Configuring Outlook Express

This document is a step by step guide to setting up your Outlook Express email client.

1. Open Outlook express and, from the main menu at the top of the screen, select "Tools", then "Accounts" from the menu.

2. Select the account you wish to configure - this is usually the default and is normally the only account, unless you use outlook to read mail from multiple sources.)

When you have selected the account you want to configure click on the button labelled "Properties". This will open a new window.

3. There are Five "Tabs" available in this window, we will work though them one at a time...

On the "General Tab" you first need to set the name that you would like for this mail account. You can just accept the default - which would be the name of the email server that you will be communicating with - or you can give it a more meaningful name such as "Davids Main Email" or "Davids Work Email"...

You then need to provide the information that Outlook will use to compose your emails and to "talk" to the email server.

In Name: Type your name as you want the people who get your email to read it... for instance "David Davies" or "Davies Industries Customer Services".

In Organisation: Type the name of your company or organisation... for instance "Davies Industries" or "DI Ltd. Finance Dept." or "At Home".

In E-mail Address: Type the email address you have been provided with by your network administrator - this will look something like This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In Reply Address: Type the email address you would like used by recipients of your emails to send emails back to you. This can be useful if you want to send emails from yourself but want all replies to go to another address (such as Customer Services), however, in most cases this will be the same address you typed in E-mail Address above.

Make sure there is a tick in the box to include this account in send and receive operations, otherwise you wont be able to send mail or receive it from this account.

4. Server Configuration.

Your incoming mail server will be a POP3 server - this stands for 'Post Office Protocol Version 3'.

Your outgoing mail server is an SMTP server - this stands for 'Simple Message Transfer Protocol'.

The name of both of your servers will be the name of your website (without the www.) preceeded by mail.   So, if your web site is www.mywebsite.co.uk, your mail server will be called mail.mywebsite.co.uk.  Your POP3 and SMTP servers both have the same name.

Your account name will be your email address - including the @whatever.com bit and your password will have been advised to you when your account was set up.

It is a good idea to tick the 'Remember Password' box. If you don't tick this box you will have to enter your account name and password every time you want to send or receive emails.

The final setting is to tick the box next to 'My Server Requires Authentication'. once you have done this you can click on 'Apply' and then on 'OK' to complete the setup.  Your email is now set up and you can send and receive emails.