Outlook Express - HELP NEEDED PLEASE....

mummybear_2

Hi, thanks for looking....I desperately need help before this drives me crazy...

Background: IPS last year was Tesco, and we used outlook express for emails - so Tesco was main identity in this.

then outlook express kept hanging on signin, and so we eventually gave up.

We changed IPS to Talktalk, and now use their webmail.

Problem I have, is that microsoft defaults automatically to outlook express - ie, when I go into my pictures and try to send one as an attachment from that program, or when I click to send on an email thread in any site.

I cannot get into outlook express to change the main identity, as although it loads, it then hangs - seems to be looking for tesco.

I spent much of yesterday reading various threads re how to try to resolve, but am not technically very experienced and so am really struggling. Most refer to opening outlook express to make amends - but at the moment, I cannot do this.

please help me.
thanks, Helen.

superscaper

Try using Thunderbird instead, as a free email client it is much better than Outlook Express. I used it myself for quite a while before I upgraded to Outlook.

mummybear_2

Hi Superscraper,

Sorry for my ignorance, if I use thunderbird - can I set up windows xp to default to this for sending emails? - or can I set up windows to default to my talktalk webmail?

Thanks in advance!

superscaper

mummybear wrote: »

Hi Superscraper,

Sorry for my ignorance, if I use thunderbird - can I set up windows xp to default to this for sending emails? - or can I set up windows to default to my talktalk webmail?

Thanks in advance!

There's no way as far as I know to set a webmail account (which is essentially just a webpage) to be a default email client. But thunderbird which is an actual email client application can be set to be your default client and I believe it will even give you the option when you install/run it to make it your default so no need to mess about with your settings manually.

superscaper

lemonator wrote: »

Yeah youll have to set up your ISP in Outlook Express

One of the main problems in the OP is that OE won't load up properly in order to change the settings.

maninwhitecoat

what happens when you try to open it?
you could always try getting rid of it by uninstalling it from your computer, that way it won't have anything to open. You can do this by going into the Add/Remove programs in the control panel, and then the "Add/Remove Windows Components". Outlook express is in there for you to get rid of.

Also, you can use thunderbird to access your talktalk account.

Just use the pop3 and smtp settings as "mail.talktalk.net" for both

Lemme know how you get on

mummybear_2

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me. I will have a look at thunderpants (!!?) later and let you know how I get on!!!

To the maninthewhitecoat - when I try to open OE, it loads but as soon as I click on anything it hangs and will not respond - hence I have been unable to do anything in the file or tools menus.

I have removed OE as you suggested (I did try doing this yesterday and then re-installing, but after re-installing as main identity is my old IPS - Tesco, it simply loads again but then hangs) with message 'a dial up connection is already established to talktalk broadband', with two options underneath 1, try to locate the surver on the current connection, or 2, 'hang up and dial 'tesco.net' - but as soon as I click anything - it hangs.

?????????

maninwhitecoat

LOL thunderpants! :P
Thunderpants should be ok for you I hope, its smaller than Outlook but has pretty much the same features, and its nicer to use than Outlook Express (IMO)

cheekyweegit

Hiya,

Quick read of the above and it looks like your outlook express is still set to try and download from your Tesco connection although your now with Talk Talk.

To change to your talk talk details do the following:-

Open up Outlook Express,
Click on Tools,
Click on Accounts,
Click on the Mail tab (second tab at the top),
In the mail tab there will be a list of all your connections in there ( I have hotmail and yahoo in mine),
Highlight your mail account by clicking on it,
Now at the right hand side click on properties,
Click on the the server tab (second one in again),
In here you will need to set your login in details to your current isp aka talk talk or put in the http server details - for hotmail it's http://services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp

Then your log in details i.e. your username and password.

Click on remember password, then Ok, then close when it goes back to your mail tab.

This might solve things.

If the old account is corrupt for what ever reason, you can create a new one after deleting the old one. To do this.....

Open Outlook Express,
Click on tools,
Click on Accounts,
Click on the Mail tab,
Highlight the offending account and then click on remove to delete it,
Now click on Add on the right hand side, then the word Mail which brings up a wizard,
Step 1 - Type in the name you want folks to see when you send an email,
Step 2 - Type in your email address,
Step 3 - the type of server your email needs to send / receive emails. Generally most are pop 3 unless web based such as yahoo, hotmail and such like. Your talk talk seems after a google search to have pop3, so in the drop down box set this to POP3.
Step 4 - Your POP3 incoming mail server is "mail.talktalk.net" without the quotes.
Step 5 - Your SMTP mail server is "smtp.talktalk.net" again without the quotes. (Got this information from a quick google search).
Step 6 - Your account name - usually either your full email address or the part before the @ symbol of your email address.
Step 5 - Enter your password - also tick the remember password box,
Step 6 - Click on finish. then ok / close to close.

This should solve part of the problem, the next is the default for sending emails. Talking it you are using Internet Explorer and have it open whilst reading this do the following:-

Click on Tools at the top of the page,
Click on Internet Options at the bottom of the drop down list,
Click on the programs tab (6th tab along), and in the email option for this make sure it's set to Outlook Express.

If both these steps are done, i.e. your outlook express is repaired and set to the correct isp, and I.E. is set to Outlook Express then you should be fine and you will be able to send / receive your emails and pictures as normal through your outlook express. Most web pages when you try to reply to them automatically pull up outlook express / outlook if it is your default mail client. If you do decide to change to thunderbird, change your default client in Internet Explorer to Thunderbird by following the steps above for Internet Explorer but chosing Thunderbird as your Email Program after installation.

Hope this long post is not too arduous, and easy enough to understand. Good Luck and let me know how you get on.

Yes more - sorry, In your Internet Options, Server tab this time, is Tesco still showing in there ? If so you can highlight it and delete it as you no longer need it if you are using talk talk. Only way I can think of you needing it, is if you need to connect to it even on dial up every now and again to keep an old email account active. You would need to check with Tesco for this though. Getting rid of this would stop outlook express wondering which connection to use for your email and if you do need to keep it highlight the talk talk connection and click on set as default.

Off to bed now, night night.

mummybear_2

Hi Cheekyweegit! (fantastic name by the way!!)

I appreciate the time you have taken to put all that detail down....only problem is that what you describe is what I have been trying to do, but OE hangs as soon as I try to click on anything so cannot carry out procedure to change main identity - cannot do anything in OE due to this hanging problem.

????? any ideas?

Ta, Helen

mummybear_2

Thank you so much for your kind help....I am now the proud owner of thunderbird email, which windows automatically defaults to allowing me to send pictures etc once again....I could not have done it without your help.

CHEERS!!