Menu:

Latest news:

PCs: The Missing Manual is now out!

Eight months in the making, this massive, 600-page book is the manual that should have come with your PC.

PCs: The Missing Manual

Read more...

America Online know lets you send and receive e-mail with Outlook Express

It's not easy, but here's how to set up AOL to use Outlook Express. 

Making AOL work with Outlook Express

For many years, America Online forced its users to stick with AOL's own email program.  They recently changed their policy, though, and if you're willing to wade through these steps, you can use Outlook Express to send and receive e-mail through your AOL account.

Unfortunately, it's a rather complicated two-part process.
Note: AOL's Web site shows how to make AOL's mail work with several other mail programs, including Incredimail, Entourage, Outlook 2000, Outlook 2002, Outlook 2003, and even Mac OS X.

Part 1: Create an AOL e-mail account in Outlook Express

Follow these steps to create a new, AOL e-mail account in Outlook Express. If you've done this, but it's not working correctly, feel free to follow the steps again to check your work.
  1. Sign on to AOL.
  2. Open Outlook Express. (If Outlook Express asks you to make it "default," click the OK button.
  3. From the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Accounts.
  4. In the Internet Accounts box, click Add and then click OK.
  5. In the Internet Connection Wizard, in the Display name field, enter your name as you would like it to appear on your outgoing e-mail messages. (This is usually your real name.)
  6. Click Next.
  7. In the E-mail address field, enter your full e-mail address: JamesStewart@aol.com, for example.
  8. Click Next.
  9. On the E-mail Server Names screen, select IMAP from the drop-down menu.
  10. In the Incoming mail server field, enter: imap.aol.com.
  11. In the Outgoing mail server field, enter: smtp.aol.com.
  12. Click Next.
  13. On the Internet Mail Logon screen, enter your AOL screen name in the Account name field.
  14. Enter the password for your AOL account in the Password field.
  15. If you want Outlook Express to save your password, leave the Remember password check box selected.
  16. Click Next.
  17. Click Finish.

Part 2: Setting up  your new Outlook Express e-mail account

Now that you've set up the new Outlook Express account, you need to tell it how and when to send and receive your AOL e-mails.
  1. When you are returned to the Internet Accounts box, click the Mail tab. (If the Internet Accounts dialog box is not open, click the Tools menu and then click Accounts).
  2. Select your AOL IMAP account.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Servers tab.
  5. In the Outgoing Mail Server section, click the "My server requires authentication" check box.
  6. Click Apply.
  7. Click the Advanced tab.
  8. In the Outgoing mail (SMTP): field, change the number that displays to 587.
  9. Click Apply.
  10. Click the IMAP tab.
  11. In the Special Folders section, click the Store special folders on IMAP server check box to deselect it.
  12. Click Apply.
  13. Click OK.
  14. Click Close.
At this point, Outlook Express may ask if you want to download folders from the mail server. Feel free to click Yes.