Home > Articles > Home & Office Computing > Microsoft Applications

Creating E-mail Accounts

If a previous version of Outlook is installed on your computer, the process of installing Outlook 2002 automatically creates e-mail accounts equivalent to those you previously had. Unless you need additional e-mail accounts, you won't have to go through the process of creating e-mail accounts for Outlook 2002.

This chapter assumes you've just installed Outlook 2002 on a computer that didn't have a previous version of Outlook installed. The first time you run Outlook, the E-mail Accounts Wizard leads you through the process of creating an e-mail account. You can subsequently select Tools, E-mail Accounts to create additional e-mail accounts. In either case, you see the window shown in Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1 Use this window to start creating a new e-mail account.

NOTE

The E-mail Accounts item is available in the Tools menu when you have most Information viewers displayed. The item isn't available when you have Outlook Today, Outlook Update, My Computer, My Documents, or Favorites displayed.

In the window shown in Figure 3.1, select Add a New E-mail Account and click Next to display the window shown in Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2 This window lists the types of e-mail accounts you can create.

The next few sections separately describe the process of creating each type of e-mail account. You need to read only those sections that apply to the types of accounts you want to create.

Creating a Microsoft Exchange Server Account

Outlook can be used as a client for Exchange Server 5.5 or Exchange Server 2000. The process of creating an e-mail account in Outlook to access an Exchange Server account is the same for both versions of Exchange Server.

Before you can create an Exchange Server account in Outlook, you must already have an account on your Exchange server. The process of creating an account on the server is the responsibility of the Exchange administrator and is not covered in this book. For information about creating accounts on an Exchange server, consult a book such as Special Edition Using Microsoft Exchange 5.5 or Special Edition Using Microsoft Exchange 2000, both published by Que.

To create an account in Outlook to access a Microsoft Exchange Server account, in the window shown in Figure 3.2, select Microsoft Exchange Server and then click Next to display the window shown in Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3 This dialog box is shown here after the server and user names have been entered.

NOTE

Outlook can support only one Exchange Server account at a time. If you already have an Exchange Server account set up, a message explains this fact.

The information you enter in the window shown in Figure 3.3 is supplied by your Exchange administrator. Enter the name of your Exchange server, and enter your username on the server.

After entering your username, click Check Name to verify that the name you entered is for a valid account on the server. When you do that, Outlook displays a message reminding you that the new account you're creating will not be available until you close and restart Outlook. Click OK to acknowledge that message. After a short delay, if you entered the correct server name and a valid username, Outlook underlines the username you entered to verify that the account exists on the server.

If the username you entered does not correspond to the name of an existing account on the server, Outlook displays a message stating The name could not be matched to a name in the address list. That can happen because you didn't correctly enter the username supplied by the administrator or, perhaps, because the administrator didn't tell you the correct name. Try reentering the username. If, after that, the problem still exists, contact the administrator for help in solving the problem.

Another possible problem is that you didn't enter the server name correctly, or the server is not accessible. If that happens, Outlook displays a message stating that Outlook could not log on. Check that you entered the server name correctly. If the problem still exists, contact your administrator for help.

At this stage, you can click More Settings to refine your Exchange Server account but you probably don't need to do so. Click Next to display the next window. In that window, click Finish to complete the process of setting up the account. Before you can use the account, select File, Exit to close Outlook. Then restart Outlook.

For information about refining an Exchange Server account, see "Refining an Exchange Server E-mail Account in Outlook," p. 429.

After restarting Outlook, you can select Tools, E-mail Accounts to display the window previously shown in Figure 3.1. In that window, select View or Change Existing E-mail Accounts and then click Next to display a window in which the Exchange account you just created is listed.

Creating a POP3 Account for Internet E-mail

Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) is the protocol used by many Internet and intranet e-mail servers. You can create as many POP3 accounts in Outlook as you need. The accounts you create in Outlook access accounts that already exist on a POP3 server. Before setting up a POP3 account in Outlook, contact an ISP or other POP3 server administrator to have an account set up for you.

NOTE

Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) is a protocol used to receive e-mail from a server. Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) is a protocol used to send e-mail to a server.

Creating an Account with an Internet Service Provider

Establishing an account with an Internet service provider usually involves choosing an ISP and then making a phone call to that ISP, or using your Web browser to connect to that ISP's Web site. Either way, you must give the ISP your name, suggest a name for your account, provide a password, and agree to some way that the ISP will bill you (usually via a monthly charge to one of your credit cards). After you've done that, the ISP will provide whatever information is necessary for you to log on to your account.

Don't choose your ISP lightly. Although you can change your ISP at any time, when you change your ISP, your Internet e-mail address changes.

You can choose from many ISPs, many of whom offer different services. Consider the following:

  • Some ISPs have local access telephone numbers in many parts of the country, whereas others have local access numbers only for one city or region. If you're likely to want to connect to your ISP while traveling, choose an ISP that has local access numbers in the places you expect to visit.

  • Some ISPs allow you to have more than one e-mail address for your account so that people who share the account can keep their e-mail separate. This is particularly useful for a family or small business. Not all ISPs offer this service.

  • Some ISPs accommodate various types of connections, including DSL, ISDN, and others. If you expect to become a frequent Internet user, choose an ISP that offers high-speed connections, even if you don't use those connections initially.

  • Some ISPs offer free or low-cost disk space you can use to create your own Web site; others don't. If you anticipate having your own Web site, investigate the cost of it being hosted by the ISP before you make your choice.

  • Most ISPs provide access to Internet newsgroups. If there are some newsgroups you need to use, make sure the ISP you choose provides access to them.

After you've evaluated ISPs based on these criteria, ask around to get the opinions of local people who use the services you're interested in. What you need is an ISP that provides the services you require and that gives you fast, reliable access. Only people's experience can give you the information you need to make your choice.

Creating an Internet Account in Outlook

To create an Outlook account to access a POP3 account on a server, select Tools, E-mail Accounts to display the window previously shown in Figure 3.1. Select Add New E-mail Account and click Next to display the window previously shown in Figure 3.2. Select POP3 and click Next to display the window shown in Figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4 This is where you set up a POP3 e-mail account. The window is shown here with information entered.

The administrator of the POP3 server provides the information you have to enter into the boxes in the window shown in Figure 3.4. The information you enter in these boxes must be correct; otherwise, you won't be able to connect to the server.

CAUTION

I strongly recommend you leave the Remember Password box unchecked. Check this box only if you are totally confident that you are the only person who has access to your computer. By leaving this box unchecked, you have the minor inconvenience of having to enter your e-mail password each time you log on to the server. On the other hand, if you check this box, anyone who has access to your computer can download e-mail addressed to you and, what might be of even more concern, send e-mail on your behalf.

After completing the six text boxes in this window, the Test Account Settings button becomes enabled. You have more work to do before you click that button. Click More Settings to display the dialog box shown in Figure 3.5.

TIP

It's particularly important to make the correct choices in the Internet E-mail Settings dialog box's Connection tab before you attempt to test your account settings.

Choosing General Settings

The Internet E-mail Settings dialog box is initially displayed with the General tab selected.

Figure 3.5 Enter some basic information about the account here.

By default, Outlook proposes to give the new account a name that corresponds to the name of your POP3 mail server. You can change the proposed name to anything you prefer. The name you choose is the name by which you'll subsequently select the account elsewhere in Outlook. If you have several accounts on the same server, you should give each of those accounts a different name so you can easily identify them.

You can, if you like, enter the name of your organization in the Organization box. Although you might expect that name to appear in messages you send, it doesn't. There appears to be no reason to enter a name in this box.

When people reply to messages you send, those messages are normally sent to the e-mail address from which you sent the original messages. If you want replies to be sent to a different e-mail address, enter that address in the Reply E-mail box.

Choosing Outgoing Server Settings

Select the Outgoing Server tab, shown in Figure 3.6, to refine the account.

Figure 3.6 Use this dialog box to refine the account.

In most cases, you can log on to an Internet mail server and receive and send messages without much ado. However, you might have to separately log on to the SMTP server to which you send messages. If that's the case, check the My Outgoing Server (SMTP) Requires Authentication box. When you do so, the initially dimmed parts of the tab become enabled.

Leave the default, Use Same Settings as My Incoming Mail Server selected if you have to separately log onto the SMTP server, but do so with the same username and password as for the POP3 server. If the SMTP server requires a different username and password, select Log on Using, and then enter the required username and password in the two boxes.

TIP

As mentioned previously, leaving the Remember Password box checked defeats the purpose of having a password. Uncheck that box to ensure your security.

Check the Log on Using Secure Password Authentication box only if instructed to do so by the e-mail administrator. This is required only if the server has a second level of security. In that case, when you log in, the server requires you to enter another password. Don't check this box unless the server requires you to do so.

By default, when you log on to an e-mail server, Outlook sends any messages currently in your Outbox folder to the server and then downloads messages from the server to your Inbox folder. If you prefer Outlook to download messages before it sends messages, check the Log on to Incoming Mail Server Before Sending Mail box.

Choosing Connection Settings

Select the Connection tab to display the dialog box shown in Figure 3.7.

Figure 3.7 Use this dialog box to specify how you want to connect to an e-mail server.

By default, Outlook proposes to connect to the mail server using your local area network (LAN), which is appropriate if you're using an intranet server. Most likely, you're setting up an account to access an Internet server that you access by way of a phone line. If you have a DSL connection, consult your DSL provider for information about setting up and using that connection.

If you're not connecting by way of your LAN, select Connect Using My Phone Line or Connect Using Internet Explorer's or a 3rd Party Dialer, whichever is appropriate. If you select Connect Using My Phone Line, the Modem section in the lower part of the dialog box becomes enabled. Use that section to select the dial-up connection you want to use and, optionally, to set the properties of that connection or to create a new connection.

Choosing Advanced Settings

Select the Advanced tab to display the dialog box shown in Figure 3.8.

Figure 3.8 These are the Internet e-mail advanced settings.

By default, Outlook proposes the Server Port Numbers that most servers use. Similarly, the two check boxes are unchecked. Change these settings only if you're instructed to do so by the server administrator.

By default, the Server Timeouts slider is set to 30 seconds. This is the time Outlook waits before telling you it hasn't been able to make a connection to the server. If you have a problem establishing a server connection, try increasing the time by dragging the slider to the right.

The Delivery section at the bottom of the dialog box is something you might find useful. By default, the Leave a Copy of Messages on the Server box is unchecked. This means that messages for you on the server are deleted as soon as you've downloaded them. When you're working from your office or home, that's a reasonable thing to do. There's no reason to clutter up your server's storage with messages you've already downloaded. However, if you're traveling and download messages to your laptop, you might want to leave messages on the server so that, when you return home, you can download those messages to your principal computer. Check the box to leave messages you've downloaded on the server.

NOTE

Your ISP or other mail server probably sets a limit to the space you can use to save messages and also might have a limit on the time for which you can save messages.

Testing Account Settings

After you've completed entering information into the four tabs described in the preceding four sections, click OK to return to the E-mail Accounts window shown previously in Figure 3.4. Then click Test Account Settings. Outlook displays the dialog box shown in Figure 3.9.

Figure 3.9 This dialog box lists the five steps used to test account settings.

Depending on your dial-up settings, Outlook either starts to attempt making a connection to your mail server or displays a dialog box in which you have to click Dial to start the attempt. If the account is correctly configured, check marks appear at the left of each step displayed in the dialog box shown in Figure 3.9 and the word Completed appears at the right of each step when that step is completed satisfactorily. When all five steps have been completed (a process that normally takes only a few seconds), a message at the top of the dialog box states Congratulations! All tests completed successfully. Click Close to continue.

If a step in the test process doesn't complete successfully, an error message appears describing the nature of the problem. You can use the information in this message to deduce which setting has caused the problem. Close the message box to return to the window previously shown in Figure 3.4 so you can correct the settings.

Finalizing the Account Setup

After successfully testing the account, click Next in the windows previously shown in Figure 3.4. Outlook displays a window that states you have successfully entered all the information required to set up your account. Click Finish to close that window.

The first time you download messages from the account, you'll see a message with the content This is an e-mail sent automatically by Microsoft Outlook's Account Manager while testing the settings for your POP3 account.

Creating an IMAP Account for Internet E-mail

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a protocol that offers more capabilities than POP3. At present, it's not generally available from ISPs; you're more likely to require an IMAP account to access e-mail on an intranet. Follow the procedure described in the section "Creating a POP3 Account for Internet E-mail," p. 49 for information about setting up an IMAP account.

No provision exists to automatically test an IMAP account.

Creating an HTTP Account for Hotmail

Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) is a protocol for sending hypertext documents by way of the Internet. It is the protocol used by Hotmail and some other e-mail systems.

NOTE

You must have a Hotmail account before you can create an account within Outlook to access a Hotmail account. One way to create a Hotmail account is to open Internet Explorer and select http://www.hotmail.com. With that page displayed, click Sign Up Now.

The procedure for setting up an account within Outlook for accessing a Hotmail account is quite similar to that described in the section "Creating a POP3 Account for Internet E-mail," p. 49. The principal differences are

  • Instead of specifying separate incoming and outgoing mail servers, you have to specify only a single mail service provider.

  • After clicking More Settings, instead of four tabs the dialog box has only two.

  • No provision exists to test an HTTP account.

When you create a Hotmail account, Outlook automatically creates a Personal Folders file for use by Hotmail messages.

Creating Accounts for Other Mail Servers

Open the window previously shown in Figure 3.2, select Additional Server Types and then click Next. Outlook displays a window that lists other server types for which a transport is installed on your computer.

Outlook is supplied with the capability to create accounts for accessing e-mail on an Exchange server, in POP3 and SMTP Internet and intranet servers, and in HTTP servers such as Hotmail. You can install so-called transports available from various companies that enable you to use Outlook as a client for other systems. For example, Lotus supplies a transport you can install in Outlook so you can access Lotus Notes. Such transports are not described in this chapter because they are not part of Outlook. You can obtain information about installing these transports from their suppliers.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020