Solved Is Windows Live Mail as much of a PIA as I've been reading?

[grits]

I didn't really want to go with Live but can't seem to accomplish the tutorial 'Enable WindowsMail in Windows 7' and am getting desperate for an email program. I did post to the tutorial discussion but haven't seen any reply.

I tried Thunderbird, didn't care for it, & now using Eudora 7 but don't really care for it either. I'm looking for something as close as possible to Outlook Express.

Thank you,
grits

 

[seavixen32]

I use WLM and have no problem with it.

You can also use most other e-mail accounts with it too.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...il-set-up-hotmail-yahoo-gmail-aol-e-mail.html

To be honest, you're always likely to get a better response with your own thread rather than add to the tutorial discussion, although that's not to say you shouldn't.

 

[grits]

Thanks. I understand the reasoning about better response to my own thread but where my question was concerning the tutorial, where would I start my own?

Are you using the newest LiveMail or an older one? I've read several times that people are having better luck with 2009 rather than 2011.

 

[seavixen32]

I'm using Windows Live Esentials 2011 and like I said, I've had no problems with it.

For advice on starting a new thread, see here: http://www.sevenforums.com/faq.php

As for which forum, you've chosen the right one in Browsers & Mail.

 

[windude99]

Windows Live Mail isn't that bad (it's the only decent email client out there):Windows Live Essentials: Other Programs

 

[grits]

If I do end up having to settle for LiveMail do I have to take 'all' the Live stuff or is there just an email part?

 

[seavixen32]

If I do end up having to settle for LiveMail do I have to take 'all' the Live stuff or is there just an email part?

You can choose exactly which parts you want by unchecking the applications you don't want during the installation procedure.

 

[Roderunner]

Hi grits,

WLM is an excellent program if used correctly. This is how I manage mine.
I have a Hotmail account, it stores all my contacts, I also keep a copy in .csv format. It is ONLY used to sign-in to Window Live Mail. Once the folders for it have been added, it gives me Safe/Blocked senders filtering. I then add my Gmail account & delete the Hotmail account. Everything still works as previously stated.
My Gmail account is set to archive messages once they are accessed using POP3, so I NEVER lose any messages unless I delete them.
If my current Hotmail account gets hacked, all I need to do is open a new account, import my contacts and be back to normal in minutes.

 

[roncerr]

Is Windows Live Mail as much of a PIA as I've been reading?

Yes it is. To those of us who grew up with Outlook Express and Windows Mail it's a big dissapiontment. Buggy as hell. But also, to most of us, it's the best currently available.

 

[Slartybart]

Grits,

WL Mail is fine. I'm just an old geek trying to figure things out. I don't like the fact that WL talks to servers as regularly as it does (twice a day), but I think this is just a hang-over from their transition date - at least I hope it is. The only other thing I would guess is that MS is moving to the cloud computing model and that means clients have to check in with servers. As I said, I'm an old geek - been there done that.... centralized computing, decentralized computing, time-sharing..... same thing different name

You'll have to play around a little to find where they stuffed options, configuration and what-not. That's the price we pay for progress. It's a fair price, methinks.

The GUID folders created in AppData\Local cause no problems - they just bug me. They belong in either the app's folder or in a temp folder. But they pose no threat and they don't consume resources - well a little - they do exist, but they're empty.

So, go ahead - bite the bullet and go with Live Mail. It does have some neat features, and it has that damn ribbon that I really don't like. But then so do many other "modern" applications. I did pretty much the same as you. Didn't like it, re-instated WinMail, and then reinstalled Live Mail.

Dag nab it - that's progress for ya.

Peace!

 

[grits]

@Roderunner, waaay confusing, I'm not interested in Hotmail or gmail, I want one simple email program like Outlook Express but thanks.

@roncerr, so you never got through the tutorial about getting WindowsMail to work in Windows 7? I saw your name in some of the posts over there.

@Slartybart, I never even tried WLM. I don't like all this 'cloud stuff', but have tried several other clients & wasn't happy with them. I'm used to Outlook Express for so many years & being a senior citizen am stubbornly stuck on my ways. I'm also not computer literate as you can see over at the tutorial where I see you just recently posted between endeavor & me. So, are you using both WM & WLM?

Thanks to all, but I really don't think I'll go with WLM. If I can't get WM re-instated, which is looking pretty iffy after several tries with both the long way & the batch file way, I'll just go with Incredimail.

 

[Heyyou]

If you don't mind paying for it, you would probably like Outlook. It does it all and integrates with Office. I've been using it since 2004 and like it.

 

[grits]

Thanks Heyyou, but besides not understanding all the stuff in Office, I'm a retired senior trying to exist on a small fixed income & can't afford buying computer programs. It was tough enough to come up with the money to buy this PC when my old one crashed.

 

[Slartybart]

I decided to use Windows Live Mail (WL Mail).

Essentially, WL Mail is Outlook Express (OE) in new wrappings with some new features. Underneath it's still OE - it still use msOE.dll, msOEres.dll, etc.

You can use WL Mail locally on your PC, you don't have to use the cloud.

It's built in so that if you decide later that the services might be of some benefit you. MS is planning that you will want to use the cloud. Large attachments are a good example of using the cloud - you can't send much more than 20 megabytes through mail servers - but if you wanted to, you could load that large video of your vacation up on a cloud and tell folks where to go.... to see it that is.

There is one feature I like a lot-Safe Senders. I was going to write a Spam filter once and this seems as though MS finally embraced the simple solution. Other clients should too. I know who I trust - they're in my contact file - everyone else should be suspicious until I add them as a contact. Safe Senders are an extension - you don't have to have them in your contacts but they're still trusted.

The new interface - well, I too am stuck in my ways, but as the Dodo bird has taught us. Adapt or suffer extinction.

@Slartybart, I never even tried WLM. I don't like all this 'cloud stuff', but have tried several other clients & wasn't happy with them. I'm used to Outlook Express for so many years & being a senior citizen am stubbornly stuck on my ways. I'm also not computer literate as you can see over at the tutorial where I see you just recently posted between endeavor & me. So, are you using both WM & WLM?

Peace!

 

[DeaconFrost]

I think it works quite well, especially for a personal e-mail account. I actually stopped using Outlook at home because it was overkill. WLM and an IMAP account is a great combination.

 

[Frank1]

If you have MS Office, you can use Office Outlook.

 

[Slartybart]

Grits,

I'm writing 'simplified' instructions to reinstate WinMail - not that the tutorial is overly difficult. I need a day or two to double check stuff before I post it. Endeavor created a new WinMailEdit.reg partly based on our conversations - I or someone else should take a look-see. I have a question or two regarding the original tutorial
1) There's a warning about not copying the 64 bit msoe.dll into the 32 bit program folder - that makes sense. but it leaves me to wonder.... should the 32 bit version be put there. I believe it should and I'm fairly certain that is what I did when I ran the exercise. I think I even tried not doing it - if my memory serves me, it didn't work unless I copied both versions to their proper locations.

Well I guess I only had one question, didn't I, otherwise thre would have a number two above.

Of course you should keep in mind, that I had to back track because I missed step one - lol

anyway, I've already typed a lot of the instructions and tested the easy stuff. I just want to make sure my fat fingers weren't well...... fat. and that my +2.0 reading glasses were sufficient. So I'll get back to you before the end of the week.

In the mean time, why not give WLMail a try - really, you might like it after a while. You can always uninstall it. You might have to anyway based on a caution in the Tutorial - so you might as well take it for a spin, kick the tires and see whats what.

Peace!

Thanks to all, but I really don't think I'll go with WLM. If I can't get WM re-instated, which is looking pretty iffy after several tries with both the long way & the batch file way, I'll just go with Incredimail.

 

[roncerr]

...I'm writing 'simplified' instructions to reinstate WinMail - not that the tutorial is overly difficult...

You may want to incorporate the batch file provided by EKMantis: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5481-windows-mail-112.html#post1761751

 

[roncerr]

...@roncerr, so you never got through the tutorial about getting Windows Mail to work in Windows 7? I saw your name in some of the posts over there...

I tried it a long time ago when the Tutorial first came out. Even had some PMs with Poppa Bear. It did work fine. But there is always the nagging problem that one of the monthly updates to Windows 7 will bork it, since it's unsupported on Windows 7. (That's exactly what happened with SP1.) When Microsoft issues an update to Vista and 7 that affects Windows Mail, they include an updated msoe.dll file on Vista to keep Windows Mail working but they don't include it on 7. So if you see that your WM stopped working, you have to go back to the tutorial and hope that the file has been updated and made available there, then swap out the old for the new. At the time WLM was using the less buggy and more straightforward looking WLM 2009, so I tried it and, after learning the differences between them, I decided to stick with WLM. However, with the 2011 version, there have been even more problems and lost features reported in this forum and on the WLM newsgroup that I have not yet upgraded beyond WLM 2009.

 

[Slartybart]

Thanks Ron,

I'll check it out.

Endeavor contributed an updated WinMailEdit.reg - I have some questions about the original tutorial. I'm not sure why there was so much emphasis placed on running the WinMailEdit.reg before replacing msoe.dll. I'll look at both .reg versions and see if I can pick up on the reasoning. The order shouldn't matter, but there must have been a reason. Perhaps, the batch file you pointed to might shed some light on that question.
This might be a moot point anyway - I just read that WLM is being replaced in Win8 by Mail App. Great!

Early adopters say mostly good things about Win 8 and replacing the entire Live brand. After 5 or 6 years I'm still getting used to the ribbon. I don't think I like it though - never did. Some apps make ribbons usable, others take up far too much real estate and to be of any use, I have to hide/show it. I know, I know..... mouse clicks are cheap. It's the carpal tunnel surgery that's costly - all of those extra repetitive movements -lol

Peace!

You may want to incorporate the batch file provided by EKMantis: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5481-windows-mail-112.html#post1761751