A Good Replacement for Outlook Express?

[buildingit]

Hello!

I got a new laptop with Windows 7 on it. I went to install Outlook Express and it looks like it is no longer available? Is that correct?- I just want to confirm...


So I installed Windows Live. I don't know if I like it- it's "server" was just trying to do something- my antivirus (or whatever) caught it. Plus it keeps asking me for my hotmail account id's. Like, it feels too intrusive.

What are your opinions of Windows Live?

Do you know of any simple, low key email programs (must have ability to display multiple accounts)?

edit- also, I would prefer the email program to have a more generic database for storing old messages- I have always had a hard time dealing with old messages when re-installing or changing computers- finding the actual file where they are held etc. I would prefer the ability to do this manually.

Thanx!

[ChoboSeki]

http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

[Spools]

I'll second Thunderbird. Also look to Mozbackup for easy backup/restore of mail, contacts, and bookmarks.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Much as I hate FlawedFox, yes, Thunderbird is the best of the free ones.

Don't expect your import from OE to Thunderbird to be flawless, though. It may be, it may be not. There's something about OE that makes both Windows Live Mail and Thunderbird hiccup during the import, causing it to fail.

[buildingit]

Hi, I just wanted to thank you all for responding. It's going to take me awhile to get around to installing it but I will go with Thunderbird, thank you!

[Nuclear Krusader]

Oh, just a word of warning: TB tries to do everything automatically, pretends to know everything, and setting up a POP3 account with it is a pain. I have been unable to.

[Force Flow]

Originally Posted by Nuclear Krusader Oh, just a word of warning: TB tries to do everything automatically, pretends to know everything, and setting up a POP3 account with it is a pain. I have been unable to.

They've released some fixes that should've addressed the account creation issues.


I'm a thunderbird user as well. However, some folks have also converted over to Windows Live Mail.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Fixes that shoulda been included in the latest version, right? Because I downloaded the latest version and no go. We just went with Windows Live Mail.

(People should just buy a copy of Outlook and save themselves the trouble)

[Force Flow]

3.1.2 is the latest. Note that if your mail server uses oddball settings, you may have to adjust things manually.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Yes, that's the case. And it doesn't let you. I followed the instructions from Mozilla's KB (click STOP when it's attempting to set up automatically, and then click on Manual), but upon clicking on Stop it just pops up an error message and Manual remains grayed out.

[Force Flow]

huh. Haven't seen that before.

[DSCHIEF]

Had the same problem with a fresh install of ver 3.
Got it to work by installing ver 2, inputting all server info manually. Then install ver 3 over the top . then 3.1.2 will import settings

http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-U...older-2.0.html

[Nuclear Krusader]

Good point, and shall download that version when I'm back in the shop. My coworker uses TB as his E-mail program and on my bench machine it was properly set up to work with POP3 accounts, hence my puzzlement and frustration when the new version that I put on that laptop refused to be manually set.

[lacyted]

I am shocked buildingit that Outlook Express was not on your new laptop. As for me, I still really like Outlook Express. It does the job for me.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Outlook Express was discontinued along with XP, replaced by Windows Mail in Vista, and now Live Mail in Win 7. M$ keeps changing things and "simplifying" them, thus making them not only harder to use, but also incompatible with their previous software: s'posedly you can import messages from OE into WLM, but in practice it doesn't always work.

[dcm202]

Postbox Express is also excellent.

[nigel08]

I use Windows Mail under Vista and that is pretty similar to Outlook Express. You should have Live Mail installed under Windows 7 that should be similar. Still, it doesn't do any harm to try out some 3rd party alternatives.

[buildingit]

Thanx Nigel- that is what I am using but I wanted something different. I still haven't tried the Mozilla. I think for now I will just stay with the Windows Live because it is just such a huge task to switch over-

[buildingit]

well. I just wanted to report that Windows Live , in a very sneaky manner, updated itself from version 9 to 11 and omg what a nightmare. I am trying to send just a couple of little photo's as an attachment- this thing insists on making a "photo album" and then uploading it to "Skydrive" (some MS storage joint that is very busy becuase to send 5 photo's took 5 minutes instead of the typical 5 seconds-"


anyway, I am wondering, why did no one mention GMAIL??? Does it have a bad reputation? Can I use gmail to also accesss my internet provider's emial accounts?
thanx

[buildingit]

Thunderbird is wonderful!! It just took me like 10 minutes to get it going. It's simplicity is like a breath of fresh air. ***ahhhh*** a sigh of relief. Thank you SO much!!!!!!

[edfair]

I'm surprised that you didn't find the way to change the location of you mailbox storage location in OE: tools, maintenance, store location.
Granted that the default location, 8 or so layers deep hiding behind some obscure folders, is the pits.

[glc]

Gmail is a service like Yahoo and Hotmail, not an email program.

[buildingit]

it has nothing to do with that- that is the irony- I store on my computer. Google Skydrive. It forces you to deposit your phots there en route to the destination computer