Windows Live Mail

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jethro's picture

The following is the sample email that pops up in Windows Mail. Windows mail is being gradually replaced by Windows Live mail. This is a much better free email application than the old Outlook Express which technically wasn't free, you had to buy windows XP to get it. Windows live mail can be downloaded for free as part of the live suite.

I use it for a lot of clients as an easy way to manage their Hotmail or Gmail accounts on their PC.

image Windows Mail is the successor to Outlook Express

Windows Mail builds on the foundation of Outlook Express, adding a variety of new features designed to make your e-mail experience more productive and fun, while helping to reduce risks and annoyances such as phishing and junk e-mail.

Getting started

If you're upgrading from Outlook Express, Windows Mail can import your existing account information and e-mail addresses. The first time you start Windows Mail, you will be prompted to set up an e-mail account. If you skip this step and want to set up a new account later, click the Tools menu, click Accounts, and then click Add.

In addition to sending and receiving e-mail, you can use Windows Mail to read newsgroups, which are Internet discussion forums where groups of people gather to talk about common interests. To participate in a newsgroup (you can send a message or just read what other people are talking about), click Microsoft Communities in the folder pane. You can choose from a variety of newsgroups devoted to Windows and other Microsoft products.

To get help using Windows Mail, click the Help menu, and then click View Help. You can also get help from other Windows Mail users in the microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail newsgroup.

New Features

Improved e-mail searching

  • To quickly search your messages in Windows Mail, you can type complete or partial words into the search box. You'll instantly get a list of all of the messages that contain those words. The list of results will show messages that contain your search criteria in both the headers and message text of your mail messages.
  • For fast access to search, press CTRL+E to move the cursor into the search box. Press ESC to clear the search box.
  • You can also search your e-mail inbox from Windows by using the search box. Searching from Windows instead of Windows Mail will produce the same results: matches are based on both the headers and message text of the mail in your inbox.

Junk e-mail and phishing filters

  • Windows Mail now includes Microsoft SmartScreen technology to help keep unwanted junk e-mail out of your Inbox. Suspected junk e-mail messages are automatically moved to the Junk E-mail folder.
  • The anti-phishing features in Windows Mail help protect against phishing messages, which attempt to trick you into revealing personal or financial information. When Windows Mail detects a possible phishing message, it allows you to view the message, but it blocks any links or dangerous content that might be in the message. You can choose to delete a message, or to allow a message that you know is safe.

Communities

  • Windows Mail Communities let you rate the usefulness of newsgroup messages by clicking the Rate this Post button. This makes it easier and faster to find helpful, trusted information in busy newsgroups.
  • The Communities rating feature uses Windows Live ID to help ensure that the people who post messages in newsgroups are who they claim to be. (You can still utilize the Communities feature without using Windows Live ID.)

About Newsgroups

Using newsgroups

Windows Mail is about more than just e-mail. You can use Windows Mail to access Microsoft's Help newsgroups at msnews.microsoft.com by clicking Microsoft Communities in the folder pane. These newsgroups allow you to ask questions and read answers from other people who are also using Microsoft products.

What you should know before you get started

1. Find the appropriate group. You'll find newsgroups covering most Microsoft products.  Picking the appropriate newsgroup is the best way to receive the information you want. Select folders related to the product that you have questions about. For example, the group "microsoft.public.powerpoint" would be the place to go for Microsoft PowerPoint questions. For more information about subscribing to newsgroups, go to Help and Support and search for "subscribe to a newsgroup."

2. Browse before asking. If you have a common question about a product, chances are good that there is already an answer in an existing newsgroup discussion. By browsing the discussions you might find the answer you need so that you don't have to post the question.

3. Expand the list of responses. The responses to each question are displayed as a collapsed list to make the postings easier to read.. To see all of the answers to a question, click the plus sign (+) next to the message topic. This will expand the list so that you can see all of the answers to a question.
4. Good questions get more helpful answers. The more information you provide, the more likely people will be able to help you. For example, write a very descriptive title for your question. People will decide whether to read your message based on the title. A question with a title like, "How do I print multiple e-mail messages?" is more likely to get useful responses than a question with a title like "Help!" If you're having a technical problem, include the relevant details about the hardware and software that you're using. This information helps other people in the newsgroup replicate your problem.
5. Response time for questions. If you post a question to a newsgroup, other people in that newsgroups will often answer your question within 24 hours. If you don't get an answer within a day or two, consider reposting your question with a more descriptive title and more detailed information.
6. Mind your "netiquette." In a newsgroup, you encounter both anonymity and the inability to determine someone's tone, so it's sometimes easy to get drawn into heated discussions (commonly called "flame wars"). This can be compounded if you're visiting the newsgroup because you're frustrated by a problem in the first place. While it might be tempting to lash back at someone who posts a less-than-helpful reply, it does no good in the end. For a guide to the dos and don'ts of newsgroup discussion, see Netiquette 101 for New Netizens.
7. Who are MVPs? MVPs are experienced users of certain Microsoft products who use their expertise in answering questions from other users.