Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
Outlook Express shouldn't disappear from your system, and might not have. We'll examine places to look, and steps to take if it's gone.
Since I installed IE7 I have completely lost Outlook Express. I have tried deleting and then reinstalling it using the add/remove system without success. I have also tried to revert back to IE6 hoping that would help. Could not revert back. Now using Thunderbird but I still would like to have OE.
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Thunderbird remains my choice over Outlook Express. In fact it's what I use every day now. But I can certainly understand wanting to have Outlook Express around, perhaps for old email or to answer questions about it like I do.
I believe Outlook Express's days to be numbered. But that might not be as bad as you think.
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First, under Windows XP, installing Internet Explorer 7 should not have caused Outlook Express to disappear. The Mail menu item in Internet Explorer might disappear but Outlook Express should still be around.
Since so many people have gotten used to using that Mail menu item in Internet Explorer, most don't realize that Outlook Express is also on your Start Menu. Look for Outlook Express, probably in the Programs or All Programs sub menu. Here's an example from one of my machines where Outlook Express is right there at the top of the Start menu, as well as in All Programs:
Now, if it really is gone from all these places, then the only way I know of to truly reinstall is to download and reinstall Internet Explorer. Unfortunately because Microsoft appears to be decoupling Outlook Express from Internet Explorer 7, it's unclear if downloading and reinstalling IE7 will help. If you can't revert to IE6, that puts you between a rock and a hard place.
One thing I would try is to run the System File Checker. Since Internet Explorer is so closely integrated with the operating system, the System File Checker includes IE,and presumably OE in its checks.
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As I said I believe Outlook Express's days to be numbered. As we've seen it's already been decoupled from Internet Explorer.
But in Vista you won't find Outlook Express at all!
Not unless you look closely that is.
In Windows Vista you'll find something called Windows Mail. Fire that up, and you'll see something that looks strikingly familiar. I fired it up, electing not to set up any accounts just yet, and in the welcome screen saw this:
Windows Mail is the successor to Outlook Express
Windows Mail builds on the foundation of Outlook Express, adding a variety of new features designed to make your e-mail experience more productive and fun, while helping to reduce risks and annoyances such as phishing and junk e-mail.
So if you're running Vista, one reason you might not find Outlook Express is that it's now (finally) going by a different name.
Though no one has said so, it's my hope that Windows Mail might someday be made available as a download for Windows XP. At this point it's just a hope.
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Until then, my recommendation for dealing with most Outlook Express issues remains: switch to Thunderbird.
Article C3037 - May 28, 2007
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
I have been using outlook express 6 for around 2 years and just yesterday it asked me to compress the files and i clicked yes and so it compressed them but when i opened my computer the next day many of the mails are gone.
Posted by: Syed Nawazish Ali at August 2, 2009 2:17 AMI have created many folders in the OE6 and many of them are empty and it is written "there are no items in this view" i had already taken the back-up of the files but when i try and import them they do not get imported and it shows some error.
How do i get my mails back please help....!!!
I've just been aggravated again because everytime MS chooses to update "Outlook" it switches over from my preferred "Outlook Express." When I purchased this computer in 2004, I had "Office 2003" installed. I decided to give "Outlook" a try, but couldn't figure out how to move over the OE files and address book. I didn't like the program much either. I tried using Add/Remove programs to remove it from my computer, but that didn't work. Last night, it installed two new patches and I couldn't access my address book from "Word" anymore. I've finally removed the two patches from "Outlook" and we're back in business. How can I stop MS updates from killing OE? Can OE messages and folders be transferred to another program like Thunderbird?
Posted by: Bill Nelson at July 17, 2010 1:25 AMHi! I use outlook express , but after i did disk cleaning - I lost out look express icon from start menu and desk top. I am unable to get it back or use te same, with this m unable ot use calculator and couple of other things .Please advise how can I get back out look express.
thanks
Posted by: Mike at November 2, 2010 9:06 PMMike
i was using outlook express. my friend re installed os. no backup. i am in very difficult satge. how can i recover all the mails in outlook express.
Posted by: chandra shekar at December 29, 2011 12:30 AM@Chandra
Posted by: Mark J at December 29, 2011 4:22 AMIf your friend reinstalled XP with no backup, it is very unlikely you'll be able to recover your emails. If you have a web based email such as GMail of Hotmail and had the leave mail on server checked in Outlook Express, the the emails would still be on the website. This is also unlikely as it is not the default setting in OE and the new OE normally would re-download all your emails if they were still on the server.