Windows Live Mail Freezing When Opening Attachments

By terry Leave a Comment

Windows Live Mail crashes were giving long-time subsriber Raman problems, so he wrote to me to ask:


Hello Terry

When I try to open any attachments to my mail, the Windows Live Mail freezes. I checked on line and found many people have the same problem. Apparently this started after downloading Microsoft’s recent 11 updates.
Can you help?

Thank you
Raman

I wrote back to Raman to remind him that I don’t use Windows Live Mail. Unfortunately, that means I can’t give him any direct help as I have no idea what might be happening with it.

By checking online, he’s using the best approach for finding an answer to a problem caused by a new software release or new Windows updates. Searching Google or another search engine should point you to either a direct answer or a forum that has other users who likely have the same problem.

As he is aware from my newsletters, I’m using Thunderbird for my email program — and I like it a lot.

Continue reading Windows Live Mail Freezing When Opening Attachments

Filed Under: Email, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Usability, Windows Repair Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thunderbird to the Rescue!

By terry Leave a Comment

Thunderbird, from the Mozilla Foundation and sometimes called Mozilla Thunderbird, is my new email program of choice. I had tried Thunderbird several years ago, but didn’t use it because I couldn’t do some of the things that I did with Eudora. About a year ago, I switched from Eudora to Eudora OSE, which was built upon the Thunderbird code base.

I made the move after a brief trial this week, changing from Eudora Open Source Edition (Eudora OSE). The transition was amazingly easy.

While Eudora OSE was more than just a “skin” for Thunderbird, the underlying functions were all, or mostly, Thunderbird’s. One big hint is that Eudora OSE stores the user’s personal files (and personalizations) in the same folder that Thunderbird uses. Even more obvious of the link, that folder (in Windows 7) was
C:\Users\[userID]\AppData\Local\Thunderbird\Profiles\[uniqueUserProfilename].

That meant, when I installed Thunderbird onto my computer, Thunderbird didn’t even try to import my emails, my email address book, or my email filter rules. They were stored in Thunderbird’s usual location, so it just opened them and proceeded normally.

Cool!

My filters work perfectly, I can edit their test conditions now, and sending and receiving emails works fine.

Continue reading Thunderbird to the Rescue!

Filed Under: Email, Software, Terry's Computer Tips

Adding Another Address Book to Thunderbird

By terry Leave a Comment

Subscriber James Biddle wrote asking for help with a problem he was fighting with Thundebird.

Here, I’ve just started using Thunderbird, and I’m already getting questions that assume I know what I’m doing. Fortunately, it worked…

I have a question about T-bird.

I currently have 3 address books, Friends, Personal Addresses, Collected Addresses.

I want to add another one. But can’t. It will let me add one under one of those 3. But when I try to add info it just adds it to the parent (one of the 3) I wan to add a 4th one. But there just doesn’t seem to be a way.

Thanks.

James P. Biddle
Quartz Hill, CA

I wrote back to James to tell him how he could create another Address Book.

The first step is not particularly obvious…

Continue reading Adding Another Address Book to Thunderbird

Filed Under: Email, Software, Terry's Computer Tips

Problem Sending Email Using Outlook Express

By terry Leave a Comment

Subscriber Terry Millburg wrote recently with a queestion about sending email with Outlook Express.

I have an issue with Outlook Express in XP Home on a dell. Do you have any recommendations on a unit that can receive but not send in Outlook Express? I have tried the usual, uninstall & reinstall the OE from within Windows, removed & recreated the account, but still no luck. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Terry

I wrote back to Terry to say that I suspect that there’s something wrong in his SMTP (outbound) mailserver setting, perhaps a transposed number or a different subdomain should be used. I told him to check with his ISP to make sure what he’s supposed to be using.

If he’s trying to use your Outlook Express to send outbound via a third-party’s SMTP server instead of the ISP through which he’s connecting, then he’s probably being blocked by the ISP. They do this routinely to block the sending of spam from within their network.

If he’s really trying to connect to an outside SMTP mailserver to send outbound emails, then that server might have an alternate TCP port that they also use. The normal SMTP port is TCP port 25.

Alternate ports are usually either…

Continue reading Problem Sending Email Using Outlook Express

Filed Under: Email, PC Repairs, Stability, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Windows Repair, Windows XP

Anti-Spam Programs — Reader Comments

By terry Leave a Comment

Reader Bev Lammert has written me about an alternative anti-spam program that she’s picked:

Hi, I just read my newsletter of which I love but had to comment on your Anti Spam article. You mentioned MailWasherPopFile & IHateSpam. I haven’t tried any of them but I do use one called Spam Bully and have used it a very long time. Really like it a lot and is easy to use and no slow down. I have it on my HP Desktop Windows Vista Home Premium using Microsoft Outlook 2007 with Linksey router. I found this through Cloudeight a long time ago. Have a good day.

Get more information and a free trial of Spam Bully

Longtime reader Ron Spruell wrote about his experience with Gmail’s spam filtering:

I don’t know what Google does, but the Spam on this account has been almost zero.

Continue reading Anti-Spam Programs — Reader Comments

Filed Under: Anti-spam, Email, Security, Terry's Computer Tips, Vista, Windows XP

Unable to Delete Email in Outlook Express

By terry Leave a Comment

Sherrill Kerbaugh wrote about a major problemm she and her husband were having on both of their computers:

Hi, Terry… We have a major problem…. My husband has been unable to delete daily e-mails for a few weeks now….we can’t figure out what in the world is wrong!?!?!?! Now, all of a sudden I can’t delete e-mails on my computer (same local area network and e-mail…Outlook Express)! HELP!!!!!!!!! Also, John can’t download or use Adobe Reader on his computer, but I can!?!?!?
We are going crazy here!

What are your thoughts? We just found your website this morning….hope you are our “computer angel”! : )
Thank you!

Continue reading Unable to Delete Email in Outlook Express

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Filed Under: Email, Outlook Express, PC Repairs, Software, Stability, Storage, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability, Windows Repair

Incredimail Email Rules Not Working Right

By terry Leave a Comment

Subscriber Gary wrote to ask:

I used to use Incredimail, have returned to Outlook, am trying to set up my email so that email from my family will go to my Family Folder in my local folder, outlook isn’t specific enough like incredimail message rules. Yhanks for your help. Gary

Gary,
Be sure to consider the order that the rules are implemented. That’s can be a hidden problem — the rule looks perfect, but an earlier rule grabs the email and does something else with it.

This is not a problem unique to Incredimail – it applies in any email program in which you can write rules (sometimes called filters) to cause the email program to take actions. When you add a filter, it’s added at the end. If an email matches a rule that’s earlier in the set of rules, it never makes it to the one you just added.

Filed Under: Email, Terry's Computer Tips

New articles at Terry’s Computer Tips

By terry 1 Comment
  • Creating Your New Documents in Word
  • Deleting Emails versus Really Deleting Emails
  • Disadvantages of Windows XP’s NTBackup Program
    • Filed Under: Backup, Email, Office, Office Suites, Outlook Express, Windows XP

    The SeaMonkey Internet Suite (Free!)

    By terry Leave a Comment

    Once upon a time, Netscape was THE Internet web browser — and it was a commercial product. Then, along came the big bad wolf. He dreamed of world (wide web) conquest and so he wrote his own web browser; then, he gave it away with the operating system he sold.

    It was bad, but it was free and everyone got it whether they wanted it or not. And, his monopoly grew…

    Netscape (the company) eventually sold itself and became a part of AOL, but not before they released a snapshot of the web browser source code to an open source foundation that they created. Thus was born the Mozilla Internet Suite.

    Continue reading The SeaMonkey Internet Suite (Free!)

    Filed Under: Email, Firefox, Internet Access, Internet Explorer, Security, Software, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability, Web Browsers, Windows XP

    Finding the Outlook Express Address Book

    By terry Leave a Comment

    Subscriber Jerome Safer wrote recently about trouble importing addresses from Excel into Outlook Express:

    Terry,
    I am trying to help a friend Import some contacts from Excel into Outlook Express or Outlook. I have studied the Import and have done a test import of a .csv file from Excel into Outlook Express and it worked until it hit an Error.

    I am trying to find out where the Address Book file is stored On the computer. I thought the type was something like *.wab but I have not found it yet in any searches. I want to back up the Address book before doing the Import in case there is any problem with the Import.

    Can you help me find the Address Book file?

    Continue reading Finding the Outlook Express Address Book


    Filed Under: Email, Outlook Express, Terry's Computer Tips, Windows XP
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