For a free program, Microsoft's Outlook Express works well. Designed as it is for home users, however, OE lacks PIM (personal information manager) features such as the calendar, robust contacts manager, and task list found in Microsoft's full-featured Outlook.

If you've decided to move up to Outlook, you might think that taking your OE data along for the ride would be simple. Although it rarely happens in the world of computers, this time your expectations are correct. Complete a short checklist of tasks and you should be able to open up Outlook, see your old OE messages and contacts, and download mail just as before.



Import Duty

First, you'll want to import all of your mail account settings to avoid looking up arcane information, such as mail server names and passwords. In Outlook, click the File menu and choose Import And Export. A list appears with various actions Outlook is ready to perform. Look for Import Internet Mail Account Settings. Click it to select the choice and then click Next.

The Outlook Import And Export Wizard makes upgrading from Outlook Express to the full-featured Outlook a snap.

Now pick out your old email client from the list, which in this case is OE. Click Next again and make sure the name displayed on the screen is the one that you want to use. Click Next again and verify the email address. The following screens ask you to make sure that the mail server, account name, and password information is correct. You might not remember the mail server name off the top of your head, but if it worked in OE, it should work in Outlook as well.

Finally, choose the method by which you connect to the Internet, click Next one more time and click Finish. Assuming there's mail waiting on the server, Outlook should be able to deliver it to your new inbox.



Move It Out

Now for the next task: importing your old email along with your precious collection of addresses. Head for Outlook's File menu again and choose Import And Export. This time, click Import Internet Mail And Addresses. Now click the Next button.

In the following screen, look for the OE entry in the list of programs and click to highlight it. You'll note three checkboxes at the bottom of the window. You will almost certainly want to click Import Address Book to bring your addresses into Outlook. Most people will also choose to import their existing email messages stored in various OE folders.

If you have rules set up in OE for processing incoming messages, you can also import those. However, you'll notice later that not all OE rules will work correctly in Outlook. A complicated rule scheme will likely require some tinkering using the Outlook Rules Wizard in the Tools menu.

Click Next to face a few decisions about addresses. First, you must specify where those addresses will go—the Outlook Contacts folder or the Windows Personal Address Book. Users switching to Outlook probably make the change to take advantage of Outlook's expansive PIM capabilities. If that's the case, migrating addresses to the Contacts folder makes the most sense. There you'll be able to employ the full range of Outlook functions.

In the Options section of the dialog box, pick the best choice for what Outlook should do with duplicate addresses. If you've never used Outlook before, you shouldn't have to worry about duplicates. Users with a name or two in their Contacts might consider replacing duplicates if their OE address book is the most up to date. Click Finish and the data is copied to Outlook.



Cut Loose

Before you forget OE altogether, you'll need make sure your system forgets it. Your computer actually remembers which email client you like to use so that it can call up the proper application when you ask it to email something from another program. For example, using the Send To command in Microsoft Word creates a new message through your default email client.

To set Outlook as your default client rather than OE, close your email programs and click the Start button. Point to Settings and open the Control Panel. Open the Internet Options and click the Programs tab. In the email drop-down menu, choose Microsoft Outlook and click OK.

If you miss OE, you can always go back: the settings, messages, and addresses were only copied to Outlook, not deleted. Again, easier than expected.

by Alan Phelps