Any MS Outlook experts out there to help me with email?

[Porcupine Realtor]

I've tried MS KB and online support, but that's difficult to navigate.  I want to use my Outlook (NOT Outlook Express) as my email application.  It worked when I was directly connected to a POP3 server through cable modem, but that server is not here in NH so I have to go through Webmail.  Any ideas or suggestions?
Gracias,
Mark

[penguins4me]

If the only option open to you is, in fact, webmail, you will not be able to use Outlook of any flavor (nor any other mail client I'm aware of other than the web interface provided).

You may want to call your mail provider and ask them this question.

Even if there is a way to use a different mail client, I strongly suggest you consider alternatives, such as Mozilla Thunderbird, or perhaps even the upcoming revamp of the lovable 'ol Eudora client.

-edit
On the offhand chance your webmail service is actually supported by Outlook, try Tools > Email accounts > Add new account > HTTP and enter the appropriate details.

[Porcupine Realtor]

Penguins,
Thanks for that info.  Outlook does not support webmail, so I will have to change.  Why do you like the Thunderbird/Mozilla product over Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, Hushmail, etc.?

One of my main concerns is the ability to copy/transfer all my email address from Outlook into whatever program I start using.  That beats cutting and pasting or transcribing all the addresses.

I tried Firefox internet portal one time, but my computer didn't like it.  I guess it's not compatible with some of the evil Microsoft applications.  I had to ditch it.

Thanks for your insight and feedback.
Mark
P.S.  Do you or anyone else out there in Forumland know anyone who is a quasi-expert on MS Outlook?  I'm having a terrible time with it hanging up ("System Not Responding").
One of these days I'll go Linux or Mac.

[penguins4me]

Outlook 2003 purportedly supports some (a precious few?) webmail sites, such as Hotmail. With earlier versions, you may be out of luck.

Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, Hushmail, etc. are primarily web-based email providers - I don't use 'em. Some may allow you to use a local client, such as Outlook or Thunderbird to read and store email. The first group are providers, the second group programs to access providers' services.

I use pine via a Linux shell to read my mail since I run my own servers, but if I didn't, I'd go back to using Thunderbird, most likely. Outlook, with all its added "features", is a security nightmare. IIRC, Thunderbird comes with import tools to move your email from Outlook's proprietary format into something Thunderbird (and Eudora, and likely other clients) can read.

One reason Outlook becomes non-responsive is if it is trying to connect to a non-responsive server. Check to make sure only the email service you wish to use is configured - delete all others. Then, check to see if your network connection is clogged (P2P software is especially notorious for causing this), or that your email server has a reliable connection (a very basic test can be done using "ping" from the command line).

While there's no reason not to try Linux or Mac, you don't need to switch operating systems merely because one email client sucks. My main system is still using Windows.

-edit
My a-grammar, it's-a horrible!

[NHRes2004]

I use Forté Agent as a mail and newsreader.

[Porcupine Realtor]

Thank you, gentlemen.  I finally got the darned Outlook Calendar working (after a frustrating 4-5 hours of various fix attempts) by downloading all the updates from Microsoft Support for Office/Outlook.  I didn't want to take the authorized user verification tool, but I had to.  It worked.
But I still need to find a new email provider.    Even if I use Thunderbird for the email filing application, I still have to choose a provider with its own extension, right?  I'll check out Forte Agent also.
Thanks for your help.  Any other advice is welcome.  I'd rather "measure twice and cut once" when choosing.

[J’raxis 270145]

Why did moving lock you out of the old POP3 server? Is your new ISP filtering outbound connections to mailservers other than their own? I've heard of ISPs doing that for outbound port 25 (SMTP), but not inbound mail ports.

[Porcupine Realtor]

Oh.  I don't fully understand the technical aspects of your comment, but I get the gist.  I don't know the answer.  I guess I need to call Comcast and see what they say.  Perhaps it can be done. Thanks.