Access outlook.com mail by imap in outlook express

A blast from the past!

Outlook Express is an older email client that was discontinued by Microsoft in 2008. However, you can still use it to access your Outlook.com mail using IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) with some configuration tweaks.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you access your Outlook.com mail in Outlook Express:

Prerequisites:

  1. Make sure you have Outlook Express installed on your computer.
  2. Ensure you have a valid Outlook.com account and are signed in to the account.
  3. Enable IMAP access in your Outlook.com account settings.

Enabling IMAP in Outlook.com:

  1. Sign in to your Outlook.com account.
  2. Click on the gear icon () in the top right corner and select "View all Outlook settings."
  3. Scroll down to the "Accounts" section and click on "Connected accounts."
  4. Click on the "Edit" button next to your Outlook.com account.
  5. Under "Account settings," toggle the switch next to "IMAP" to the "On" position.
  6. Click "Save" to save the changes.

Configuring Outlook Express:

  1. Open Outlook Express and go to "Tools" > "Accounts."
  2. Click "Add a new account" and select "Internet Mail."
  3. Enter your name, email address, and password in the required fields.
  4. In the "Server" field, enter imap-mail.outlook.com for the incoming (IMAP) server.
  5. Leave the "Outgoing" server field blank, as Outlook.com uses a different server for sending emails.
  6. Set the "Username" field to your Outlook.com email address.
  7. Set the "Password" field to your Outlook.com password.
  8. Click "Next" and then "Finish" to complete the setup.

Connecting to your Outlook.com account:

  1. Go back to the "Accounts" window in Outlook Express.
  2. Select your newly created account and click "Properties."
  3. In the "Properties" window, click on the "Servers" tab.
  4. Under "Incoming mail server," select "Use the following server" and enter imap-mail.outlook.com in the field.
  5. Under "Outgoing mail server," select "Do not use a proxy server" and leave the field blank.
  6. Click "OK" to save the changes.

Testing your connection:

  1. Go back to the "Accounts" window in Outlook Express.
  2. Select your account and click "Check for new mail now."
  3. If everything is set up correctly, you should see your Outlook.com emails in Outlook Express.

Please note that using IMAP with Outlook Express may not provide the same level of functionality as using the Outlook.com web interface or the Outlook desktop client. Additionally, some features, such as calendar and contacts integration, may not be available.