Outlook Startup

[Deleted User]

If I click an email address on someones website I get a dialog box called Outlook Startup.

What is it doing, is it setting up a new email account or just some means of accessing my existing one? I don't know what to fill in where it asks for email address and password. It's telling me to use the password that my ISP has given me. What password? What has my ISP got to do with it? If I choose the manual configure option it's asking questions like POP3 or IMAP, which is as clear as mud.

gb12345

jack_pott wrote: »

If I click an email address on someones website I get a dialog box called Outlook Startup.

What is it doing, is it setting up a new email account or just some means of accessing my existing one? I don't know what to fill in where it asks for email address and password. It's telling me to use the password that my ISP has given me. What password? What has my ISP got to do with it? If I choose the manual configure option it's asking questions like POP3 or IMAP, which is as clear as mud.

It is assuming that you use Outlook as a mail client and because you aren't - it is going through Outlook's start up.

I assume you are using a web-based mail account - in which case, instead of clicking on the email address, right-click and select copy shortcut and you can then paste the address to use in your email account.

macman

What are you currently using to access your emails, if not Outlook? If you click on a hyperlink then your file associations are set so that it assumes that you want to send an email-and opens that address in Outlook, which must be set as your default email client. But, since you've not got your email account set up in Outlook yet, its trying to do that for you, which requires your email account username and password.
POPs and IMAP are simply email protocols.

[Deleted User]

macman wrote: »

What are you currently using to access your emails, if not Outlook? If you click on a hyperlink then your file associations are set so that it assumes that you want to send an email-and opens that address in Outlook, which must be set as your default email client. But, since you've not got your email account set up in Outlook yet, its trying to do that for you, which requires your email account username and password.
POPs and IMAP are simply email protocols.

I'm using Hotmail, which converted to Outlook automatically this morning. I assume then, that it's not setting up a new account, and just wants my existing account details. It was the reference to ISPs which had me confused.

kws

jack_pott wrote: »

I'm using Hotmail, which converted to Outlook automatically this morning. I assume then, that it's not setting up a new account, and just wants my existing account details. It was the reference to ISPs which had me confused.

There are two different Outlooks (as far as I know)

First there is the Software Outlook, which is distributed as part of Office (or does it come with Windows?), then there is Outlook.com, which is MS's rebranding of hotmail, which is still a web based email system.

If you are happy picking up your email through a browser by logging on to the relevant website then you do not need to use the software Outlook.

macman

As above, Outlook is a component of MS Office-so you are referring to outlook.com, which is just an update of Hotmail?

[Deleted User]

kws wrote: »

If you are happy picking up your email through a browser by logging on to the relevant website then you do not need to use the software Outlook.

Yes I know that, but as the Outlook window keeps popping up at various intervals I just thought that if I take the trouble to set it up rather than keep putting it off I will find out:

a) What it does, and
b) Whether it's useful.

gb12345

jack_pott wrote: »

Yes I know that, but as the Outlook window keeps popping up at various intervals I just thought that if I take the trouble to set it up rather than keep putting it off I will find out:

a) What it does, and
b) Whether it's useful.

a) It allows you to view/reply to your emails without having to log on to outlook.com - do you work in an office? If so chances are that your emails at work are received through Outlook and it will be exactly the same as that for your personal emails.

If you want to set it up then I would think that your email account should provide you with the details that you need for POP3 and IMAP settings

[Deleted User]

Just tried putting my Hotmail a/c and p/w into it, and it says it needs to download some "hotmail interconnect" s/w, but when I tried that it didn't work, so I think I've probably wasted enough time faffing around with it really.

macman

Google is your friend:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287604