How do I configure my email account in Microsoft Outlook?
What is Microsoft Outlook and why should I use it?
I strongly encourage all of my clients to use MS Outlook, or another desktop email management program like the free and great Mozilla Thunderbird, to manage their email. I will confine this brief tutorial to MS Outlook, which is a very useful program that allows you to download your email to your computer. MS Outlook is faster and more efficient than the SmarterMail web mail interface. If you download your email to MS Outlook, you can keep as much email as you like, without being constrained by the email size limit on the server.
Why can't I just keep all of my email on the server?
The short answer is, there is not enough space on the server. I wish I could offer you gigabytes of email storage space, as does Hotmail, Yahoo mail, or Gmail. I cannot do so; there is simply not enough space. Also, while the SmarterMail webmail interface is quite useful, it is not as full-featured as the MS Outlook email program. MS Outlook is the business standard for email programs, and I encourage you to leverage its power in your favor. I am ready to help you do that.
A few simple steps to set up MS Outlook
Install MS Outlook on your PC or Macintosh computer. If you are my client and need help with this, let me know. When Outlook is installed, open it, and choose Tools | Options (in MS Outlook 2003) or File | Add Account (in MS Outlook 2007 or 2010.) You will see a screen that looks like this:
Choose Internet Email | Connect to POP or IMAP. Click Next. You will see a screen much like this:
Filling in these fields should be intuitive. Some notes:
- Account type: POP3
- Incoming and outgoing mail servers will both be: mail.yourdomain.com (or mail.yourdomain.org, etc).
- Your account username is your full email address.
- Check (select) Remember Password.
- Do not check Require Logon Using SPA.
Do not yet click Next. Instead click More Settings. You will see this screen:
These fields are also intuitive. Fill them in, and then click on the Outgoing Server tab, which looks like:
Check (select) the box that says My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication. Almost done! Next, click on the Advanced tab:
This last screen is very important. (They're all important, but please pay close attention here.)
- Make sure to change the SMTP port to 50.
- Then, uncheck (unselect) the box that says Leave a copy of messages on the server.
- If you leave this option checked, then you will run out of room for your email on the server. Please uncheck this option!
Click OK. You will be returned to the Add New Account screen. Click Next, then click Finish. Congratulations! You're done.
The above procedure seems complicated the first time you do it. However, MS Outlook setup is a basic and necessary communication skill in the modern world. After you do it a few times, it will make intuitive sense and will be quite easy, and you will have added a new, useful tool to your personal communication tool kit.
And of course I am always around to help you if you run into trouble.
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