# Outlook with no email? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166 "2008-05-13T16:10:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/1 "2008-05-13T16:10:03Z")
One of my co-workers (in another state) reports that when she goes to “About Microsoft Outlook” it says “No Email”. How is it possible to have Outlook (not Outlook Express) on your computer without email? I’m assuming to get Outlook with email we’ll have to purchase a new Outlook? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Jinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Captain\_Jinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Jinks)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/2 "2008-05-13T16:18:46Z")
Outlook can be used without email-- or installed and not used at all. Outlook is a giant, clunky swiss army knife of functions that handles emails as well as contacts, calendar, and other tasks. It needs to specifically set up for email. If not so configured, it will not handle email. One of my customers uses Incredimail instead, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/3 "2008-05-13T16:28:14Z")
Huh. So if she already has Outlook 2003 on her machine, how do we configure it so it will handle email? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/4 "2008-05-13T17:01:03Z")
Go to Control Panel \> E-Mail and set up an account. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/5 "2008-05-13T17:15:54Z")
So the “No Email” means that no email account has been set up? I’m not trying to be obtuse, but I am trying to solve a problem over the phone… ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/6 "2008-05-13T17:26:26Z")
Yes, you have to configure Outlook to handle your particular email account. Outlook does not provide email by itself. It _handles_ an already existing email account. If she has no email right now, the quickest and easiest route to go is to get a hotmail account. Just go to [hotmail.com](http://hotmail.com), and register for an email account. Its free. Then, you can use Outlook to handle that email account. Hotmail is limited to like 5gigs of storage or something. But if you set up your Outlook account, you can have all your incoming and outgoing emails automatically transfered and stored on your computer’s hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/7 "2008-05-13T17:28:14Z")
It is analogous to Microsoft Internet Explorer in that your computer probably already has Internet Explorer installed to handle your web browsing. But it doesn’t provide you with access to the internet. You have to set up that internet account with some provider first, ie Timer Warner, Verizon, AOL, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/8 "2008-05-13T17:32:15Z")
I’m afraid I’m not making myself clear. If, in the About Microsoft Outlook information box it states “No Email” it means: “No email account has been set up yet”? I am trying to set up her msexchange email to go thru Outlook, so I understand all about HOW to set it up and I have an email account for her. It’s that I’ve never seen a version of Outlook that says “No Email” when you’re checking if it’s 2003 or 2007. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/9 "2008-05-13T23:39:33Z")
Ask her to (in Outlook) go to Tools --\> Options ----\> Mail Setup —\> email accounts. Just check and see if her account is shown. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/10 "2008-05-14T00:17:14Z")
No, see, she wouldn’t have an email showing because I’ve not yet set it up. That’s what I’m trying to do. But in the past when I’ve asked (her predecessor) to tell me if she has Outlook 2003 or 2007, predecessor told me the info box said that her version of Outlook had “No Email”. It didn’t occur to me to have my co-worker go into Email accounts to see if that is just because no email account had ever been set up. Not the way I’d word it, and don’t understand why in the blue fuck that would be in the About Outlook info, but whatever. Conveniently, my co-workers computer 'sploded right as I called her to see if there were any accounts already set up or the ability to set any up in Outlook. So, the whole point may be moot if we end up getting her a new computer. Crosses fingers. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/11 "2008-05-14T02:50:00Z")
[QUOTE=niblet\_head] Conveniently, my co-workers computer 'sploded right as I called her to see if there were any accounts already set up or the ability to set any up in Outlook. [/QUOTE] Ah. I see that your plan is coming together nicely. Excellent, Evil One. 😛 What you describe sounds bizarre - but I’ve got 2002, so maybe something’s changed. When I query “about Microsoft Outlook” I get the little screen with icon and blurbs about versions and what not, but nothing about “no email”. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/12 "2008-05-14T03:33:59Z")
For the record, I have 2007 and I don’t have an email account set up (I don’t use it but I have it installed so I can help my users with it) and it doesn’t say anything about “NO EMAIL” in “About Microsoft Outlook.” So maybe that means she had 2003? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/13 "2008-05-14T07:07:47Z")
I’m not sure if it still persists in modern versions, but some older versions of Outlook (97, 2000 and I think 2003) make the user choose from one of several options when first using Outlook - from memory, the options are something like: -Corporate Workgroup -Internet Email -No Email -Different choices here affected a range of different features in Outlook (such as whether it would handle multiple accounts into the same inbox. To switch between these modes, you had to ‘Reconfigure Mail Support’ - instructions for this are given here: [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/195507](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/195507) ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/14 "2008-05-14T11:55:02Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] Ah. I see that your plan is coming together nicely. Excellent, Evil One. [/quote] It is true that her computer has been a source of continuing frustation for me. I hoped for this day, but never dreamed it would come so soon! Who do I contact to change my user name to Carrie? > [@mangetout](#): > > I’m not sure if it still persists in modern versions, but some older versions of Outlook (97, 2000 and I think 2003) make the user choose from one of several options when first using Outlook - from memory, the options are something like: > -Corporate Workgroup > -Internet Email > -No Email Ahhhh, this sounds right. Finally, something that makes sense… It’s like relieving an itch you can’t reach… ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-with-no-email/449166/15 "2008-05-14T12:26:04Z")
[QUOTE=niblet\_head] Ahhhh, this sounds right. Finally, something that makes sense… It’s like relieving an itch you can’t reach… [/QUOTE] Hooray **Mangetout**!