Windows Live MailMicrosoft have announced that they are withdrawing support for Windows Live Mail 2012 in January 2017. It will not be possible to download and install the program after that date, but ifyou have it already installed it should continue to work.

OptionsMicrosoft would like you to switch to either the Mail program built-in to Windows 10 or to use the website Outlook.com. These are basic, easy-to-use email programs. However, neither of these options supports 'Contact Groups' (which at one stage Microsoft called 'Categories').

If you need the facility to send emails to the same group of people, there seems to be a choicebetween just two email programs:

– Continue using Microsoft Live Mail

– Switch to Mozilla Thunderbird (from the Firefox people)

Hotmail and Windows Live MailDuring 2016 Microsoft changed some settings on their Hotmail servers which made Hotmail accounts unusable in Windows Live Mail. However, Alan Paul of Ravenshead U3A Group has provided details of new account settings that can be used in Windows Live Mail with Hotmail accounts. (There is a link to Alan Paul's Computing Guides on the Tenbury U3A Computing Group webpage).

If you have lots of emails atored in Windows Live Mail that you want to keep, then you need tofollow the approach suggested by Alan Paul, which involves setting-up a second copy of the Hotmail account but with the new settings.

However, if you are happy to start afresh with your Hotmail account in Windows Live Mail, thenhere is a simplified version:

How to Recreate Your Hotmail Account in Windows Live MailFirst, right-mouse-click over the Hotmail account name in Windows Live Mail and select 'Remove Account' and confirm that this is what you want to happen:

Next, select the Accounts Tab and click on Email+

Type in your Hotmail account details on the next panel. Make sure 'Remember this password' is ticked.Be sure to tick the box 'Manually configure server settings' before clicking on the Next button:

On the next screen you need to enter the settings exactly as shown here:Change the Server type to IMAP; type-in the Server Addresses and Port numbers as shown.Make sure your Logon User Name is shown in full as here and tick all the boxes. Click on Next.

Windows Live Mail should then open your Hotmail email account correctly.

JohnSmith@hotmail.com

Gmail and Windows Live MailGmail is also best used in Windows Live Mail with the newer IMAP method, but first it is necessary to change a couple of settings in your Google/Gmail account.

First log into your Google account using your usual gmail address and password and select the Settings menu option:

Under the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab click on Enable IMAP:

While still logged-in to your Google account, click on this link:

https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps

Click on Turn on Access for less secure apps:

Now start Windows Live Mail, click on the Accounts tab then on the Email+ icon to add an account:

Then type-in your full emailaddress and password and leave'Remember this password' ticked.Type in your display name – yourname as you would want it toappear in emails that you send.Tick Manually configure serversettings then click on the Nextbutton.

On the next screen, these are the settings you need – make sure your Login User Name includes the @gmail.com – then click on the Next button.

Hopefully Gmail will now be working for you in Windows Live Mail.

Alan Jenyon – October 2016