Trouble holding fonts in Microsoft Outlook

[Powerstroke2000]

In my newly purchased computer, it was set up with Microsoft Office, thus my e-mail program uses Microsoft Office Outlook...different than what I was use to with just the regular run of the mill "Outlook".
Oddy, the default font is both small, and the same color as the background, thus when I initially start to type in a new e-mail, I obviously can't see what I'm typing! I go into the font settings, change it to the font, font size and color...and I"m good to go! But, those changes don't seem to be "setting", and I have to make my choice every time I open a new e-mail, which is frustrating.
I have made these changes both...from the settings within the program itself, AND with a new e-mail window open, and neither seems to be setting my changes when I choose "apply".
I just opened the Options, then Mail Format, then Fonts, and it shows the page as being "blank" and the color "Black", yet when I open a new e-mail to construct, I have some sort of light boxed stationary, with a font I can't see as it's the same color as the background.
I know there must be a font there, as I can highlight it and delete it!

When choosing within an e-mail I can go to "Fonts" make my choices, and they hold the setting until that particular e-mail is finished and sent, then it again reverts to the default of what I mentioned above!

Odd I know, but I'm hoping someone might know how I can get my choices to hold in the settings I choose?

Thanks in advance!

[pam123]

Here's the guide to setting up the default font of your choice in Outlook in 3 steps : http://email.about.com/od/outlooktip...fault_font.htm

Is this what you've been doing ?

[Urban Earth]

If you don't want all of the extra features of Outlook, you will also have Outlook Express on your system. This is probably what you mean by run of the mill Outlook. Then set OE as your default email client.