Outlook Express

[janbee]

Does anyone else have this and have you noticed that it's changed?

[Buenchico]

As Outlook Express is a program on your computer (rather than a web page) and it doesn't automatically update itself, nobody can have changed the way that Outlook Express appears on your computer.

If it now looks different to how it used to, it must be because your computer has lost the information about how you like to see things. (e.g. as to whether or not the preview pane is enabled). Therefore simply going to the 'View' menu, and selecting your preferred options, should enable you to get Outlook Express back to how you like it.

[janbee]

thanks BC

[Togo]

//Outlook Express is no longer available or supported by Microsoft. We can help you move your emails and contacts to Outlook.com.//
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/outlook-express#tabs=windows-8
This may help janbee.

[janbee]

thanks togo. The new site is ok. it's just that I can't now find my contact ist. I'll just keep having a fiddle around with it(ooooo err, mrs !).

Thank you
xx

[Buenchico]

That link provided by Togo is appalling! (It's Microsoft I'm criticising here, not Togo!!!). It basically says "We don't offer that email client (which works with any email provider's service) any more but, hey, why not switch to our own web-based email system? It's totally different, and therefore not at all what you're looking for, and it's basically the old Hotmail - but we changed the name because Hotmail had such a bad reputation".

If Microsoft actually wanted to offer an equivalent product to Outlook Express (which will still continue working anyway), they should have suggested either their own email client (Windows Live Mail, or similar) or a third-party program, such as Thunderbird. Offering a web-based system as an alternative is ridiculous!

Anyway, to get back to your existing problem, JB, if Outlook Express has simply lost the instruction to display your contacts, this simple fix should work:
http://email.about.com/cs/oetipstricks/qt/et032601.htm

If it doesn't, it means that Outlook Express no longer recognises that a contacts list even exists. However it will still be on your computer but you'll need to import it back into your computer. Here's how:

First, since your contacts list is normally a hidden file, you'll need to ensure that you can see it. To do so, go to Start > Control Panel > Folder Options > View. Ensure that there's a tick next to 'Show hidden files'. Click 'Apply' and 'OK'

Then use the search box to look for *.wab
That should find your contacts list. Note it's location.

Then open Outlook Express. Go to File > Import > Address Book (wab)
Navigate to the location that you noted down and double-click on your contacts list file.

[Togo]

Janbee I am using outlook now and like it. If you want your contacts list to show, just click on the new+ icon whilst in the inbox list. If you do not want to send mail just click the arrow top left to return.

[janbee]

Thanks to both of you. Gold stars to you both.
xx

[galeck1947]

I just started using Windows 10 and not the mail app that comes with it . I looked at the app and found that you don't need to use it as it asks you if you would like to install Windows Live Mail and use it instead which is a far easier program to use. This is the Mail program which I used on my Windows 7 computer.