How do I connect to the Internet?
First, you need a physical connection between your Macintosh computer and the Internet.
- If you are at work and your computer is attached to a network that has Internet access, you can use it to connect to the Internet. Check with your network administrator for more information.
- If you are at home or your work network does not have an Internet connection, you can use a modem to connect to an Internet service provider (ISP) that will give you access to the Internet via phone lines. The faster the modem, the better off you are. The fastest dial-up connection that most common ISPs support is 33,600 bits per second (baud). If you need a faster connection and your ISP supports it, you can have your phone company install an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line to your house if available in your area. Contact your phone company for more information.
Next, you need to connect to a host computer unless your Macintosh is directly connected to the Internet.
- If you are at work and your computer is attached to a network that has Internet access, check with your network administrator for more information.
- If you are at home or your work network does not have an Internet connection, you need to contract with an ISP. ISPs have many levels of services. Look in local newspapers and magazines, Internet magazines, and talk with friends to determine what type of service you need.
Finally, you need MacTCP (TCP/IP for Open Transport users) and MacPPP (OT/PPP for Open Transport users) so that your Macintosh can communicate with the Internet.
- MacTCP and TCP/IP are control panels from Apple Computer Inc. that enable your Macintosh to send and receive information. Your ISP or administrator will give you the information you need to configure these control panels correctly.
- MacPPP (Point to Point Protocol) is a freeware connection package that enables your Macintosh to communicate with your ISP. If your ISP does not support PPP connections, you may need to use SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol). However, it is best to find an ISP that supports PPP connections, because it is newer and offers better error correction and more features. Your ISP or administrator will give you the information you need to configure MacPPP correctly.
When I try to send or receive mail, I get an error that my user name and password are wrong.
The most common reason for this is that the password has been typed incorrectly. Try typing your password again. The password is case sensitive, so you must type it in exactly as your ISP has given it to you.
What is the difference between an SMTP host and a POP host?
Microsoft Outlook Express connects to the SMTP host when you send mail. Once the SMTP host receives the mail, it sends the mail to its final destination. Microsoft Outlook Express connects to the POP host when you receive mail. Many times, the SMTP and POP host are the same, but some ISPs will use different SMTP and POP hosts.
I can send mail, but I am unable to receive mail.
Check your Preference settings to make sure that your login and password are correct. Also, check with your ISP to make sure that the information in the POP host box in Preferences is correct.
Check your Preferences to determine if you are set up to send a secure password. If your server does not accept secure password authentication, and you are set up to send a secure password you may not be able to receive your mail. To test your server, just clear the Always Send A Secure Password check box, and try to receive mail.
I can retrieve mail, but am unable to send mail.
You might be using the POP host as your SMTP host. Check with your ISP to make sure that the information in the SMTP host box in Preferences is correct.
Why do I have two Inboxes? What's the difference?
The Inbox at the top of the Folder list is your local Inbox. It contains all the mail that you have chosen to receive from your POP server. The Inbox underneath your IMAP server is your online Inbox. Selecting it in the Folder list displays all the messages in your IMAP Inbox that are currently on the server.
Why can't I create folders in some folders on my IMAP account? Why can't I move folders to some folders on my IMAP account?
Some IMAP servers don't permit folders to contain both messages and other folders. You must first move the messages to some other folder, create (or move) any new folders inside the original folder, and then move the messages back to the original folder. However, you will have to put the messages inside the folders you just created inside the original because the server won't allow messages and folders inside the same folder.
You might be trying to create a folder inside a public folder that doesn't allow changes to be made to it. These permissions are also set by the IMAP server.
I unsubscribed from a folder on my IMAP account, but I still see it in the Folder list? Why?
The folder you just unsubscribed from still contains subscribed folders. Until the subfolders have been unsubscribed, you will still see it in the Folder list.
How do I find out what public folders my IMAP server offers?
Click your IMAP server in the Folder list. The complete list of folders available to you will be displayed in the preview pane.
How can I create a public folder on my IMAP server?
IMAP servers set the permissions on public folders. You must contact the administrator of your IMAP server to make a folder available to everyone on the server. All folders you create in Microsoft Outlook Express or any other mail client are private folders.
How do I post a message to a public folder on my IMAP account?
Unless the IMAP server has set up e-mail addresses for its public folders (by making them Inboxes themselves), there is no way to post to a public folder. However, you can send a message to yourself, then drag it to the public folder to "post" it there.
When I open a newsgroup after closing it the window is blank.
You might have set Microsoft Outlook Express to show only unread messages. To correct this, choose Unread Only on the View menu. If a check mark appears beside the command, you are set to unread messages only.
There is a mail message in my Outbox that won't send, or I get an error when I try to send it that says the To, Cc, or Bcc fields are not correct.
You might have entered an e-mail address incorrectly. Look at the addresses and make sure that they are in the correct format, for example: sample@microsoft.com.
My messages are being sent to the Outbox folder, not the recipients.
Make sure that you are not working offline by reviewing the Work Offline command in the File menu. If a check mark appears beside it, you are working offline. Also, be sure to use the Send Now button on the toolbar, and not the Send Later button. When you use the Send Later button, your messages will be stored in the Outbox folder until you use one of the Send commands in the Tools menu, or at the scheduled send and receive times specified in Preferences.
To report bugs, send mail to msmacoe@microsoft.com.
In your message, include:
- The version of Microsoft Outlook Express you are using
- If you upgraded, the previous version of Microsoft Outlook Express or Internet Mail and News you were using
- System configuration information
To get system information, click on the desktop, and then choose About This Macintosh from the Apple menu.
- Version of operating system
- Type of Macintosh
- Type of connection to the Internet
- Steps that lead to the bug. For example:
- Start Microsoft Outlook Express.
- From the File menu, choose Close.
- Result: Nothing happens.
Any other information that will help us reproduce the bug successfully.
Although you may not receive a response via e-mail, all bug reports will be read and evaluated by a Quality Assurance Engineer. Thanks for your help.
Microsoft offers technical support and services ranging from self-help tools to direct assistance with a Microsoft technical engineer. For more information on options in your area, read about Technical Support.
Visit the following newsgroups to read and post information about Microsoft Outlook Express. If you have not used newsgroups before, you will need to set up a news connection. Visit Setting up a connection to your news server for instructions.
- microsoft.public.internet.mail.mac
- microsoft.public.internet.news.mac
You can also use Microsoft Internet Explorer to visit the following Web site for information about Microsoft Outlook Express.
Microsoft Outlook Express help is designed to display in a message window in Microsoft Outlook Express. If help displays in your web browser instead, one of two things might be happening:
- Not enough memory is allocated to Microsoft Outlook Express. To allocate more memory to Microsoft Outlook Express:
- Make sure Outlook Express is not running.
- Select the Outlook Express icon.
- From the File menu, choose Get Info.
- In the Memory Requirements section at the bottom of the Microsoft Outlook Express information dialog box, increase the Minimum size and the Preferred size.
- Close the dialog box, and restart Outlook Express.
- Outlook Express was partially installed, and does not have the component it needs to display the help. To correct this, reinstall Outlook Express.