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Summary: Outlook Express 6 is part of Internet Explorer 6. But if you've moved on to IE7, then Outlook Express 6 can be difficult to locate and download.
Note: this article is a major revision of a previously posted article. Why? A reader pointed me at new information that fundamentally changed the answer. The previous article can be found here. • Apparently the answer is "you can't". But you can download its replacement. Let's look at what happened, and what you should probably do. • The Way it Was Outlook Express (OE) was never a stand-alone install. Up until Internet Explorer (IE) version 7, Outlook Express was a component of Internet Explorer. The way to install or upgrade Outlook Express was to install or upgrade Internet Explorer. There simply was no separate download or installation program for OE by itself. But things were even slightly more complex than that. Internet Explorer is part of Windows XP. That means that Outlook Express is a part of Windows XP as well. If you have Windows XP, then you have Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Which is all well and good until something breaks. More on that in a moment. The Way it Is With the introduction of Internet Explorer 7, Outlook Express was apparently removed from the installation package. You can download IE7 all you want, but there's no updated Outlook Express with it. In fact, from what I can tell there's no way to get Outlook Express from Microsoft at all. "For the rest of us, there does now appear to be a
replacement for Outlook Express: Windows Live Mail"
Windows Vista users already have a replacement: Windows Mail. It's the new version of Outlook Express, except it's available on Windows Vista only. For the rest of us, there does now appear to be a replacement for Outlook Express: Windows Live Mail (marked as being in Beta at this writing). Windows Live Mail is more like a new mail program that you download and install onto your machine. Outlook Express is not affected, it's not updated or removed. However when you fire up Windows Live Mail for the first time it does automatically import all your Outlook Express mail, contacts and settings. (Though it does appear to remove the Outlook Express menu item from your Start Menu, even though Outlook Express is still installed.) Even though Windows Live Mail is installed as a new program, and has a new name, at it's core, it really is just Outlook Express. Most of the UI has been changed significantly, which you may or may not like. Once you get down a level or two - say, the options dialog - things start to look very familiar for Outlook Express users. So it looks like this:
The Way it Will Be - I Think Outlook Express is dead. Long live Windows Mail. Or is it Windows Live Mail? Microsoft has apparently replaced one naming confusion (the infamous "Outlook" versus "Outlook Express" debacle) with another: "Windows Mail" versus "Windows Live Mail". They're quite different, but this time they at least appear to have Outlook Express as a common ancestor. It's clear that Microsoft has decoupled Internet Explorer from any mail program. I would expect that not to change, and I consider that a good thing. What You Need To Do What you need to do depends on what problem you're attempting to solve. Many people look for a OE6 download or reinstall when in fact they don't really need it.
Thanks to reader Jason Edward for pointing me at Windows Live Mail. There are several changes over Outlook Express (DBX files appear to be a thing of the past, and the ability to download your Hotmail account seems to have returned), so I'll be looking more closely at Windows Live Mail in upcoming articles. Related:
Article 11806 | Posted August 25, 2007 |
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How Can I Import My Outlook Express Contact Folders and Diffrent Email Folders Into Vista's New Mail Program? Thanks
Posted by: Dirko at July 13, 2008 10:19 PMIt seems toshiba laptops with windows vista have deleted windows mail and included a trial version of windows office outlook which you eventually have to purchase or lose the functionality.
Sneaky way to make some people pay for email if they are not aware enough to look for free downloads.
Posted by: dale at July 18, 2008 1:25 PMThanks for your tips in "From where can I download Outlook Express 6". However I have a similar Pb to Annie et al ('I have vista, but have a saved folder of my inbox from OE'). Can't see a reply. How can I access my inbox, outbox, other folders (saved on an outboard HD) with Live Mail?
Posted by: murray Adams at July 25, 2008 7:17 AMI have new computer with windows Vista. I would like to use my same e-mail address on this new computer. Plus there is no longer outlook express. Please tell me how to fix this.
Thanks ever so much,
Maria
This could be an interesting article as well: What's the difference between Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Hotmail and MSN Hotmail?
-Leo
Posted by: Mary Markham at July 28, 2008 12:56 PM
I have multiple users on my e-mail account and in Livemail there is no separation for retreiving e-mails, or password protection on individual users as was available on outlook. Is there a solution for this problem?
Posted by: Vern at August 9, 2008 9:54 AMI am running Vista Premium. When I receive mail in windows mail I cannot link to any other sites thru an email. It says application not found. What should I do?
Thanks in advance
Posted by: Lynn Damaske at August 21, 2008 1:53 PMOne big problem everyone's ignoring is that WLM is NOT like OE in that all your data (email & contacts) reside ONLINE, not in your harddrive.
I need a secure system and putting all my data in Microsoft's hands is not going to happen.
So, I'm still on the hunt for OE to work with Vista 64 bit. Anyone know how to do it?
I don't believe there is a way to get OE working in Vista. You might consider Thunderbird and the download Hotmail addins available for it.
-Leo
Posted by: Todd at August 30, 2008 1:14 PM
Thanks a lot for this very informative topic. I had searched the net for a hour before I finally found my answer and more!!
Posted by: Ashish at September 24, 2008 3:26 AMMuch appreciated Mr. Leo
Excellent response. Its useful even though my questions are little different. Thanks.
Posted by: Sundar at September 26, 2008 7:09 AMAs a previous comment writer said, thanks for this article as I also spent an afternoon trying to get a repair or new install of Outlook Express without luck. This is great as I am running Windows Live Mail on my laptop running Vista.
Posted by: David at October 5, 2008 3:59 PM