Question about Windows Mail on Vista.

[hiaasenrocks]

I'm trying to set up Windows Mail for my mother. She uses Netzero dialup (yikes!) and has a Gmail account.

I have Mail set up with the correct servers (Gmail for incoming, Netzero for outgoing, as required), but here's the problem. She can send mail from Windows Mail (as Gmail) but no mail will come in from Gmail and no error messages are indicated. So it's as though Windows Mail thinks everything is working fine, but it's not, because she still has to go to the web-based Gmail site to get incoming mail. So obviously, that kind of defeats the whole purpose.

I have a feeling this has something to do with the ISP, but if you call them for tech support, it's something like $1.99/minute and there's no way in hell I'm paying for that just to get the run-around and find out they couldn't help me.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any tips!

[Hokie]

1. I doubt if it is the ISP

I have set up Gmail in Outlook Express. I assume Windows Mail works similarly. Here are a couple of things to check:

1. Make sure POP mail is enabled on the Gmail account. Go to settings (in the Gmail on the web) and look in the Forwarding- POP/IMAP section and make sure POP download is enabled.
2. Verify the account settings are proper in Windows Mail. The server type is POP3. Look at the settings help for Outlook or Outlook Express in the Gmail help section.
3. Make sure you set up the Windows Mail Gmail account to check for new messages. Go to Tools - Accounts - (Click on the Gmail Account) - Properties. Make sure the box is checked that says "Include this account when checking for new messages".
4. If all this fails post you POP server settings here.

Usually downloading mail is the easy part. Sending is where I have had issues with Gmail. I use Thunderbird mail client from Mozilla. It has a wizard for setting up Gmail accounts that makes it very easy. Good luck!

[hiaasenrocks]

2. Thanks!

I was intrigued by the wizard you mentioned and found the Gmail Pop Trouble Shooter installer whatever-it's-called. It SEEMS to have solved the problem. It looks like I am able to send and receive now. Many thanks!

[Hokie]

3. Great. Which mail program are you using now?

Did you stay with Windows mail or switch to Thunderbird? I was already using Thunderbird when I bought a Vista machine. I never tried Windows Mail. I just stayed with Thunderbird.

[hiaasenrocks]

4. I stuck with Windows Mail.