Outlook Express Help | outlook express problems

How do we stop those viruses, spammers and Trojans from intruding in our e-mail? Bad as all that junk mail but worse. One cannot avoid them completely but there are some ways to reduce them by adjusting some Outlook Express settings.

Do you know if you have messages showing in the preview pane, this can trigger off a virus. To stop them from appearing in the preview pane this is what you need to do. First start Outlook Express. Click on Tools, then on Options, and then select the Read tab. Turn off the option to automatically download a message when viewing in Preview Pane. If you want to turn the preview pane off entirely just click on “view” then “layout”, Once there in the “Preview Pane” disable “Show Preview Pane”.

For maximum safety, all messages should be viewed in Plain Text mode. This setting is also controlled via the option in the Read tab.

Spammers use HTML and pictures to work out whether an e-mail address is ‘live’, and if their message has been opened. Users of Windows-XP SP2 can stop such snooping by the spammers. Click on Tools, then on Options, and then select the Security tab. Turn on the option to Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail.

One thing you should never do is open attachments in e-mail where you do not know where they came from.

The salient things you should follow are:

Set Outlook Express to view all messages as plain text (as per above).

Make sure Outlook Express is set to use Restricted Zone (as per above).

Don’t open spam. Delete it without opening.

Do not click on links in spam - EVER.

Do not try to unsubscribe from spam.

Beware of phishing.

Above all watch yourself and make sure you have virus software that checks e-mail as it arrives. You can get one here that I use and it’s free.

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Now most ISP’s allow you to have more than one e-mail account. Most give up to 5. Great everyone in your family can have one.

You may have already configured your “Outlook Express” for you first account I will now in this, my Outlook Express Help blog help you to configure outlook express so that all your family can get their mail down to your PC. Just simply follow these instructions.

1. Start outlook express

2. Left click on “File” move pointer down to “Identities” and then left click on “add new Identity”

3. In the “new Identity Box” type the name you want for this identity. Click “OK” This can be anything you want it does not have to be your name.

4. A box will come up saying, “Do you want to switch to xxxx now”? Click on “Yes”. A box labelled “Internet Connection Wizard” will appear. Type in the actual name you would like to appear in your outgoing mail message.

5. Type in your e-mail address for this identity. Left click on “next”

6. Type in your incoming and outgoing e-mail server names. This will be in the format mail.yourispdomain. e.g. mail.microsoft.com. Click “next”.

7. Type in your mail logon information. Ensure “remember password is set. Click “Next”.

8. On the next window just click “Finish” You should now be in your new e-mail identity in Outlook express.

9. Left click on “Tools” and select “Accounts”. A box called “Internet accounts” should be showing. Select the “Mail” Tab.

10. Click on the “properties” button on the right side of the box.

11. Select the “Servers” tab and tick the box labelled “My server requires authentication” Then click OK and then “Close”

12. Click on the “Send/Recv” icon at the top. You should then receive any e-mail that may be on your ISP’s server.

13. If there isn’t any mail for you click on “Create mail” and send a message to yourself. This will check that e-mail sending and receiving is working OK.

14. If it is OK then your mail will get sent. Click on the “Send/Recv” icon at again the top. You should then receive back the e-mail you have just sent.

Repeat to above for every new account you want. Technically there is no limit in Outlook on how many you can have.

It should be noted that you can only view one account at a time. In order to view another account you will need to “switch to that account. Just perform the following to view each account.

At the top left of the Outlook Express window click on “File” then click on “Switch Identities”. A box will open listing all your e-mail accounts or identities as they call them. Just double click on the one you wish to switch to

I hope you have found this Outlook Express help blog article useful.

Author:

Wilf Gerrard-Staton

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