New user needs help; numerous issues with Windows 7

richc46 said:

If you go to Windows Live Essentials. You can download the free email client. Windows Live Mail.

Essentials - Windows Live There are several appl that you can get from that site like messenger.

I think that the best support paid or unpaid is available, here, at Seven Forums. Give us a try before going else where.

This should be virus free, if you insist upon Thunderbird, but WLM, was made just for windows, I use it and am very satisfied.

Thunderbird - It?s All Yours

Sorry, maybe my post was too long to actually convey what I was trying to say:

I had my cable company come out to set up the broadband this morning, but they couldn't set up my email because Windows Live Mail is not compatible for configuration with my local cable broadband.

Annastasia said:

Sorry, maybe my post was too long to actually convey what I was trying to say:

I had my cable company come out to set up the broadband this morning, but they couldn't set up my email because Windows Live Mail is not compatible for configuration with my local cable broadband.

I'll be blunt.. !! Your cable company service guy is a blithering idiot !!
Live Mail should not be incompatible with your local cable broadband. It's just a web based interface to manage email accounts. It may not be supported by your ISP and work with its email accounts, but that's a different issue.
Is that what you meant ?

If so, call their service folks and demand that they send out someone who knows what they are doing! Heck, my cable provider refused to support me for years, 'cus I was running a network behind the modem and always wanted me to plug a PC directly into the modem port. Blah!!
Having that type of config is now commonplace.

incompatible it sure sounds like they don't have a clue seems that's always everybody's line when they don't know what to do

bobkn said:

It sounds like Mediacom support is weak.

They appear to support Outlook Express as a client. Regardless of its name, Windows Live Mail is similar to Outlook Express, and can be used with POP3 servers.

The POP3 configuration settings are here:

Mediacom

(The POP3 and SMTP servers are both mail.mediacombb.com.) If you can't figure out how to configure Windows Live Mail with them, I hope that you can ask a PC-savvy chum. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

I don't understand the virus warnings when you download Thunderbird. I have no trouble getting it from www.mozilla.org. (I have Microsoft Security Essentials as my antivirus, plus Windows Defender.) I scanned the download with MSE: no problems. (I didn't actually install it.)

As regards general Windows support, your OEM Windows license is supposed to be supported by Lenovo. (If it was a retail license, Microsoft would give you free support on it. I haven't checked since the XP days, but I believe that the free period would be a whole 90 days from the time of your first support inquiry.) I can't advise you on how to avoid the run-around you've been getting.

In terms of going to XP: it may be possible. You haven't supplied enough information (exact T400 model) to allow anyone to check whether XP drivers are available. However, even if it's possible, it'll be much more difficult than configuring an email client that Mediacom doesn't support. ("Doesn't support" means that their support people can't talk you through the settings; it does not mean that it won't work.)

Good luck.

The first time I went to Mozilla to try to DL Thunderbird, I got a pop-up (before I installed free AVG this morning, no security software) that appeared to come from the site itself with red and exclamation points and small print saying that the file was infected with viruses, but the window closed before I could see everything it said exactly. I tried to go back and check it again and got the same pop-up, but then another window opened showing that it was going to DL Thunderbird without me having selected run or save, and had to close it ASAP to avoid the infected DL, so again I didn't get to look at it long enough to get the details. If the virus is causing the DL attempt without my having selected run or save, I'm scared to go back to that site again.

Like I said, this is my first PC in 5 years, so I have no idea what most of the stuff listed in the configuration is; I was trying to fill in that information in my forum registration, but more than half the information requested (i.e. Motherboard, CPU) is not listed, or at least indecipherable, in the configuration my mom ordered:
2764CTO
2GBPC3-8500 1067MHzMem QTY - 2
320GbHardDiskDrive,7200rpm QTY - 1
FCC, Label QTY - 1
FCC-ID/Label for WWAN QTY - 1
Bluetooth Screw QTY - 1
Energy Star 4.0 Pack QTY- 1
WWAN MiscP-WWAN ReadyFull QTY -1
56k v.92 Desig. Modem QTY - 1
Base 2nd Touch for Hybrid QTY - 1
Bluetooth w/antenna QTY -1
Integ.WlessAntenna:14.1" QTY- 1
UWB Misc Parts-no card(H1 QTY - 1
St.LCDCov./Bez.14.1"w/Cam QTY - 1
ExpressCardSlot&PCCardSlot QTY -1
Cl.plateT400WLAN&BluetWWAN QTY - 1
GEOLbl.US,WLAN,Bluet. QTY - 1
Mech Misc Parts QTY- 1
New Int Lbl 2008 Core2 Duo QTY - 1
ODD SW for DVD Rec, Vista QTY - 1
AMD M82XT 256MBlbl AMT&TPM QTY - 1
MT 2764 Syst Lab (LED B/L) QTY -1
14.1WXGAw/LdB/IBtCmWWN11n QTY - 1
WLAnMiscPar-1x2half(H2) QTY - 1
MSlab.(Win.7Standard) QTY - 1
ThinkPad b/g/n QTY - 1
In.Core2DuoProcessorP880
DVDRecord.8xMaxDual,UltBay QTY - 1
14.1 WXGA TFT,w/LD Bcklt,Cm QTY - 1
Gen Win 7 Hm Pr 64 US En
Country Pack North America QTY - 1
Kyb US English
Lang.PackUSenglish QTY - 1
4 cell Li-Ion Baterry (sic) QTY - 1
UltrNav(TrackP&TouchPad)
Packaging US
Intg.Wir.WideNet upgrad. QTY - 1
AMD M82XT Hybrid 256MB

Regarding my problem not having a Windows 7 backup disk, my mom just called and said it should have been included, because she paid an extra $20 for it, but it's not listed in the configuration (that I can decipher; if you see it in the configuration list, please let me know), or on the packing list.

Ann:

Restated, I guess you have 3 problems

Getting an email client that can handle multiple addresses
Proper antivirus
Getting support for your new purchase
Getting a backup disk

I'd concentrate on the first two for now.

The people on this forum can likely provide all the knowhow you need.

You have AVG installed. Does it appear to be working properly?

If yes, have you tried to download Thunderbird 3.0 from here?

Mozilla Messaging

Microsoft's own Security Essentials is probably the easiest to use and configure alternative to AVG in use by forumites if you are looking for something other than AVG.

Don't rely on whatever antivirus your ISP may provide. Run your own on your own PC.

If you think you have no virus issues at this time, I would find out why you can't download a proper copy of Thunderbird. If you can't do so from a legitimate site, you may have some sort of malware or virus on your system, despite AVG.

Concentrate on antivirus and mail first.

thefabe said:

I would just like to add Don't go back to XP with the vast anount of information on this site and the quality of the members I'm certian someone can help you through any issues you may come accross. Fabe

It wouldn't be a matter of going back to XP, as I have never used it before; I have just heard so many bad things about Vista. My last PC came with Windows ME, but my anti-virus software kept finding so many viruses, including some generated by the ME OS *itself*, that I attempted to upgrade to XP for about 5 minutes before it crashed everything and displayed the blue screen of death, so then I had to downgrade to Windows 98, so that was the last PC OS I ever used 5 years ago.

Don't bother with Vista or XP.

Stay with Windows 7 unless you have specific information that your computer won't run it. The machine undoubtedly came with a bunch of stuff you don't need and it can likely be removed as needed. It came with Windows 7 and should certainly run it. You have 2 GB of RAM, which is enough to provide decent performance.

Work on your specific issues.

Windows Live mail should be fairly straightforward setting up ..

new Account

1st page:
email address
PW

next page ..

the server addresses (incoming POP3 & Outgoing SMPT) will be something like :
mail. <carrier> . <com or net>

least, thats how most cable services work :-/

thunderbird should be the same