How to switch from outlook to windows live mail

Switching from Outlook to Windows Live Mail is a relatively straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you make the transition:

Before you start:

1. Make sure you have Windows Live Mail installed on your computer. If you don't have it, you can download it from Microsoft's website.
2. Back up your Outlook data, including your emails, contacts, and calendar, to an external hard drive or cloud storage service like OneDrive or Google Drive.

Step 1: Export Outlook data

1. Open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Export to a file.
2. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) as the file type and choose a location to save the file.
3. Select the folders you want to export, such as Inbox, Contacts, and Calendar.
4. Click Next and then Finish to export your data.

Step 2: Import data into Windows Live Mail

1. Open Windows Live Mail and go to File > Import.
2. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) as the file type and choose the file you exported from Outlook.
3. Follow the prompts to import your data into Windows Live Mail.

Step 3: Set up Windows Live Mail

1. Go to Windows Live Mail > Settings > Accounts.
2. Click Add account and select Email account.
3. Enter your email address and password, and click Next.
4. Choose the type of account you want to set up (e.g., POP3, IMAP, or Exchange).
5. Enter the server settings for your email account (you can find these in your email provider's settings or documentation).
6. Click Next and then Finish to set up your email account.

Step 4: Configure Windows Live Mail

1. Go to Windows Live Mail > Settings > Accounts.
2. Select your email account and click Edit.
3. Configure any additional settings, such as the email client's name, email address, and password.
4. Click Save to save your changes.

Step 5: Transfer contacts and calendar

1. Export your Outlook contacts to a CSV file using Outlook's built-in export feature.
2. Import the CSV file into Windows Live Mail using the Import feature.
3. To transfer your calendar, you can use a third-party tool like Sync2 or use Outlook's built-in export feature to export your calendar to an iCal file, which you can then import into Windows Live Mail.

Tips and considerations:

• Windows Live Mail is no longer supported by Microsoft, so you may encounter compatibility issues or lack of updates.
• If you're using a Microsoft Exchange account, you may need to use Outlook to access your Exchange account, as Windows Live Mail doesn't support Exchange accounts.
• You may need to reconfigure your email account settings in Windows Live Mail, as the settings may not be automatically transferred from Outlook.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully switch from Outlook to Windows Live Mail.