Webmail versus Desktop Email Tips
Also see Books on Email for Seniors from Amazon
Recent Email Problems and Suggested Remedies
Many of the new computers being sold are using pre-installed email apps that don't perform very well compared to tried-and-true desktop email programs (e.g. Thunderbird, Incredimail or Outlook) or compared to using the simplest option - webmail.
Some problems have to do with changes or inaccuracies in particular software settings, such as for POP, SMTP and IMAP protocols. (If this is Greek, don't panic. It's not something most people ever need to learn.)
Windows 10
Many users of Windows 10 - especially new computers with Windows 10 reinstalled - started using the envelope icon or tile (on their taskbar or start screen) to handle their email after buying a new machine.
Unfortunately the "email app" is not a very well developed piece of software. It doesn't provide the options a person needs to set up their email connection correctly or reliably with some of the major email providers in our area.
This is especially true with Bright House / Roadrunner or Embarqmail / CentryLink addresses. The email settings for accessing these services change periodically. Recently a lot of people have noticed this since Spectrum took over Bright House, for example.
If you find that the email app is causing you problems, the best solution for most people will be to get a better desktop email app installed, or start using the roadrunner webmail website to get mail through their browser (Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox.
In fairness, sometimes inputting new settings from the email provider will do the trick just fine. However, I've not found the simple apps to be glitch-free in handling setting changes and in the long run either webmail or an alternate email program is preferred.
Windows - Previous versions
Previous versions of Windows do not have the above-mentioned app installed.
For earlier Windows machines, if your email program is not working right then using an alternate program or webmail may be worthwhile, and there may be a few settings or clean-up tasks that can help improve the problem.
Gmail Problems Getting Resolved
Recently some of the problems associated with getting Gmail set up on desktop software seem to be getting resolved. Gmail users trying to set up their Gmail with desktop apps were getting errors trying to use even high-end email apps like outlook to retrieve their Gmail. Gmail seemed to consider all of these programs as non-secure. However, Google has come up with a sequence of steps that seem to remedy the problem, at least with Outlook and the like.
There are two main steps which are new. First, you may need to go through a verification step from your Gmail account,. Second, Google will provide you with a special app-specific password to use in your Outlook as a substitute for your normal Gmail password.
Once you go through these extra steps, you should be able to access Gmail both on the web and through your desktop app, and keep them synchronized.
Note that putting your Contacts into the desktop app is a different process, but not hard to do. It simply requires exporting your Contacts from online (use the Classic view) into an appropriate CVS file, then follow the desktop app instructions for importation.
Americal On Line (AOL)
AOL's roll-out of the AOL Desktop Gold software has thrown a lot of folks for a loop, but it's not hard to make the transition if you want.
If your old AOL software stopped working, you can get your AOL mail through the AOL webmail site using your browser, or you can put the AOL Gold softeware on your computer.
Of course, the new AOL Gold has a small monthly charge, but long-time AOL users will enjoy still being able to use the familiar layout of AOL software and that may be worth it. I still keep my old AOL email setup active even though it's not my primary email tool.
Getting AOL Gold requires a sign-in or sign-up, and then the actual downloading and installing proceeds pretty smoothly. Following installation, it's possible to run an uninstall feature through your Control Panel which will uninstall the old versions, which is a good idea.
Macs
I know a number of Mac users who have had roadrunner access problems similar to those mentioned above..
Performance of the mail app in general on Mac machines has been mixed also.
However, Mac users can access webmail for almost any email provider by going into email through the Safari browser instead of using the app.
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