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#590
WinLiveMail Contacts
How Contacts/Sync function works in Windows Live Mail .
Off Topic
This is not the correct forum for this post, but since a number of posts have been made in this thread re the topic of how the Sync function works with contacts, I'm posting this as a one off to clarify this function.
In Windows Live Mail there is an option to Sign In/Stop signing in on start up of WLM, (Windows Live Mail). under the following pathway:
Open: WLM --> Menu Bar --> Tools --> Options --> Connections Tab --> Sub-heading: Connecting to Windows Live services --> Sign in or Stop signing in.
In the current version of WLM, (not Wave 4), the default option is with Sign in switched off. When it is switched on, a screen displays asking for your email address and password. It also has a box that can be ticked to: Remember my password.
Once it's turned on, if you then choose Stop signing in, a warning comes up saying: "If you stop signing in, you will stop synchronizing contacts and calendar events for.... (then it shows your email log in address)".
A) With the "Sign in" function switched on and:
1. Remember my password --> Ticked
At start up a splash screen briefly displays showing that WLM is signing in, and the main window opens with all contacts available.
2. Remember my password --> Unticked.
At start up a static splash screen displays, showing the option to sign in by filling in your email address and password. It also has a Cancel option.
If the Cancel option is clicked:
- WLM opens without signing in.
- All Contacts are shown synchronized to the same contacts list as if signed in.
B) With the "Stop signing in" option switched on.
- The splash screen at start up has no options and displays briefly until WLM is open.
- WinLiveMail will be permanently logged-off, and will function like a normal email client such as Windows Mail, with only one contacts list.
- The Contacts list will be empty but can be filled by importing your current contacts from the Contacts folder on your hard drive
- The Contacts list will not be synchronized with the contacts list shown when Sign in is activated. This means if you switch back to Sign in option you will have to update your contact list shown when signed in. It also means you can have your web based contacts list empty so your personal contacts aren't out there floating in cyber-space, while still using your hard drive contacts list!
- None of the signed in functions will work, such as sending a Photo e-mail.
Having Sign in switched on, and Remember my password switched off, gives you the best of both worlds with the option to log in or not at every start up. However, if you don't use the web based functions very often, it's a pain in the butt having to click Cancel every time you open WLM.
Notes: It's interesting that the folder Windows Live Contacts under AppData has only one sub-folder entry if Sign in has never been used. This is obviously the hard drive contacts.
After signing in for the first time as per option (A) above, it creates two additional folders for the synchronized contacts. Contacts cannot be added to the contacts list while you're not signed in.
If the first of these new folders is removed, no contacts can be seen whether signed in or not. And even though it re-creates this folder there are no contacts.
If the second synchronized folder is removed and the first one left, after signing in, it recreates the other missing folder and contacts can be seen whether signed in or not. Obviously the first folder connects to the web based contacts.
All WinLiveMail really needs now is an option to display only one set of Local Folders, and it would be a brilliant email program with many options for either client or web based functions.
Hope this clears things up. Cheers PB
Last edited by poppa bear; 18 Jun 2010 at 05:09.
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