I've made a mess of Windows 8 set up.

[Deleted User]

I've made a mess of Windows 8 set up and the Microsoft Account I use to log into Windows at won't work. I keep being asked to log into my new Outlook.com account - I just want to close it and start again but I don't know if I can reverse it now.

I've struggled to try to find out (easy to understand steps) how to 'close' the Outlook.com account I opened for email and choose a much easier one such as aol (I already have an aol email account).

'It' keeps telling me I have to go to PC settings and when I do it still won't let me change my email address saying that this is the Microsoft Account you use to log into Windows. It tells me to go to settings and change PC settings but I am going round in circles as I don't seem to be able to do it.

I have to go out now but I've spent practically all day trying to 'start again.' I might be burning the midnight oil when I get back in so if anyone can help I'll be so grateful. I'm feeling quite frustrated and can't get any of my Microsoft Outlook (2003) email. I had Microsoft Office on my old computer but not on this new Windows 8 one - could that be part of the problem? I'd like to totally delete the Outlook.com email and start again.

Thank you again for any help.

Crimson

Jivesinger

Can you get into Windows 8 OK with the original account or are you having problems logging in?

Edit: Is this message telling you to go to the https://www.outlook.com/ website and log in? If so, did you try it?

Deleted_User wrote: »

I keep being asked to log into my new Outlook.com account - I just want to close it and start again but I don't know if I can reverse it now.

The version of Outlook built into Office 2003 is a different thing to the Outlook.com website. There won't be a link between Outlook 2003 and the issues with the Microsoft account.

If you can log into Windows 8 OK then you can create a new account. The process is to create a second account, make it administrator on your computer and then eventually (I wouldn't do it straight away, make sure everything works for a few weeks first) delete the old one.

However, you don't have to have an email-related account at all.

Instead of a Microsoft Account, I use a Local Account in Windows 8. It's not linked to any email account; I can just create an account called "Jivesinger" (or anything I like) on my computer and that becomes my login without needing to link to any email account, like in previous versions of Windows.

You lose a little functionality but it's less complicated to manage, and you can still get emails when you're logged into Windows with a Local Account.

So I'd recommend creating a new local account on the computer using the "Add a user" option within PC Settings, and then use the option to "Sign in without a Microsoft account", and then select Local Account.

Once you've gone through the process of adding it, You will need to go into Control Panel's "User Accounts" to make it into an Administrator account. This is important because you must always have at least one Administrator account on the PC at all times, or you'll be locked out of some important functions, and there's no easy way back.

If you did want to make your AOL account into a Microsoft Account, you can do it on this website, and then once that's set up online, use the "Add a user" option with that instead:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/sign-up-create-account-how

Which email provider was your old Outlook 2003 account with? Do you have a backup of data from that PC?

ThemeOne

I would second the idea of using a local account on Windows 8 i.e. the same kind of login that was used on all earlier versions of Windows.

Then you can access your outlook.com emails by logging in via your browser, or if you prefer your AOL account emails - whatever you prefer really.

[Deleted User]

Jivesinger wrote: »

Can you get into Windows 8 OK with the original account or are you having problems logging in?

Edit: Is this message telling you to go to the https://www.outlook.com/ website and log in? If so, did you try it?


The version of Outlook built into Office 2003 is a different thing to the Outlook.com website. There won't be a link between Outlook 2003 and the issues with the Microsoft account.

If you can log into Windows 8 OK then you can create a new account. The process is to create a second account, make it administrator on your computer and then eventually (I wouldn't do it straight away, make sure everything works for a few weeks first) delete the old one.

However, you don't have to have an email-related account at all.

Instead of a Microsoft Account, I use a Local Account in Windows 8. It's not linked to any email account; I can just create an account called "Jivesinger" (or anything I like) on my computer and that becomes my login without needing to link to any email account, like in previous versions of Windows.

You lose a little functionality but it's less complicated to manage, and you can still get emails when you're logged into Windows with a Local Account.

So I'd recommend creating a new local account on the computer using the "Add a user" option within PC Settings, and then use the option to "Sign in without a Microsoft account", and then select Local Account.

Once you've gone through the process of adding it, You will need to go into Control Panel's "User Accounts" to make it into an Administrator account. This is important because you must always have at least one Administrator account on the PC at all times, or you'll be locked out of some important functions, and there's no easy way back.

If you did want to make your AOL account into a Microsoft Account, you can do it on this website, and then once that's set up online, use the "Add a user" option with that instead:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/sign-up-create-account-how

Which email provider was your old Outlook 2003 account with? Do you have a backup of data from that PC?

Thank you very much for your long helpful reply. I'm just in. I can log in to Windows 8 then, when I go to email - I go downhill with confusion and I can't access my emails - I get them on my Nexus 7 tablet just now. I'll take time to take in your reply and go through it all. Thank you so much. I would be pleased to get away from the Outlook.com 'link' altogether so I'll work on the information you have given. I'm afraid I go at a snail's pace.

Crimson

[Deleted User]

ThemeOne wrote: »

I would second the idea of using a local account on Windows 8 i.e. the same kind of login that was used on all earlier versions of Windows.

Then you can access your outlook.com emails by logging in via your browser, or if you prefer your AOL account emails - whatever you prefer really.

Thank you for replying. Now that I'm back in I'll work on it and see how I get on. The information is much appreciated.

Crimson

[Deleted User]

Thank you Jivesinger and ThemeOne. As a result of your help I have set up a Local Account in Windows 8 now and made it Administrator. I completely deleted Outlook.com and feel better about it!

I'm back to using my tablet (Nexus 7) and my 'old' Windows 7 laptop for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 emails - I didn't realize that it was completely different from Outlook.com and thought they were the same so thank you for letting me know.

My ISP is Plusnet and I am waiting for help from them in being able to get my Plusnet emails through the Email App in Windows 8. I followed their on line link instructions but, unfortunately, 'it' just sat there in Windows 8 as if inactive or frozen and would not let me do anything at all - no sending or receiving emails. I am a bit of a muddler really (not proud of it) and I tried to open a Windows Live Email Account (hoping to receive my Plusnet emails through that) but, somehow, after I set it up it 'came out' as Outlook.com. I deleted that straight away. I seem to have some kind of 'block' in my head with limited ability to understand technical things. This forum is a great support and I've been helped so many times before.

I'd really like to be able to use my new Windows 8 laptop for everything, including Plusnet emails, and, if it is possible, still also receive the emails using my Plusnet email address on my Nexus 7 tablet. Before Windows 8 I received emails on my Windows 7 laptop through Microsoft Office 2003 and the same ones on my Nexus 7 tablet. Plusnet are very good (always patient as I'm nearly hopeless technically) and I should hear from them in response to my question quite soon.

You've been a great help and I wouldn't have been able to do as you suggested without your instructions and advice, so thank you again.

If you can think of anything else I'd benefit from knowing I'll be very pleased to hear it.

Crimson

Jivesinger

Hi there,

When you had Outlook in Office 2003, it would download copies of your emails onto your computer. You could read them offline even when the computer wasn't connected to the internet, as opposed to using an internet browser (webmail) to read your emails online.

So to do the same thing on your new computer, you need some similar software. I'll assume you don't have another licence for Outlook 2003 (in any case it won't be supported after April 2014, and Microsoft say it's not compatible with Windows 8, although it does work fine in my experience).

Some free options for mail software are:

1. Windows 8's built-in Mail application
2. Microsoft Windows Essentials Mail
3. Mozilla Thunderbird

1. There are (at least) two problems with the inbuilt Windows 8 Mail app:

1. You need a Microsoft Account... like the one you just deleted. You can make your Plusnet account into a Microsoft Account but I wouldn't bother because ...
2. Windows 8 Mail isn't very good (in my opinion at least). It doesn't have many features and won't even connect to some email accounts (although I think Plusnet and AOL would be OK).

I think it may get better with time, as Microsoft have a habit of updating these apps from time to time, but I wouldn't recommend it just now.

2. Microsoft Windows Essentials Mail or Windows Live Essentials Mail (not sure what they're calling it this week).
This is downloadable from here:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/essentials
and you can select to install just the Mail option.
You should be able to connect this to your Plusnet (and indeed AOL) accounts; and Plusnet's website shows how to set it up.

3. Mozilla Thunderbird (or something else)
I've never used Thunderbird so can't vouch for it personally, but I think a lot of people do use it successfully. Plusnet include setup information for Thunderbird on their website too.
It's downloadable from here:
http://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/

So I would download either 2 or 3, (or indeed give them both a go). I think they'll both do the job you need, and they're both free; which you choose depends a bit on how much you're a fan of Microsoft.

Because Microsoft have their new Windows 8 Mail app, I imagine they will devote their energies to supporting and developing this (it needs it) and may not do any more development on the Windows Essentials Mail, so on that basis I'd be tempted to go for Mozilla Thunderbird.

Then I would look through the Plusnet website (and if you like AOL) for their information on how to connect to your email accounts.

Hope this helps.

ThemeOne

Another general point about Windows 8 which you might find useful is, unless you have any kind of touch-screen device (which I think you don't), never try and use ANY of the "Modern UI" (sometimes known as Metro) apps (i.e. all the buttons on the Start Screen apart from Desktop) - they are all pretty much useless on a normal desktop or laptop.

In other words only use things you can access after you click the Desktop button on the Start Screen.

[Deleted User]

Jivesinger wrote: »

Hi there,

When you had Outlook in Office 2003, it would download copies of your emails onto your computer. You could read them offline even when the computer wasn't connected to the internet, as opposed to using an internet browser (webmail) to read your emails online.

So to do the same thing on your new computer, you need some similar software. I'll assume you don't have another licence for Outlook 2003 (in any case it won't be supported after April 2014, and Microsoft say it's not compatible with Windows 8, although it does work fine in my experience).


Some free options for mail software are:

1. Windows 8's built-in Mail application
2. Microsoft Windows Essentials Mail
3. Mozilla Thunderbird

1. There are (at least) two problems with the inbuilt Windows 8 Mail app:

1. You need a Microsoft Account... like the one you just deleted. You can make your Plusnet account into a Microsoft Account but I wouldn't bother because ...
2. Windows 8 Mail isn't very good (in my opinion at least). It doesn't have many features and won't even connect to some email accounts (although I think Plusnet and AOL would be OK).

I think it may get better with time, as Microsoft have a habit of updating these apps from time to time, but I wouldn't recommend it just now.

2. Microsoft Windows Essentials Mail or Windows Live Essentials Mail (not sure what they're calling it this week).
This is downloadable from here:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/essentials
and you can select to install just the Mail option.
You should be able to connect this to your Plusnet (and indeed AOL) accounts; and Plusnet's website shows how to set it up.

3. Mozilla Thunderbird (or something else)
I've never used Thunderbird so can't vouch for it personally, but I think a lot of people do use it successfully. Plusnet include setup information for Thunderbird on their website too.
It's downloadable from here:
http://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/

So I would download either 2 or 3, (or indeed give them both a go). I think they'll both do the job you need, and they're both free; which you choose depends a bit on how much you're a fan of Microsoft.

Because Microsoft have their new Windows 8 Mail app, I imagine they will devote their energies to supporting and developing this (it needs it) and may not do any more development on the Windows Essentials Mail, so on that basis I'd be tempted to go for Mozilla Thunderbird.

Then I would look through the Plusnet website (and if you like AOL) for their information on how to connect to your email accounts.

Hope this helps.

Thank you VERY much for all this help and information. I'm making note of it and (unfortunately I go at a slow pace) I'll put it into action - The Mozilla Thunderbird. Your information definitely is helping as I'm really out of my depth so thank you, again.

C

[Deleted User]

ThemeOne wrote: »

Another general point about Windows 8 which you might find useful is, unless you have any kind of touch-screen device (which I think you don't), never try and use ANY of the "Modern UI" (sometimes known as Metro) apps (i.e. all the buttons on the Start Screen apart from Desktop) - they are all pretty much useless on a normal desktop or laptop.

In other words only use things you can access after you click the Desktop button on the Start Screen.

This is really helpful to know, thank you. I'm on a significant learning curve!

C

[Deleted User]

Thanks to all the information and help I'm definitely making progress. It'll take me a while but success already is really encouraging me - thank you all. I'm keeping note of your helpful replies to refer to as I work through the Windows 8 'system.'


Many thanks indeed.

Crimson