outlook.com

[Tony Halstead]

I 'migrated' to outlook.com a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately they locked me out of my e-mail and I have now been waiting for their 'help desk' to respond for about 5 hours. I have had to 're-send' my log-in details about 50 times and they are still saying that an 'expert' will be in touch with me as soon as possible...they also say this:
"Alternatively, we’d be happy to contact you by phone – if we’re available, we’ll call you back right away!"
BUT there is no 'box' for me to put my phone number in!
grrrr...

[amateur51]

How infuriating Tony!

I think that 'outlook' is what used to be 'hotmail' - does this correspond to what your previous address was?

[alycidon]

You won't like it much when you are unlocked. I used Outlook Express for many years, and in my opinion it was the most intuitive of all email systems. In contrast, Oulook is awkward, cumbersome, and very difficult to use. The same goes for Windows 7. Forced into it by the demise of XP, I curse Microsoft every time I have to use it.

[P. G. Tipps]

Why not simply dump Outlook and use an open-source alternative like Thunderbird ...?

It is easy to set up and has the refreshing virtue of simplicity. You can use it on Windows, Linux and Mac.

I've used it for years on Windows without any problems (he says, tempting fate )

https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/

[alycidon]

Thanks very much for that PG. My son-in-law helps me to set everything up, so I might need him to be by my side if I go down that road. Tell me, did you find that you were up-and-running just by filling in your name, email address, and password,as required. I think even I might be able to do that.

And just for a laugh, until I noticed your avatar, I thought that you were being very formal as
Peter George Tipps - but I got it in the end! Thanks for your help.o

[P. G. Tipps]

Hi. alycidon, glad to be of some help and hope you are keeping well ...

Actually, Thunderbird automatically found my server details and yes I was up and running and it started to download my files immediately but I suspect that may not be true for every email address and you may have to insert your incoming and outgoing server details manually.

However, if you still keep your Outlook client until the Thunderbird is up and running (maybe with the help of s-i-l!) nothing is lost? All your server details can be found in the Outlook settings if you are unsure.

Yes, my chosen title is rather formal I have to confess ... but I do think it goes very well with my stunning, professionally-produced avatar-photo, don't you think?!!

[John Wright]

The same goes for Windows 7. Forced into it by the demise of XP, I curse Microsoft every time I have to use it.

Eh? Compared to XP, Win 7 is brilliant, well the Professional version is, great for networking PC/laptop/printer wirelessly.

[alycidon]

PGT. Thank you for that long reply. Very much appreciated.

John. I'm pleased to know that Windows 7 works all right for you. Perhaps my settings are wrong, or maybe something else is cluttering up the system, but all the things that worked immediately in XP are horrendously slow. When I click on the Outlook icon, it's two to three minutes before it is ready to use, and if I just want a blank sheet of A4 in Word that can take a minute or so.

Unless, of course, the comparative speed of my iPad, makes me think that the PC is slow.

[MrGongGong]

PGT. Thank you for that long reply. Very much appreciated.

John. I'm pleased to know that Windows 7 works all right for you. Perhaps my settings are wrong, or maybe something else is cluttering up the system, but all the things that worked immediately in XP are horrendously slow. When I click on the Outlook icon, it's two to three minutes before it is ready to use, and if I just want a blank sheet of A4 in Word that can take a minute or so.

Unless, of course, the comparative speed of my iPad, makes me think that the PC is slow.

I don't really use PC's much these days
But when I did I found I had to do the whole defragmentation thing on an almost daily basis if I was shuffling lots of data about.

[Cockney Sparrow]

We use Windows 7 Home edition on 4 machines in my household. Not our experience. If it takes a long time to load a blank Word Doc then surely something is slowing things down, unless you have a very aged PC indeed?

I'm no expert -as the only person remotely capable of tackling PC issues in our family, I have felt my way dealing with problems, so I'm not in a position to advise with any authority. (Usually I approach these with the sinking feeling "here goes several hours ,,,,") If you, Alycidon are able/willing to load a diagnostic program and can then have a stab at dealing with any issues it throws up, then I think I would research & if appropriate use the soluto freeware program (look for the paragraph headed "Soluto Revisited" As I recall, it diagnoses what is going on from start up and highlights operations that are slowing things down.

http://www.pctoptips.co.uk/toptips/tt10tools.html

At the end of the day, though, it may need a PC shop/man to have a look at the machine and diagnose the problem?

[MrGongGong]

At the end of the day, though, it may need a PC shop/man to have a look at the machine and diagnose the problem?

Is there something special about it being a "man" to fix it?

Or am I being too "PC"?

[alycidon]

Thank you all for your various suggestions and my defrags are up-to-date as they are done automatically every week with no reports of any problems found. My son-in-law built the PC a few years ago, and he it is who will sort it out for me.

But you know how it is. He's a busy chap, and I like to try and find my own solutions without having to bother him too much. I shall have to, though, because I can't go on like this.

Thank you again for your help.
Ian J

[P. G. Tipps]

Is there something special about it being a "man" to fix it?

Or am I being too "PC"?

Yes ...

Maybe female computer technicians should simply indulge in their own brand of sexism (and, furthermore, blatant sexual innuendo) by forming their own companies like the 'pink plumbers'?

http://www.stopcocks.uk/

[MrGongGong]

Yes ...

Maybe female computer technicians should simply indulge in their own brand of sexism (and, furthermore, blatant sexual innuendo) by forming their own companies like the 'pink plumbers'?

http://www.stopcocks.uk/

You are Nigel Tufnel

Ian Faith: They're not gonna release the album... because they have decided that the cover is sexist.
Nigel Tufnel: Well, so what? What's wrong with bein' sexy? I mean there's no...
Ian Faith: Sex-IST!

[Radio64]

For what it's worth I switched to Windows 8.1 (discussed elsewhere?) and Windows Phone (Lumia 930) this year and so far have no qualms.

I think it is all very much a question of having to update your hardware every three of four years at the most in order to keep up with advances in OS's and relative software. My last PC lasted some 6 or 7 years but really was doing rather badly towards the end.

Maybe PC years are like 'dog years', but in their case are the equivalent of the human decade?


PS no probs with outlook.com (formerly hotmail or 'live') but it's still not as good as gmail I find.