About accounts

Setting the default account

About mail accounts

Before you can configure Microsoft Outlook Express to send and receive messages, you need to know what type of mail account you have. Different types of mail accounts have different properties. If you are not sure what type of mail account you have, ask your Internet service provider (ISP). There are three basic types of mail accounts:

POP Post Office Protocol is the most common type of mail account. When you receive e-mail from a POP account, messages are moved from the mail server to your Outlook Express Inbox. By default, messages are stored on the mail server only until you receive them; after that, they are stored on your computer until you delete them. You can, however, configure a POP account to leave a copy of each message on the server.
IMAP When you receive e-mail from an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) account, messages remain on the mail server, so you can read them from any location. For example, if you use one computer at work and a different computer at home, you can connect to the mail server from either location and read the same messages. When you connect to the server, your messages appear in folders in the Folder list, under the name of the IMAP account. If you have a Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox, you should set up an IMAP account for this type of mailbox. Your system administrator can help you set up such an account.
Hotmail Hotmail accounts are Web-based mail accounts. You can use Outlook Express to send and receive messages from a Hotmail account, rather than connect to the Hotmail Web site with a Web browser. Like an IMAP account, messages from a Hotmail account remain on the mail server. When you connect to the Hotmail server, your messages appear in folders in the Folder list, under the name of the Hotmail account.

In addition to knowing what type of mail account you have, you need to know your e-mail address, your account ID and password, and the addresses of your incoming and outgoing mail servers. Ask your ISP or system administrator if you do not have this information.

About leaving POP messages on the server

Set up an account

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
Click the appropriate tab for the type of account you want to set up: Mail, News, or Directory Service.
Click New.
Follow the instructions in the Account Setup Assistant to set up the account.
To set up your account without the assistant, click Configure account manually.


	If you select the Save password check box while entering your account information, Microsoft Outlook Express stores your password so that you do not have to enter it each time you connect to the mail server. However, if you save your password, anyone who has access to your computer can read your e-mail.

About mail accounts

Setting the default account

Changing or deleting an account

Change or delete an account

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
Click the appropriate tab for the type of account you want to change or delete: Mail, News, or Directory Service.
Click the account, and then do one of the following:
- To change account information, click Edit, and then enter your changes.
- To delete the account, click Delete.

Setting the default account

Set the default account

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
Click the appropriate tab for the type of default account you want to set: Mail, News, or Directory Service.
Click the account you want to make the default account, and then click Make Default.

Setting up a POP account to leave messages on the server

About leaving POP messages on the server

In Microsoft Outlook Express, you can set up a POP account so that copies of your messages remain on the server even after you receive them in your Inbox. This means you can download the messages again to a different computer, because they remain on the server until you delete them.

You can also configure a POP account to leave messages on the server if they are larger than a size you specify. If you configure your POP account in this way and receive a message that exceeds your specified size, Outlook Express copies only part of that message to your Inbox. You can then decide if you want to download the entire message. This setting can be convenient when you are traveling, because it helps you avoid large downloads when connection charges might be higher.


	If you choose to leave POP messages on the server, you should be sure to delete those you no longer need. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) have size restrictions on mailboxes, so if you do not delete messages from the server, you might exceed your allotted mailbox size.

About receiving POP messages left on the server

Deleting a POP message from the server

Deleting POP messages from the server automatically

Set up a POP account to leave messages on the server

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click the account, and then click Edit.
On the Options tab, do one or both of the following:
- Select the Partially retrieve messages over _ KB check box, and then type a file size in the box.
- Select the Leave a copy of each message on the server check box.


	To read your messages without copying them to your Inbox, select the Allow online access (shows account in folder list) check box. If you select this option, the account appears in the Folder list. Click the account to receive your messages.

About leaving POP messages on the server

Setting up a secure connection

About secure mail accounts

You can configure an account to provide more than the default level of security by setting up a secure connection. If you use a secure connection, all of the information contained in a message, including the body, is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). This ensures that no one can intercept and read your message. Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) to find out if your server accepts SSL. If your server does not accept SSL, and you configure your account in this way, you might not be able to send or receive messages. Also, if you set up a secure SSL connection, you might need to use a different SMTP port for sending messages, in addition to a different POP or IMAP port for receiving messages.

You can also configure an account to provide more than the default level of security by sending a secure password to the server when receiving messages. This is called password encryption. Password encryption ensures that no one can intercept and use your password to send and receive messages from your account. Contact your ISP to find out if your server accepts password encryption. If it does not, and you configure your account in this way, you might not be able to receive your messages.

Sending a secure password to the server

Switching to a different POP or IMAP port

Switching to a different SMTP port

Set up a secure connection

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click the account, and then click Edit.
On the Account Settings tab, click Click here for advanced sending options.
Select the SMTP service requires secure connection (SSL) check box.
If your SMTP server requires a different port for a secure connection, select the Override default SMTP port check box, and then type a new port number.

Sending a secure password to the server

Setting up a secure connection to a directory service

Switching to a different POP or IMAP port

Send a secure password to the server

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click the account, and then click Edit.
On the Account Settings tab, click Click here for advanced receiving options.
Select the Always use secure password check box.

Switch to a different POP or IMAP port

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click the account, and then click Edit.
On the Account Settings tab, click Click here for advanced receiving options.
Depending on the account type, do one of the following:
- To switch to a different POP port, select the Override default POP port check box.
- To switch to a different IMAP port, select the Override default IMAP port check box.
If your POP or IMAP server requires a different port for a secure connection, type a new port number.

Switching to a different SMTP port

Setting up a secure connection to a directory service

Switch to a different SMTP port

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click the account, and then click Edit.
On the Account Settings tab, click Click here for advanced sending options.
Select the Override default SMTP port check box.
If your SMTP server requires a different port for a secure connection, type a new port number in the Override default SMTP port box.

Switching to a different POP or IMAP port

Setting up a secure connection to a directory service

Set up a secure connection to a news server

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the News tab, click the news server, and then click Edit.
On the Account Settings tab, click Click here for advanced receiving options, and then select the options you want.

Setting up a secure connection to a directory service

Set up a secure connection to a directory service

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the Directory Service tab, click the directory service, and then click Edit.
On the Account Settings tab, click Click here for advanced options, and then select the options you want.