well as how often your Mail is checked and how Mail Live connects to the Internet. If you have several email clients on your computer the option to make Mail Live the default is also here.

Read
Allows you to modify the fonts, colour and how long an email is selected for, prior to being marked as read.

International font settings are also contained in the Read tab.

Receipts
Allows you to manage notifications of if people have read your email and how you would like Microsoft Mail Live to respond when you are the mail recipient and the sender has asked for notification that you have read the email.

Send
Customisation of the way your reply and sent email are formatted as well as the option to send in plain text or HTML.

Compose
Font settings for composed email as well as options for emoticons.

Signatures
The place to customise and edit your signatures. The advanced button allows you to assign a different signature to each of your email accounts.

Spelling
Contains the same default settings as Microsoft Office and the ability to add various other languages to the speller.

Connection
The management area for your internet connection and how Microsoft Mail Live interacts with both your Internet connection and Windows Live ID.

Advanced
An area for technical people.

17. Navigation of the menus

Microsoft Mail Live can be confusing to look at and navigate at first. Based on other recent Microsoft software releases, the menu’s are divided up into 5 main menus with a number of sub-menus underneath.
 

Windows Live Menu (Arrow pointing downwards)
New – Email, contacts, calendar, message,
Save – A File or message
Print – General printing options
Import – of mail, contacts, Express files etc
Export – mail, contacts etc
Options – Mail, accounts, newsgroups, feeds and security
About 
Exit
 

Home
 
This menu has all the options for sending, composing, finding, checking and editing email messages.

Folders

 
This is the navigation area for Windows Live Mail folders.

View

 
The control area to modify how you view and control the layout of your folders, Mail, calendars.

Accounts

The area to add new email, newsgroups and to customise your personal information and email address details.

18. Delete an email account

1. Select the "Home" arrow
2. "Options"
3. Select "Email accounts"
4. Select the email account that is to be deleted
5. Select the "Delete" button on the right hand side.

19. Reading all email in one folder

Each time a new email account is added, it will create a new Inbox and associated mail boxes underneath.

If you have more than two email accounts this can become a slow and frustrating task to read your email. To manage all of your email in the one folder click on:

• "Quick Views" in the left hand pane above your Inbox.
• Unread email to manage all of your email
• Uread email from contacts to manage all of your email from your stored contacts
• Unread Feeds to view and delete your unread RSS feeds.

20. Sending email

1. Select the email "Email" button from the Home Toolbar.
2. If you have multiple accounts select the account to send email from, via the drop down list at the right hand corner
3. Once an email has been compiled use the send button that is situated next to the "To" and "Subject" fields.

21. Sending email error (number 0X800CCC0B)

If you get a sending email error (number 0X800CCC0B) in Windows Live Mail you could try the following before contacting your ISP or seeking other assistance.

Click on "Tools" -> "Accounts" -> "Mail".
Individually select each account(s) that is giving you the sending email error.
Click the "Properties" button and move to the "Servers" tab.
Select "Log on using clear text authentication" and put a check mark for "My server requires authentication".

22. Photo Email

This is a new feature that was not included in Microsoft Outlook Express or within Microsoft Mail.

Photo email allows you to send high resolution photographs as email attachments without cluttering up the inbox of your recipients and using up lots of bandwidth. This is ideal for those without broadband connections or with limited bandwidth. It is also a time-saver when you want to send digital photos from your digital camera without the need to decrease the size and quality of the photo to send via email.

Instead of attaching the image or images with the email message, Photo email sends only thumbnails versions - both in file size and physical dimensions of the digital photograph. The recipients get to see only the thumbnails. When they click on one of pictures a larger version is displayed to them from a private location on the web.

Windows Live Mail allows you control the layout, format and look of the thumbnails including frame effects on the smaller versions.

To send a Photo Email

1. New Message window by either clicking on the "New" button (on the top-left) or going to "File" -> "New" -> "Mail Message".
2. Browse to the directory in which the images are stored that you want to send.
3. Select the images you want to send
4. Click "Open"
5. Select “Add more Photo’s” from the dialogue box if you wish to add more.

Once you have attached the pictures to your email message, you can use the several options on Photo email to change the look and size of the thumbnails, add a border or a frame, include text with individual photograph, perform basics image editing functions and much more. Also you can always change the photographs - delete certain images and add in new ones.

If you do not want to use the Photo email option you can still attach images to an email message.

23. Signatures

Signatures are a convenient form of communicating your contact details at the bottom of an email. Usually formatted text is used.

To add a signature to Microsoft Mail Live:

1. Select the down arrow
   
2. Select "Mail"
3. Select "Signatures" from the tabs
   
4. Add your personalised details and customise the Signature settings to your personal requirements.

24. Adding a designed signature in HTML

If you are experienced with using HTML you can use an HTML editor to create a small signature file with images etc and copy the HTML code from your editor to the signature tab of Windows Mail Live.

25. Windows Mail Keyboard short cuts

• Check spelling   F7
• Close a message   ESC
• Delete an e mail message   DEL or CTRL+D
• Find a message   CTRL+SHIFT+F
• Find text   F3 or CTRL+SHIFT+F
• Forward a message   CTRL+F
• Go to a folder   CTRL+Y
• Go to the next unread e mail message   CTRL+U
• Go to your Inbox   CTRL+I
• Insert a signature   CTRL+SHIFT+S
• Mark a message as read   CTRL+ENTER or CTRL+Q
• Move between the message list, Folders list (if on), and Preview pane   TAB
• Open a selected message   CTRL+O or ENTER
• Open Contacts   CTRL+SHIFT+B
• Open or post a new message   CTRL+N
• Print the selected message   CTRL+P
• Reply to all   CTRL+SHIFT+R or CTRL+G (newsgroups only)
• Reply to the message author   CTRL+R
• Send and receive e mail   CTRL+M
• See all the menu options Alt

26. Importing Mail and Contacts

All email, contacts and groups can be exported from Outlook Express and imported into Microsoft Windows Mail Live. Web Mail such as Gmail and Hotmail will be downloaded once an account has been set up within Windows Live Mail. The webmail mail will remain on the webmail server and keep a copy in your Windows Live Mail.

Outlook Express, Windows Mail
If you install Windows Live Mail on a computer that also has your Outlook Express, Windows Mail or an older version of Windows Live installed on it, you can copy your Outlook Express messages into Windows Live Mail by the following:

1. File>Import>Messages>from
2. Then choose which email appliation eg, Microsoft Outlook Express 6, Windows Mail or Windows Mail Live.
3. Then browse to the relevant folder.

If Outlook Express is on a different computer. Outlook Express messages are stored into files with an extension of .DBX. Thus, all messages in your Inbox are stored in a file named Inbox.dbx, sent items in Sent Items.dbx. These files are stored in a folder named Outlook Express, which can be found by clicking on Tools>Options>Maintenance>Store Folder from Outlook Express. These files can be stored on removable media for easy importing into Microsoft Windows Live Mail.

27. Address Book from Outlook Express

Click on Addresses>File>Export and follow the prompts, which give options for exporting different types of address books. Choose CSV (comma separated values) file. Give the file a name along with a .txt extension. This should make the data easily found and importable into Windows Live Mail Contacts.

28. Migrating from another email program to Microsoft Mail

Email and contacts can be exported from various email clients such as Eudora and imported into Microsoft Mail Live.

You will need to consult relevant documentation for the email client and then export as a CSV file then import into Microsoft Windows Live Mail.

29. Backing up your Windows Live Mail

Windows Live Mail allows you to easily back up all of your email, calendar, contacts and RSS subscriptions.
To create a back up of all or of selected files:

1. File (down arrow) -> "Export email" -> "Email Messages"
   
2. Select "Windows Live Mail"
3. Select a destination to store your email backup. This should be an external drive to your computer. Refer to the Back Up section of this guide.
4. Select relevant folders you want to back up or select all.
   
5. Select "Next"
6. Back-up is completed.

30. RSS feeds

To read subscribed RSS feeds, select the Feeds icon as shown in the image below.

 

To subscribe to new RSS feeds:
A. Click the RSS feed URL on a web site or email If Microsoft Windows Live Mail is your default RSS feed reader it will automatically subscribe you to the RSS feed.

B. To manually subscribe to a RSS feed:

1. Select the Feeds icon to take you to the RSS feeds section of Microsoft Mail Live.
2. Select the Orange RSS feed button in the top left hand side of the toolbar
3. Add the URL of the RSS feed.

31. Contacts

There are two main options to add a new contact Microsoft Live Mail.

Option 1
Once you have received an email from someone whom you would like to save their contact details to your Mail address book.

To do this:

1. Open the email
2. Find their name or email address in the From field
3. Click  “Add contact"
4. Complete the appropriate details as seen in the image below
   

Option 2

1. Select contacts from the bottom left hand side of the pane in Microsoft Live Mail as seen in the image below
2. Select the "Contact" button in the top left hand tool bar.
3. Complete the appropriate details as seen in the image in Option 1.
   

32. Contact groups

Contact groups are ideal for sending multiple addresses the one email with out the need to add multiple addresses to the BCC or CC fields. You simply add the name of the group of people you want to send an email into the appropriate To, CC or BCC fields.

To view all contacts simply select the “View all contacts”.

To create a contacts group you firstly need to have the contacts stored in Microsoft Mail Live.

1. From the Contacts area within Microsoft Mail Live select the button called "Category" from the tool bar.
   
2. Name the group something appropriate for your own use
3. Begin adding relevant contacts to your group
4. Once complete click on "Save"

To add new contacts to a pre-existing group you can select the contact name and right click and select "move contact to" and then choose the appropriate group.

33. Calendar

Microsoft Live Mail has a default calendar installed.

The calendar can be viewed by day, week and month and appointments can have alerts added to them so that Microsoft Live Mail can provide you with an appropriate alert reminder of upcoming events.

To access the calendar select Calender from the bottom left hand pane as seen image below.

 

To add a new appointment or event to your calendar select the “event” button from the toolbar. Complete the details you wish to add and any reminders.

34. A note for Vista users

Windows Vista comes with a pre-installed email client called Windows Mail. If you have been using this program you can import all your email messages to Windows Live Mail and set it as the default.

To save space and to avoid future confusion consider uninstalling Windows Mail.