Connie has Windows 7 and wants to uninstall Windows Live Mail
Can one uninstall Windows Live Mail? I thought I would try it but now I don’t feel comfortable using it. My emails go to Windows Live Mail as well as to Comcast.net, and I spend way too much time deleting them from Comcast.net, the one I haven’t been using. I assume I will be safer using Yahoo’s email or Gmail. Thanks for your help … I am feeling very “unsophisticated” with this question!
Our Answer
You’ve come to the right place, Connie. We’re very unsophisticated. First, we want to tell you that the reason Windows Live Mail is leaving the messages on your Comcast mail server is because you’ve set that account up as an IMAP account in Windows Live Mail, instead of a POP3 account. Windows Live Mail account set up defaults to IMAP. If you set it up as a POP3 account, when you download your mail you delete it from the mail server automatically. If you set it up as an IMAP account, you are viewing and working with the mail on the server – downloading them into the mail program doesn’t delete the mail on the server automatically. In Windows Live Mail, when you set up an account, you must check “Manually configure server settings” – and choose “POP” or Windows Live Mail will automatically configure your account(s) as IMAP accounts.
We don’t think you’ll be any safer or less safe using Yahoo Mail or Gmail – they are both cloud-based, just like Hotmail. In fact, all mail on any server is cloud-based and always has been.
You can uninstall Windows Live Mail from Control Panel, Programs, Uninstall a program. It’s listed as Windows Live Essentials. When you click on Windows Live Essentials, it gives you a choice of which programs in the Windows Live Essentials bundle you want to uninstall (Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Movie Maker and Photo Gallery, etc.). Just select Windows Live Mail from that dialog (and any or all the other components of that bundle) and go ahead with the uninstall. Like almost every other Microsoft program you’ll have to reboot your computer to complete the uninstallation.
If you do remove Windows Live Mail, and you’re using Windows 7, you won’t have an email program installed. So you will have no way to use your Comcast account except via Comcast’s Web mail – or Gmail if you choose to set up your Comcast account in Gmail.
You might want to take a look at Mozilla Thunderbird. It’s certainly a lot better than Windows Live Mail 2011 – which is much worse than earlier versions of Windows Live Mail – they were already bad enough. Thunderbird has a very Outlook Expressy (is that a word?) look to it, although it has a lot fewer features. But it certainly is easier to use than Windows Live Mail – and a lot less bloated.
Mozilla is working on a new version of Thunderbird called Miramar (still in beta). We’re hoping that Miramar will turn out to be as promising as the beta looks. By adding extensions to it, it might be possible to add some of the features from Outlook Express that so many users miss – including the ability to use templates and stationery. Miramar is still in beta though – and it isn’t quite ready for prime time yet. You’d be better off (for now) sticking with Thunderbird.
We never thought we’d live to see the day we’d be recommending Thunderbird, but I guess we lived longer than we thought. You can get more information about Thunderbird from here: http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/ . It is very easy to set up. If you don’t want to leave messages on the mail server, then set up your account as POP3 and not IMAP. There are a lot advantages to IMAP though and several options available in IMAP allow you to delete messages on the server as well. Each different email program offers you different ways to set up your email account as IMAP with differing options on handling mail on the server and synchronizing email messages. So be sure to read the help files for whatever email program you choose.
i bought the incredimail program i left the windows live mail installed so i could use my incredimail program to send pages n links from my internet explorer but disabled everything in windows live mail so it wont interfer with my incredimail program
You may already be aware of this problem. It is and isn’t an email problem, hotmail that is. However it is a communication problem for a lot of people and getting bigger. Windows Live Messenger is a major communication link for a lot of people, and it is not working for a lot of us any more. It will no long open, but gives a message about not working with incorrect side by side confguration. This is a microsoft problem with windows, not an individual computer problem. If you can recomend a good substitute for communication please do. I really think the Java program is part of their problem. I may be wrong but I can’t fix it and noone else seems to have a reasonable answer either. Microsoft is offering no answers or help at present. Maybe it’s like your stationery. It doesn’t make them money so they don’t care to let it continue to work.
Carolyn
I am so glad I opened this answer of yours, you have finally cleared up the difference between IMAP and POP3 for me, I had never been able to understand which one I should use. I’m also happy to see you recommend Thunderbird as a reasonable replacement for Outlook Express. Especially with the upcoming version of Miramar so I can use your stationery which I’ve saved. I’m using Outlook, which my Computer guru said was so great. Maybe for businesses – – but sure not for home users. I hate it, and have been looking around for something different. With your recommendation of Thunderbird, I think I’ll give that a try. Thank you, Eightball and Thundercloud. You two are the best.