Windows 7 has no mail client - what to use instead?

[Fjodor2001]

Hi,

Apparently Windows 7 does not come with any e-mail client application (previous Windows versions had Windows Outlook Express or Windows mail). So, therefore I wonder what e-mail client you use for Windows 7 instead, and why?

Some examples are:

* Windows Live Mail (can be downloaded for free from Microsoft)
* Microsoft Outlook (not free)
* The Windows Mail client from Vista (can be moved from Vista->Win7)
* Some other mail client application

Please share with me what you have selected to use and why!

 

[Mem]

I'm a big fan of Mozilla Thunderbird for mail client,info and reasons here http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/ .

It's very stable and excellent/free mail client.

 

[Modelworks]

Pegasus.
It has been in development for 20 years and they really know their stuff.
Some of the things I like:

Installs itself to a single directory on the hard drive. I can back up that one folder and have all my settings, mail, etc saved without looking through user directories or profiles. You can do this with thunderbird too in portable mode, but pegasus does it by default.

Reading messages . Thunderbird displays it all as the same text. Pegasus color codes the message with email of sender in green , replies in message brown and new message black making it easier to follow messages with a lot of replies.

Security much better.

Message filtering - completely dominates thunderbird in this area.
Overall options in the program are a lot more extensive and yet it is still easy to use.

I don't think people use pegasus as much as thunderbird because they already use firefox and thunderbird gets a lot of free PR that way. Most people that try pegasus wonder why they were not using it sooner.
http://www.pmail.com/downloads_s3_t.htm


edit:
Forgot one of the best features of all. All the messages are stored as plain text files meaning no matter what happens in the future with your OS or change of mail application you can always view the mail you received without having to use proprietary formats.

 

[whoiswes]

Thunderbird with Lightning, Google Calendar sync, and Google Contacts sync.

 

[lxskllr]

Pegasus.
It has been in development for 20 years and they really know their stuff.
Some of the things I like:

I like Thunderbird because it's open source. When I switched from Earthlink, it was a major hassle transferring my mail from their proprietary application. I decided that would never happen again. With Thunderbird, I do with it what I want, and my mail won't be held hostage if I decide to switch.

 

[corkyg]

Use anything you want. Windows Live Mail is a linked setup, but I don't like my mail in someone else's pot. I use Eudora Pro (have for years!) and good old Windows Mail from Vista. Thunderbird also works, but it doesn't suit me because sound can't be embedded in an email. (That would not affect most folks, but I use it frequently.)

 

[JackMDS]

Use anything you want. Windows Live Mail is a linked setup, but I don't like my mail in someone else's pot. I use Eudora Pro (have for years!) and good old Windows Mail from Vista. Thunderbird also works, but it doesn't suit me because sound can't be embedded in an email. (That would not affect most folks, but I use it frequently.)

+1

 

[ImDonly1]

I use outlook 2007 that came with office 2007. I am used to it and have no problems with it. Never used any other one, so I have no reason to change.

 

[NickelPlate]

I used Outlook Express for years, tried Windows Live Mail and didn't like it, tried Thunderbird and didn't like it.

I finally setlled on Outlook simply because everything can be easily backed up or imported from a single .pst file that's easy to find. But as you mentioned it isn't free.

 

[notposting]

Live Mail for now...meh.

Tried Tbird back years ago and am not a fan of it locking up the emails...open source or not, it doesn't help when I can't get the email open.

I waffle between wanting security and wanting access to my email if needed. Of course, I've basically settled on just using webmail in the desktop clients, and mail doesn't get deleted unless I specify it so.

Maybe I'll check out this Pegasus, thanks...

 

[Fjodor2001]

I've read that some people have moved the Windows Mail client from Vista to Windows 7. Is there anyone that successfully has managed to get that to work? When I tried it and started Windows Mail, there were new instances of Windows Mail automatically created very rapidly in a loop (there were soon ~100 instances visible in Task Manager!) but none of these instances showed a visible UI, and I had to restart the computer!

 

[corkyg]

I have done it, and it works just fine. This generally is the procedure:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/06/05/download-windows-mail-from-vista-for-use-in-windows-7/

 

[Fjodor2001]

Thanks.

I tried it again now. I could for some reason not copy the complete "Windows Mail" folder to Window 7 as described in the procedure you referred to. It failed despite that I had taken ownership of the destination folder and changed so that Administrators had full access to it. I just got a MessageBox saying "Cannot access folder" (or similar, don't remember the exact text), no matter what. Very weird.

Instead I just deleted the "msoe.dll" file from the "Windows Mail" folder in Windows 7, and then copied the same file from Vista to the "Windows Mail" folder in Windows 7. (I.e. I had to do it in two steps, since for some reason the file couldn't just be replaced/overwritten!) I then had to run the registry patch "Windows-Mail.reg" from the web page you referred to as well. After that everything worked fine! Great!

Finally, I really don't understand why Microsoft couldn't let the users decide whether to use the old Windows Mail application in Windows 7 or the new Windows Live Mail (which really is something different)? Or perhaps make it possible for Windows Live Mail to behave as Windows Mail, with an option to turn on any "extra features" if desired by the user.

 

[fr]

I had been using Outlook Express for years. I switched to Windows Mail when I went to Vista, but I hated how it stored each message as a separate file. It made it take a long time to back up thousands of messages and just felt sloppy. I went to Outlook a couple of years ago and I've never looked back.

 

[Skitzer]

I use Thunderbird exclusively but have heard good things about Opera's email client.

 

[Paperlantern]

Only mail client I use is Outlook at the office, we use exchange so, there it is. Personal mail is all gmail for me so no need for a client, i like being able to access it all from any place.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I use Outlook 2007, which pulls all my email from all my accounts at once including Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Exchange, etc. It does cost though. I'm surprised that W7 didn't come with a more sophisticated email client included within it, that should of replaced Outlook Express. I don't like Windows Live.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Well, they didn't want to take away from their market for Outlook, that's probably why.

I recommend Thunderbird myself.. i use it a lot and it does everything I need!

I use Outlook 2007, which pulls all my email from all my accounts at once including Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Exchange, etc. It does cost though. I'm surprised that W7 didn't come with a more sophisticated email client included within it, that should of replaced Outlook Express. I don't like Windows Live.

 

[Zargon]

Well, they didn't want to take away from their market for Outlook, that's probably why.

I recommend Thunderbird myself.. i use it a lot and it does everything I need!

more like they didnt want to get sued for letting windows come with software that will actually do something

 

[EarthwormJim]

Outlook or Thunderbird would be your best bet.


I would not go with Windows Live Mail. Just like outlook express I'm sure it will be replaced by something new that will make transitioning over a hassle.


Outlook has remained a constant since MS Office came out. I'm sure you have MS Office so that should be available to you. Lots of devices like to sync with Outlook (iPhone) for contacts/calendars anyway.


Thunderbird is open source, and uses standard files for it's storage. So even if Mozilla disappears you should be able to transition your emails.


For what it's worth I use Thunderbird. I like the layout, and I like the new tabbed design in the latest version.


Whatever you use, make sure it's easy to transition from it to another software. You never know, you may need an email that you have saved from 10+ years ago (I know I have).

 

[Gooberlx2]

Since I primarily use the Chrome browser now, I just use a gears shortcut with my google apps email.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Every answer in this thread is wrong (except Gooberlx2 who gets partial credit). Your browser is the only email client you need. Chrome + Gmail.com is the simplest and most powerful setup (unless you need Exchange, in which case buy Outlook).

 

[JackMDS]

Every answer in this thread is wrong (except Gooberlx2 who gets partial credit). Your browser is the only email client you need. Chrome + Gmail.com is the simplest and most powerful setup (unless you need Exchange, in which case buy Outlook).

That would be like when there is a discussion about food and restaurants.

"Every body is wrong. Bread and Water is the only food that we need and should eat". :sneaky:

 

[Spicedaddy]

Outlook 2007, it pulls from a POP account from my ISP and a Hotmail account (through Outlook Connector, so IMAP). I also use it for contacts and calendar.

I check mail through a browser only when I'm somewhere else, it's OK if you don't get too many messages, but it sucks compared to a mail client.

I also have a Gmail account that I've never used since I like hotmail's online interface better.

 

[ockky]

I've been using Opera's built in mail client for a couple of years now. So, if you use opera, i suggest trying it out.