Setting Up Default E-Mail?

esuhl

TakeThis wrote: »

Your ISP has supplied you with POP email. Use that with an appropriate client.

How do you know which ISP the POP is using?! Generally speaking it would be better to use IMAP than POP, and it's usually inadvisable to use an email account provided by your ISP as your access to it is dependent on your continued subscription to the ISP's service. Not something I'd recommend.

blaque*angel wrote: »

whats yahoo! webmail?

"Webmail" is a way of accessing your email account. Originally, to access an email account, you would use a dedicated piece of software (an email client) that can connect to email servers and upload/download messages. "Webmail" effectively provides a similar interface to an email client, but through a web-browser.

If you want to use webmail, I don't think it's possible to set up a default email application within Windows.

If you would prefer to use an email client (which wouldn't stop you also using webmail on occasion), you just need to make sure that the client is installed and configured correctly, then tell Windows to use it as the default email application.

blaque*angel wrote: »

where do i download outlook from?

I'm not sure if it can be downloaded, but you can get a copy from Amazon. Outlook 2010 is currently £89.90, but if you unless you specifically need the features to connect to corporate Exchange servers, etc., I'd have a look at Mozilla Thunderbird first. I find it more stable and easier-to-use than Outlook (and it's free).

TakeThis

esuhl wrote: »

How do you know which ISP the POP is using?! Generally speaking it would be better to use IMAP than POP, and it's usually inadvisable to use an email account provided by your ISP as your access to it is dependent on your continued subscription to the ISP's service. Not something I'd recommend.



"Webmail" is a way of accessing your email account. Originally, to access an email account, you would use a dedicated piece of software (an email client) that can connect to email servers and upload/download messages. "Webmail" effectively provides a similar interface to an email client, but through a web-browser.

If you want to use webmail, I don't think it's possible to set up a default email application within Windows.

If you would prefer to use an email client (which wouldn't stop you also using webmail on occasion), you just need to make sure that the client is installed and configured correctly, then tell Windows to use it as the default email application.



I'm not sure if it can be downloaded, but you can get a copy from Amazon. Outlook 2010 is currently £89.90, but if you unless you specifically need the features to connect to corporate Exchange servers, etc., I'd have a look at Mozilla Thunderbird first. I find it more stable and easier-to-use than Outlook (and it's free).

Huh?

Don't you need to subscribe to a Yahoo premium account to use it with an email client?
That's why I suggested using the address provided via the ISP.

esuhl

TakeThis wrote: »

Huh?

Don't you need to subscribe to a Yahoo premium account to use it with an email client?
That's why I suggested using the address provided via the ISP.

I've no idea - I don't use Yahoo's services. Obviously an email client will only work with a properly configured mail server. If Yahoo prevent POP or IMAP connections, then clearly an email client won't work with their server!

I don't think the OP mentioned their ISP, so how do you know they get an email address provided? As I said, it's such a bad idea to use an email account tied to an ISP anyway.

Wouldn't it be a much better idea to just get a new email account with a provider that provides IMAP access and is independent from their ISP?

To ensure that the OP never needs to change email addresses (assuming the Internet isn't completely overhauled), then buying a domain name to use with email would be an even better idea. It only costs a couple of quid a year.

TakeThis

esuhl wrote: »

I've no idea - I don't use Yahoo's services. Obviously an email client will only work with a properly configured mail server. If Yahoo prevent POP or IMAP connections, then clearly an email client won't work with their server!

I don't think the OP mentioned their ISP, so how do you know they get an email address provided? As I said, it's such a bad idea to use an email account tied to an ISP anyway.

Wouldn't it be a much better idea to just get a new email account with a provider that provides IMAP access and is independent from their ISP?

To ensure that the OP never needs to change email addresses (assuming the Internet isn't completely overhauled), then buying a domain name to use with email would be an even better idea. It only costs a couple of quid a year.

Do you know of an ISP that doesn't supply you with email addresses? They are few and far between.

The OP may probably move house at some point; does that mean that she should not use her current house address for snail mail and to pay out for a PO Box?

Whilst your advice may be prudent, it's not money-saving and too complicated.

But perhaps it you can write a simple guide, the OP might go for it.

esuhl

TakeThis wrote: »

Do you know of an ISP that doesn't supply you with email addresses? They are few and far between.

I don't think mine does (Be), and as I keep saying it's a bad idea to use your ISP's email address because you'll lose it next time you change ISP.

TakeThis wrote: »

The OP may probably move house at some point; does that mean that she should not use her current house address for snail mail and to pay out for a PO Box?

Whilst your advice may be prudent, it's not money-saving and too complicated.

That really depends on her circumstances as to whether the OP should get a PO box, but most people move house far less often than they change ISP so it's not exactly as much of a problem. In any case, a PO box will cost money and may result in delays in receiving mail. Simply choosing to use one email provider over another is neither more complicated nor more expensive.

If you had the choice of keeping the same postal address for your residence (as is the current system), or of receiving a new address every year or two, knowing that anyone writing to your old address will just get their letter returned with no forwarding address, why would you choose the latter when there's a better option?

If Yahoo don't provide free POP/IMAP access as you say then, as I see it, the OP has the following choices:

1. Keep using Yahoo webmail via a web browser and accept that any email integration within Windows won't work.
2. Use an email account provided by the ISP. The OP will have probably have no choice over the username in their email address, and they will lose it when they change ISP. Access may be possible via the ISP's web interface or by connecting via POP or IMAP using an email client.
3. Use a free independent email provider (such as GMX) where they can choose their own username, access via POP, IMAP or the web, and keep their email address(es) indefinitely.
4. Buy a domain for £2.99 a year (or less) where the OP can choose the username and domain (i.e. [EMAIL="anyuser@anydomain.co.uk"]anyuser@anydomain.co.uk[/EMAIL]), will keep the same address so long as email exists, and use that in conjunction with a free email provider. Probably the most desirable option, but it costs a few quid a year and is probably not the easiest thing to set up if you're not technically-minded. It's very easy for a "techie" to do and only needs to be done once, however...

Seeing as the OP isn't already using their ISP's email account, it strikes me that option 3 is always going to be a better choice than option 2. I can't see anything in favour of using your ISP's email account when better choices are available.

TakeThis wrote: »

But perhaps it you can write a simple guide, the OP might go for it.

Okay - go to gmx.com. Sign up. Done.

I'm sure there are other good free email providers around...

GunJack

guys, FYI, my main email account is a (now very) old yahoo POP account, and has always been used with outlook/express since day 1. I left yahoo as an ISP with the onset of broadband, but have retained the mail addy. Don't know if the newer ones are web-only, but certainly the older ones are client-friendly

TakeThis

GunJack wrote: »

guys, FYI, my main email account is a (now very) old yahoo POP account, and has always been used with outlook/express since day 1. I left yahoo as an ISP with the onset of broadband, but have retained the mail addy. Don't know if the newer ones are web-only, but certainly the older ones are client-friendly

I too have some of the old BTInternet and Talk21 accounts.

I'm not sure why esuhl imagines that you don't have a choice of username with your ISP. I have ten addresses with mine. The main one being my actual name.

You are right in BE not supplying email with their product. I remember that they offered it as an add-on.
One of the reasons that I migrated over to O2.

I won't lose my email address if I leave O2, as it is linked to a SIM card.

I had the address long before I ever joined O2 for Broadband.

So no need for me to pay out for domains to be able to simply use a POP/IMAP email client.


The OP stated that she wants to use her Yahoo address, so perhaps we can work from there...instead of trying to explode her brain.