This page describes how to configure Windows Mail to view your email accounts at Lancaster University.

Windows Mail is the email program that comes with Windows Vista.

Introduction

Windows Mail is an easy to use, free (it comes with Internet Explorer) email program that can be used over fast or slow connections.

Getting Started:

• Configure Windows Mail - configure an existing copy of Windows Mail.

Tweaking Windows Mail:

• Ensuring Deleted Messages Are Deleted 
• More than one account - using Windows Mail to access multiple email accounts.
• Windows Mail Settings - list of settings for Windows Mail.

Setup Windows Mail For the First Time 

To check if this is your first time with Windows Mail:

1. double click on the Windows Mail icon on the desktop - see one of the below:
• if you have not connected before - see the 'Windows Mail Connection Wizard'.
• if Windows Mail opens and reveals a mailbox - see Configuring Windows Mail further down this page.

Using the 'Microsoft Webmail Connection Wizard':

1. type in the name you would like to see displayed e.g. Jo Bloggs.
2. click on the 'Next' button - see dialog.
3. ensure that 'I already have an email address' is selected.
4. where indicated, type in your email address in the following way: initial.surname@lancaster.ac.uk e.g. j.bloggs@Lancaster.ac.uk
5. click on the 'Next' button.
6. drop the 'My incoming mail server is a' list.
7. Vital - select 'IMAP' option (POP option will suck mail off the server).
8. under the 'Incoming mail (IMAP, POP3 or HTTP) server' option type:

9. Most staff use 'Exchange' and most students use 'Webmail/Wing/Unix'.

   • staff (Exchange) - exchange.lancs.ac.uk
   • student (Webmail/Wing/Unix) - imap.lancs.ac.uk
   • if you want to connect to an external email provider e.g. Virgin. external ISP (off campus) - type:(mail).(isp name).(com or net)
     names vary but BT's is mail.btinternet.com
10. under the 'Outgoing mail' option (this depends on your location):
11. • on-campus (including ResNet) & from external locations using VPN: smtp.lancs.ac.uk
    • external locations using an ISP: (pop, mail or smtp).(ISP name).(com or net) *
      *you can check the name of the outgoing server by looking in the 'mail help/settings' on the home page of your ISP.
12. click on the 'Next' button - see dialog.
13. against 'Account name' type in your Windows username e.g. bloggsj
14. against 'password' type in your Windows password e.g. sec21ret
15. ensure that 'Remember Password' option is selected.
16. click on the 'Next' button - see Wizard Finished dialog.
17. click on the 'Finish' button - see dialog.

Finishing Off Outlook Install

1. click on the 'Yes' button in answer to the dialog asking about folders.
2. wait while dialog displays then...
3. click on OK - new exchange folder on the left of Outlook.
4. click on the 'Inbox' icon - see your email subject titles.

The 'envelope cut diagonally in half' icons, are message headers that have not had the message body downloaded yet. As you watch Outlook is downloading the message bodies one by one starting with oldest and working towards the newest.

You can interrupt this process and force Outlook to download the message body of a specific email message 'now' by:

1. choose a message with the 'half envelope' icon.
2. double clicking on the message header - Outlook will download the message body immediately.
3. while you reading the message Outlook carries on downloading the other messages.

Configure Windows Mail 

1. click 'Start' button then 'All Programs' option - see a menu pop-up.
2. click on the Windows Mail option - see Windows Mail open.
3. click on 'Tools' menu then 'Accounts' option - see 'Internet Accounts' dialog.
4. click on the 'Add' button, then the 'E-mail Account' option then click 'Next' button - see 'Your Name' dialog.
5. type in: (your name as you would like it to be seen by people receiving your email)
   e.g. Jo Bloggs.
6. click on the 'next' button - see 'Internet E-mail Address' dialog.
7. type in your Lancaster University standard email address name initial.surname@lancaster.ac.uk
   e.g. j.bloggs@lancaster.ac.uk
8. click on the 'Next' button - see 'Set up e-mail servers' dialog.
9. Vital - drop the 'My incoming mail server is a' list and choose IMAP
   You should do this for two reasons:
   i) IMAP is more secure than POP
   ii) POP sucks your mail off the server onto your home PC making it inaccessible from work and web mail readers e.g. Webmail and Outlook Web Access.
   Therefore always use IMAP to connect to email accounts.
10. in the 'Incoming Mail Server type' box:

11. Most staff use 'Exchange' and most students use 'Webmail/Wing/Unix', but the are exceptions.

    • staff - type: exchange.lancs.ac.uk
    • student - type:imap.lancs.ac.uk
    • external ISP (off campus) - type:(mail).(isp name).(com or net)
      names vary but BT's is mail.btinternet.com
12. in the 'Outgoing Mail Server' box type:
13. • on campus including ResNet & VPN&-&mail.lancs.ac.uk 
    • off campus through an ISP&-&(mail or pop or smtp).(isp name).(net or com)
      e.g. mail.btinternet.com.
      Your ISP may call their SMTP Outgoing mail server by various names e.g. mail.isp-name.com, smtp.isp-name.com, pop.isp-name.com, mail.isp-name.net, mail.isp-name.co.uk, etc.
      You should look in your documentation, look on the ISP website, call the ISP help line or email your ISP support address for the precise name.
      Note - some ISP's offer a cheap 'wires only' account which doesn't allow you the use of a mail sending (SMTP) server. If you have subcribed to such a service, your options are: to upgrade to a 'standard' service or to subscribe to a third-party email service.
    • Ensure the 'Outgoing server requires authentication' option is not selected.
14. click on the 'Next' button - see the 'Internet Mail Logon' dialog.
15. delete what Windows Email has guessed for your 'E-mail username'.
16. in 'E-mail username' type in your username e.g. bloggsj
17. in 'Password' type in your Windows password e.g. sec01ret
18. if you are on your PC and are confident about its security, leave the 'Remember password' option selected, otherwise unselect it.
19. click on the 'Next' button - see 'Congratulations' dialog.
20. click on the 'Finish' button - see folders download.
21. click on the 'Close' button - see your email folders
22. click on the 'Send/Receive' bnutton - see your email download.

Ensuring Windows Mail Really Deletes Mail&

Deleting Messages

To delete mail from Windows Mail:

1. from the main screen click on the mail item - see the title highlighted.
2. press the 'Delete' key on the keyboard - see email struck through like this.

Ensuring Deleted Messages Are Finally Deleted

To ensure that your mail is deleted from the Exchange mailbox, check the following options are set:

1. click 'Tools' menu the 'Options' option then click on the 'Advanced' tab.
2. click on the 'Maintenance' tab.
3. ensure that the 'Empty messages from the 'deleted' items folder on exit' is selected.
4. ensure that the 'Purge deleted messages when leaving IMAP folders' is selected.