Applies to: Windows Live Mail users
And so, another casualty of progress, Windows Live Mail (WLM) which first came into being in 2012 has an End Of Life date of January 10, 2017.
In January 2017^ (sooner than you think!) WLM will stop getting security updates from Microsoft.
This also gives companies (Including Microsoft who have already stopped) the excuse to stop supporting WLM for their email services.
Our Advice
It is time to start looking for a new email client, or maybe use Webmail, we have a how-to guide on setting up Thunderbird, a free email client from the makers of Firefox*.
Read more about installing Thunderbird here.
Unfortunately depending on how your emails are setup it can be tricky to move emails from WLM to Thunderbird, which is why I prefer Webmail.
Help, I need help with this
Rather than trying to guess at what will go wrong when people start moving to a new email client (Thunderbird, W10 Mail App, etc…) just pop on here and drop us a question, or explain what you want to do and we will do our best to help get things going for you.
Does this mean I have to stop using WLM?
I am afraid it does, yes. Because it will no longer receive updates from Microsoft it means any security problems found in the software will stay there which bad guys can then use to do nasty stuff on your computer. It’s not really a question of if this will happen but when. Much like Windows XP and Vista, it will be unsafe to use WLM at some point in the very near future. Sorry 🙁
Will it actually stop working? This depends on your email provider, we have had reports of Waitrose, PlusNet and of course Microsoft’s own Outlook.com (Hotmail) service no longer working.
Music Time
Tom Cochrane even wrote a song about email… (I assume)
Life Is An Email
LIFE IS AN EMAIL, I’M GONNA READ IT ALL NIGHT LONGGG
Email’s like a road that you travel on
Mails there’s one day, read and the next day gone
Sometimes you send and sometimes you RCV [Recieve]
Sometimes you turn your back on the box
There’s a world outside every darkened [in]box
Where mail won’t haunt you anymore
LIFE IS AN EMAIL, I’M GONNA READ IT ALL NIGHT LONGGG….
If you’re sending my way I’m wanna read it all night long…
*They have split the companies in two now, but we still recommend Thunderbird if you want to use an Email Client. I still prefer webmail, but I use Gmail which is excellent, I realize some webmail options are not as good.
^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Live_Mail & https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2016/jun/02/microsoft-killing-windows-live-mail-what-should-i-do-hotmail-msn-outlook
January 16, 2017 at 1:02 am
Hi Mike the fact that live mail is ending is it ok to carry on using hotmail
January 16, 2017 at 3:06 pm
Hello
It is OK they are different products.
Hotmail won’t work with WLM, but it will working online at https://outlook.com where you can check your email online.
Mike 🙂
December 3, 2016 at 2:33 pm
Hello Mike,
Thanks for this warning about WLM which I’ve been using for the past three years. Shame it’s ending.
You may recollect that you recently gave me some good advice about setting up a new email account using Thunderbird as described in Tim’s book. I sat down and tried to do this today, then found that to set up a new email address I had to buy the domain.
In James’s message (thanks James) he says that he has three email addresses in one account which is what I want to do. It may be that I’ve been asking the wrong question and do not need a new email account just another email address – so now I’m asking how do I set up another email address in my existing email account?
Unfortunately my existing email account is WLM which is ending so presumably I do need to set up a new email account to replace it! So I intend to use Thunderbird and transfer my existing email address to them. When I’ve done that (if it works) the next question is how do I set up a second email address in Thunderbird?
One last question – are Microsoft offering anything to replace WLM which would make for an easy transfer?
Many thanks
Philip
December 5, 2016 at 9:49 am
Hi Philip
I am so sorry, I think I have caused confusion here.
WLM (Windows Live Mail) is the email program (email client), this is the bit which is going to lose support.
Any email accounts you have setup in it will carry on working as normal.
When you setup a new email account in Thunderbird it gives you the option to “use an existing email address”. At this point you add your current email address and password and it sets the account up in Thunderbird so you can send and receive emails.
So you setup all 3 email accounts within Thunderbird.
For Windows 10 users Microsoft have given you their “Mail” app which comes pre-installed, this replaces the program WLM. Personally I prefer the webmail way of checking emails, and if that is not good then I would pick Thunderbird.
Sorry for my causing confusion there.
Do let me know how I can help
When looking to add a new account click “Skip This and use my own account”
Thank you
Mike
November 30, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Hi Folks. I am having a bit of a do with Hotmail about non receipt of E Mails and other problems. I am a bit of a thicky sometimes, but what is WLM? does my djt*** [email protected] constitute being WLM and I will not be able to use it again? I have 2 other E Mail Addresses ji*** @outlook.com and gra*** @outlook.com. But I would be sad to loose the djth*** one, could this one be revived elsewhere then. All 3 E Mail addresses show automatically in my In Box at present. Thanks
December 1, 2016 at 9:27 am
Hi James
Windows Live Mail is a program which runs on your computer, it looks like the screenshot in this blog post.
If you are using Windows Live Mail (more screenshots in the link below) then Microsoft email addresses, like the ones you mentioned, won’t work.
The best way (I find) to check Microsoft email addresses is to use their webmail option at https://www.outlooks.com
Of if you have another email client (Outlook, Thunderbird) installed on your machine these also still work.
Let me know your thoughts
Mike
More screenshots:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=windows+live+mail&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=623&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6nvm-1tLQAhVlAcAKHTW7BtMQ_AUICCgD