# Email woes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321 "2008-09-12T19:04:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/1 "2008-09-12T19:04:43Z")
Okay, I have Vista (boo…hiss). What do I do to get my email turned on? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/2 "2008-09-12T19:23:38Z")
Who is your email provider? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/3 "2008-09-12T19:33:31Z")
Comcast. I just tried signing in to their site, but cant get in theren either.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/4 "2008-09-12T19:49:03Z")
What email program do you use, or want to use? (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/5 "2008-09-12T19:54:16Z")
I was going to use outlook express, unless that has been superceded by something newer. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/6 "2008-09-12T20:17:26Z")
Do you have Outlook Express installed? I think Outlook Express was replaced with Windows Mail in Vista, so you probably have that installed and not Outlook Express. Here’s some help from [Microsoft](http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/00e419ef-fee2-472c-ad02-b14331571a521033.mspx) on Windows Mail. Here’s some help from [Comcast](http://help.comcast.net/content/faqtree/internet/6f4541ab-5423-47fb-a700-10806518e4d7#ddba9bd7-b0bb-4b4f-9cee-6ebf83b77523) on Windows Mail. If you actually have Outlook Express and prefer to use that, here’s help from [Comcast](http://help.comcast.net/content/faqtree/internet/6f4541ab-5423-47fb-a700-10806518e4d7#e72bebb6-8e08-4377-8211-73c55eb45872) on Outlook Express. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/7 "2008-09-12T20:48:46Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Here’s some help from [Microsoft](http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/00e419ef-fee2-472c-ad02-b14331571a521033.mspx) on Windows Mail. > > Here’s some help from [Comcast](http://help.comcast.net/content/faqtree/internet/6f4541ab-5423-47fb-a700-10806518e4d7#ddba9bd7-b0bb-4b4f-9cee-6ebf83b77523) on Windows Mail. > > . When I go to the START button, click on All Programs, and try to click on Windows mail, i am told : Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item. now what? ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/8 "2008-09-12T20:58:00Z")
Switch to Gmail and forget about all that crap. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/9 "2008-09-12T20:59:29Z")
I wonder if you have to install it first? It may not have been installed by default, or you somehow deleted it. Try this first: Go to that link I posted for Comcast help with Windows Mail. If you don’t see a list of Windows Mail Help topics right away and instead see a list of mail clients, click on the “Windows Mail” link. At the bottom of the list of Windows Mail help topics, there’s a link “How do I install or remove Windows Mail in Microsoft Windows Vista?” Follow the directions that pop up for turning it on. If that doesn’t work, [Here’s the download page](http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview) for Windows Mail. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/email-woes/463321/10 "2008-09-12T21:15:18Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > If that doesn’t work, [Here’s the download page](http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview) for Windows Mail. Actually, scratch that bit. That’s for Windows Live Mail which is different. Don’t download that.