Summary: 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.
Related:
Ask Leo! - How do I repair Outlook Express?
Ask Leo! - http://ask-leo.com/how_do_outlook_and_outlook_express_relate.html
Ask Leo! - How do I move my Outlook Express folders to my new machine?
Article C3037 - May 28, 2007
I have the same problem as Doug, but I deleted the email contacts/address biik. So how do I get them back. I am running Outlook Express in Windows XP. And yes I read the article.
Paul
Posted by: Paul H. Bartnek at February 22, 2008 4:39 PMDear Sir,
Posted by: M S D V Prasad at March 2, 2008 9:58 AMI reinstalled my Outlook when my system gone bad then lost all my previous mails i have not taken any backup please kindly help me in getting them back
Just go to IE7 Properties and the email box will be empty.
Select Outlook Express and it will return.
Posted by: Tom at October 3, 2008 8:05 AMThis was usless for retriving outlook express. I lot of unnessary trash.
Posted by: Dr. O Tapley at November 13, 2008 6:37 AMHi Leo, my outlook express doesn't seem to have any new messages when I send/receive yet whenI sign in to my tiscali account there are always at least 3 new messages, any ideas.
Posted by: steve blackwell at December 13, 2008 8:56 AMAlso I noted what you said about changing tothunderbird but can I keep my original email address as I would like to.
Thanks Steve.
Hi i just used my operating system disk and went to install optional windows componets and reinstalled outlook from there.
Posted by: Darice at January 20, 2009 3:35 PMI was about to go crazy using microsoft outlook instead of outlook express. I've spent a significant amount of time looking for a solution, knowing it should be on my computer somewhere. Your website was the first to give me a direct and simple answer to my problem. I had no idea until I located your website that outlook express had changed to windows mail. Thank you for being clear and direct in your solutions!!
Posted by: Lori at February 3, 2009 10:26 AMi have tried to select outlook express on the ie7 properties and does not appear outlook express
Posted by: mari at March 22, 2009 8:05 PMhave unistall and re installed many times and still does not get back the outlook express and i need it to recover the old mails saved on my other hard drive on this pc, for some reason when the xp and ie was installed on this pc it did not installed the oe. what can i do to install it back?
it keep rejecting my password. i'm running windows xp
Posted by: Herman at April 3, 2009 6:06 PMI 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....!!!