Which is Better for Downloading Emails: Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express?

[Monique]

What is the difference between Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, which one can I best use to download the emails in my hotmail account. And also: where are the emails stored when they are downloaded?

 

[dduardo]

Outlook has more features then outlook express. With pop3 accounts once the client (outlook, eudora, etc) downloads the email it is automatically removed from the server. I don't know where it is stored locally on windows. If you had Linux I could tell you it is in .maildir in your home directory.

There really is not best client to download emails from hotmail. POP3, used by many web based mail systems, including hotmail, is a standard communication protocal. You can use whatever client you want: Outlook, eudora, thunderbird, pine, etc. All you have to do is setup a new account on the client and tell it you want to get your mail from a pop3 server (i.e. pop3.hotmail.com) and also tell it what smtp server (i.e. smtp.hotmail.com). I'm pretty sure if you look through the hotmail help you'll find instructions for doing this.

 

[Monique]

Thanks dduardo, too bad you don't know where it's stored locally.. I wouldn't want to loose all my e-mails when I reinstall windows at some point.

 

[Clausius2]

Eheeemmm...

I had another question about this... as you see I am not a computer expert...

What is the utility of Outlook?. I have this program in my computer and I don't know for what the hell it is used...and each time I open it I don't know what to do with it. I am about of uninstalling it...

 

[dduardo]

Outlook is primarily a mail client. Its purpose is to download mail from a remote server and let you view it locally. You can also send mail to a remote server and have it forward the mail to the correct server. As a secondary function outlook has scheduling tools (calendar, todo, etc.).

 

[master_coda]

Thanks dduardo, too bad you don't know where it's stored locally.. I wouldn't want to loose all my e-mails when I reinstall windows at some point.

Outlook generally stores all of it's data in a .pst file (I think the default is outlook.pst) somewhere in your Documents and Settings folder. If you poke around in there, you should be able to find it. It's probably in "Local Settings\Outlook" or "Local Settings\Microsoft" or something like that.

Outlook express is a bit more difficult. It doesn't store everything in a single file, and I'm not sure if it even stores all of it's files in the same place. I haven't had to work with it in a long time, so I'm not sure where those files would be.

 

[Clausius2]

Outlook is primarily a mail client. Its purpose is to download mail from a remote server and let you view it locally. You can also send mail to a remote server and have it forward the mail to the correct server. As a secondary function outlook has scheduling tools (calendar, todo, etc.).

Thanks.
Can Outlook warn me instantaneously (like the Messenger) when I receive an e-mail?.

 

[Monique]

Outlook generally stores all of it's data in a .pst file

I searched for *.pst files, there are none on my computer :(

 

[master_coda]

I searched for *.pst files, there are none on my computer :(

Well, the file won't be created until you use Outlook for the first time. Plus, the "Local Settings" folders are hidden, and by default hidden files and folders are ignored in a search. So make sure you've used Outlook at least once, and your search is set to include hidden files and folders.

 

[neurocomp2003]

http://www.sitedeveloper.ws/tutorials/outlook.htm#outlookexpress

 

[Clausius2]

Finally I have decided to run my Outlook express, but I have discovered it cannot be used to download mails from free hotmail accounts. You need to be upgraded (and pay a fee) in MSN. So I think it will come back to what it was.

 

[Monique]

You need to be upgraded (and pay a fee) in MSN. So I think it will come back to what it was.

You do? I happen to have a paid account (which will expire in 2 wks) so..

Thanks for the link neurocomp2003! very helpful!

 

[brewnog]

Finally I have decided to run my Outlook express, but I have discovered it cannot be used to download mails from free hotmail accounts. You need to be upgraded (and pay a fee) in MSN. So I think it will come back to what it was.

Depending on when your Hotmail account was created, they stopped allowing POP access to it. I joined a while back, so have been told I can continue using it via POP for ever. Something to check!

 

[Moonbear]

Outlook is primarily a mail client. Its purpose is to download mail from a remote server and let you view it locally. You can also send mail to a remote server and have it forward the mail to the correct server. As a secondary function outlook has scheduling tools (calendar, todo, etc.).

For just email, I preferred Outlook Express (it's pared down to pretty much just handle email) over Outlook, but if you're on a network where multiple people are sharing schedules/calendars or directories/address books, then Outlook has more use. Not that I use either anymore.

 

[eNathan]

Finally I have decided to run my Outlook express, but I have discovered it cannot be used to download mails from free hotmail accounts. You need to be upgraded (and pay a fee) in MSN. So I think it will come back to what it was.

Yeah, its their way of getting you to goto their website each time or pay money If you are interested in POP3 access, I think GMail offerer's POP3 and maybe even SMTP relay, I will invite you if you want.

 

[darkar]

Yeah, its their way of getting you to goto their website each time or pay money If you are interested in POP3 access, I think GMail offerer's POP3 and maybe even SMTP relay, I will invite you if you want.

Yeah, GMail do offer POP3. Other than that, it allocated 2 gigs for ur mail box.