How to Troubleshoot Microsoft Outlook Express 6

Outlook Express is the free version of Microsoft's Outlook email program. It was included, along with Internet Explorer, as part of Windows 98 through XP. Versions were also released that were compatible with Windows 95 and Mac OS 9. It has since been replaced (starting with Windows Vista) with Windows Live Mail. Outlook Express remains an oft-used email program, as its ease of use and functionality appeals to users not interested in having lots of bells and whistles in their email program. Outlook Express 6.0 was released in October 2001, as part of Windows XP.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
   Outlook Express: The main window

   Launch a web browser to confirm you're connected to the Internet. If there's no Internet connection, there's no incoming or outgoing email.

2. 
   The tools menu in Outlook Express

   Isolate the problem. Is it sending mail, receiving mail, or both? If you're not receiving mail, then confirm that your incoming (POP) settings are correct. Select Accounts under the Tools menu, and then select the command "View or change existing e-mail accounts." Here, you'll see your email settings, which are the POP3 server name, the SMTP server name, account name and password. Your incoming email server (POP3), user name and password are the three settings that need to be 100 percent correct here.

3. 
   Entering your server information

   Look in the Outbox to see if there's a rogue email that is causing a bottleneck. A misaddressed email will cause a backup and not allow any more messages through until it's purged from the Outbox. Also, an outgoing message with large attachments may get hung up in the Outbox as well and have to be removed from the queue to get things flowing normally again.

4. 
   If you're mobile, you will have to reconfigure your SMTP settings

   If sending is the problem, open the mail settings as described in Step 2. Make sure the Outgoing mail server (SMTP) is correctly configured. If you're using a laptop, and you're sending mail from somewhere other than your usual location, you will have to change the SMTP server to correspond to the server at your present location. For example, if you normally connect at home, but now you're in a hotel, you have to find out what is the name of the SMTP server that the hotel uses. Even if you're able to receive mail using your current settings, you always have to configure your SMTP server to reflect to the location where you're sending.

5. 
   The advanced settings tab

   Make sure there are no changes to your email server: New security settings, new server names or a new POP server can cause grief to the end user. If you're working with somebody who is able to send and receive, open his or her settings (as described in Step 2) to confirm that yours are set correctly. You will want to click on "More Settings..." button to make sure your advanced settings are correct as well.

Tips & Warnings

• If you need a more robust email package, consider upgrading to Outlook.
• Always choose a secure password, and be careful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.

Resources

• Microsoft
• eHow: How to Set Up Outlook Express With an Email Account
• eHow: How to Set Up Microsoft Outlook Email on a Laptop