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Frequently asked email questions
Check the Tips on Email Attachments and Email Etiquette There are a few technical terms in the answers. Check the glossary if you don't understand a term or word.
I am on the Internet. Can I get email?Yes. You must have a service provider who links you to the Web. They have given you an email address. To use email you will need some mail software such as Microsoft's Outlook Express.Back to Top
Must I stay connected to use email?No, it is just like writing a letter. You write your message, then 'send' it. Finally you 'deliver' it. The word 'send' is ambiguous. It is analogous to popping your message in an envelope. When you are ready, you log on to actually send prepared messages and receive incoming messages. Logging on is like walking to the post office where you hand over your letters and empty your mail box.Of course, there is nothing to stop you staying logged on if you have a low-cost or permanent connection. Your email software will have a setting to tell your email when it should check for messages to send or receive. However, if you use Hotmail or Yahoomail you normally need to stay connected because that is the way they work. Back to Top
At work my email is immediately delivered to my desk computer. Can't I do this at home?Office systems, and an increasing number of domestic systems, keep checking for mail and make a silly sound when a new message arrives. They can do this because they are logged on all the time, even though they do not necessarily have a phone line permanently tied up. You can do the same at home if you stay logged on and tell your software to check your server periodically.Back to Top
Where are emails stored?Most software stores email in a database. Outlook for example has the .dbx extension and stores them in the windows\Application data\... folder. Back to Top
Can my email address be lost?Provided you keep paying your bills to the service provider, the address is yours. But, and there are a few big 'buts', some providers close your account if you do not send any emails for a while (see Hotmail). At the other extreme, some providers keep your address even if you leave their service, to avoid confusion.Back to Top
What is Hotmail?Microsoft provides Hotmail for people to send emails. It is possible to read and prepare ordinary email when you are not connected. You only need to connect when you want to send and receive. Hotmail was designed to be used while you are connected to the net.It functions very much like any other email except that it is easy to sign up and, provided you bypass all the invitations to pay for the services, is free. It is ideal for people who use Internet cafes. You do not have to install your account on every computer you visit with Hotmail. You just log on with your username and password. However there are a few drawbacks. It is not as fast or reliable as other services perhaps because its servers are sometimes 'attacked' and get overloaded. Yahoo and Lycos has a similar system. Back to Top
Can I have more than one email address?
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Can I print my address book?This is a 2 stage process. First, go to File/Export/Address book or something similar. You will need to select the format for the export file. Text CSV is a good one. Comma Separated Variable files can be read into a database, spreadsheet or word processor.It sounds complicated but it is straightforward - just read and answer all the questions carefully. If things go wrong just back up and try another option. Back to Top
What can go wrong?Well, people can type in the wrong address, they can click and forward the document intended for you to someone else and there are also all the usual typing errors. A more subtle problem happens when another member of your family downloads the email. When you check, you might not notice that you have 'new' mail, as it is already delivered. It would be more serious if one of the kids downloaded your mail to their computer. When you checked there would be no mail and it won't appear on your machine. There are 3 solutions. Make sure you have separate accounts and no one else downloads your mail. Adjust the settings to leave your mail on the server until you want to delete it. Or sort out the kids.Back to Top
Why doesn't my mail go when I send it?The word 'send' is confusing. It all goes back to the time in the recent past when people with email were permanently connected, so when they sent an email it was on its way. Most people use dial-up connections. If you are not connected the mail is stored in an outbox which is emptied when you dial your service provider and send all the mail. It is a good idea to check that all mail has been sent even though your computer often reminds you that you have unsent mail when you try to close your email package.Back to Top
Why do I lose emails if I check them when mobile?Once delivered, the email seems to vanish from your server. This is logical as you now have a copy. But you can keep a copy on some servers and some software. Microsoft Outlook will leave a copy of your e-mail on the server if you tell it to. Go to Tools then Accounts then choose your account and select the Properties for this account. On the Advanced tab you can set the email to be kept on the server or deleted after a given number of days. (Other email packages have similar options).Back to Top |
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