Wednesday, 25th October 2006Configuring Outlook Express for Email (POP3)

How to setup an email account in Outlook Express

Outlook Express is the free email client provided with Microsoft Windows (different versions of Windows ship with different versions of Outlook Express - the current version at the time of writing is Outlook Express 6.00).

If you are opening Outlook Express for the first time, you can skip this step 1and go to step 3 as the "Internet Connection Wizard" will automatically start.

For more information on technical aspects of email, have a look at the Email Protocols article here.

Check List - What You Will Need

No matter what anyone tells you and despite all sorts of fancy CDs ISPs give you for configuring your email, all you should really need is:

• Username (Almost always the same as your Email Address)
• Email Address
• Password
• Incoming Email Server (POP3 - this is where your email is stored)
• Outgoing Email Server (SMTP - this is the server you will send your email via - normally your ISPs SMTP server)

Step 1 - Viewing the Internet Accounts List

Step 2 - Opening the Internet Connection Wizard

Click on Add and Select 'Mail'

Step 3 - Entering Your Name

This is the name that is displayed to your recipients upon recieipt of emails from you.

Step 4 - Entering Your Email Address

Enter your full email address here

Step 5 - Email Server Names

Your email requires servers for two things; recieving emails (POP3) and sending emails (SMTP), these services can both be provided by the same server but generally they are not. The POP3 server is provided by whoever provides your email account and the SMTP server is generally provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Step 6 - Internet Mail Logon

Your account name (Microsofts misleading term for username) is almost always the same as your full email address.

Step 7 - Finished

Thats it - all done!