Ask Leo!: Email

Why is my email being immediately deleted?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:00:00 -08:00

Help! When I receive an email, it's getting immediately deleted and moved to my Trash folder! Why won't email stay in my inbox?

]]> I've had this problem reported to me periodically for quite literally years.

Even though email programs and services and other tools have changed, this particular problem seems to persist, rearing its ugly little head occasionally.

Unfortunately, the most common cause appears to be the very tools that are designed to keep you safe.

What's the difference between an email program and an email account?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:27:28 -08:00

I want to change my email program from Hotmail to something else. How to do?

]]> I'm going to use this as an opportunity to clear up a confusion that I see all the time. A lot of folks might not believe me when I say this, but the confusion is surprisingly common.

In short: Hotmail is not an email program.

An email program is not at all the same thing as an email service or an email account.

Time for some definitions.

What for-pay email providers do you recommend?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -08:00

I get that you strongly recommend against using free email accounts for important stuff. But that, then, begs the question: which paid email providers with full features do you recommend?

]]> A fair question. There are many approaches that I do recommend, depending on your specific situation.

I need to explain what I'm looking for, first. Then it's just possible we'll find that you already have what you need.

Why is downloaded email disappearing immediately?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:59:20 -08:00

I have a problem with Outlook Express. Ever since I renewed my anti-virus subscription my Outlook Express mail rule no longer works. I had all my contacts highlighted in specific colors. When the emails are being received the colors show and then after revert back to the default which is of course black. I have Outlook Express 6 and Internet Explorer 7. Any suggestions as to why this is happening. Could it be my anti-virus provider? Or a setting in Outlook Express? I've tried everything until I'm blue in the face.

]]> I get variations on this question all the time. The symptoms in this example are actually rather mild - much more common are mails that are downloaded and then immediately disappear. It can also happen across a wide variety of email programs as well.

There is a common thread, though. In fact, the question above alludes to it. (And it has nothing to do with the color of your face .)

Why is the time on my email wrong?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:30:22 -08:00

How do I fix the time on my email? The time on my computer is correct, but when I send emails, the time's an hour ahead! What's wrong?

]]> You nailed the one thing that many people forget: the time on their computers.

However, depending on your mail service, you may need to make sure something else is set correctly as well. The "one hour off" is actually a clue that your time zone is set incorrectly.

And, of course, where that gets adjusted depends on what program or service you're using.

Let's look at a couple of common situations...