No no. Outlook Express was replaced by Windows Live Mail, which is downloadable as part of the ‘Essentials’ pack. The 2012 download is well buried, but you can get it here.

You’re right – hadn’t realised there was a client for Live Mail, always thought of it as a web-based thing. Either way, the Metro Mail client is where it’s at on Win 8.

Well, it’s not really (just) a client for The Service Formerly Known As Hotmail, it’s a general email client. Works just as well for Gmail or anything else. It’s the successor to Outlook Express (or if you’re old, Internet Mail and News). The naming systems are confusing, though.

Strictly speaking its a successor to Windows Mail, which was a successor to Outlook Express – as you say, the naming is confusing, the Win8 one seems to be simply called “Mail”.

Our desktop is an old Dell Optiplex, running XP with 3g P4 chip & 1gb Ram. I’ve just ordered 4gb ram to go in. I know its not going to set the world alight, but do you chaps with a bit of knowledge think it will be ok with W8 ? It’s only doing web browsing, kids homework etc. (I’ve a Precision 6600 i7 laptop for work.)
The £25 upgrade seems good value…
Also, will it work ok on a “normal” screen…all the screenshots show a “wide” screen.

I’m using it on a normal screen and on some screens there’s some stuff off to the right I have to scroll across to. STW looks fine but either I’m missing something or the mouse is broken. Pressing down on the mouse wheel and turing it used to zoom STW but nothing happens with the new mouse so I’m having to wear my glasses.

Thanks’s for the link, Cougar, but I’ll stick with Thunderbird for the moment as Mail want’s me to open a Microsoft account.

The change in names is a headache as the search doesn’t recognise old names. Typing “panneau de configuration” into the search gets nothing. More looking under stones needed… .

I think it’s still called ‘control panel’ in English.

Typing in “bios” doesn’t get any results either. It has a very limited vocabulary. I’d like to be able to get into the bios to change the boot settings so it’ll boot off my old Vista hard drive that I’ve plugged into the USB. I think Google is more likely to get me useful advice than the machine itself.

Typing in “bios” doesn’t get any results either. It has a very limited vocabulary. I’d like to be able to get into the bios to change the boot settings so it’ll boot off my old Vista hard drive that I’ve plugged into the USB. I think Google is more likely to get me useful advice than the machine itself.

I don’t think you’ll be able to change the BIOS from within Windows (possibly can on new motherboards) Normally you need to press a key before Windows starts. There’s normally a splash screen which says ‘Press DEL for set up’ Could also be one of the function keys.

That was quick, Rich. There’s no longer the splash screen on start up with W8. It goes straight to the user login screen. 🙁 I don’t know how to start it in safe mode either. 🙁

Mail want’s me to open a Microsoft account

Win8 Mail prompts you to use or open a Microsoft account, but AFAIK you don’t have to; I’m currently using it with an AOL mail account. It won’t do POP3 though so if you’re mail provider doesn’t support IMAP you have to use something else.

The POST screen is unrelated to the operating system.

Depending on your system, to get into the BIOS settings it’ll most likely be Del, F1, or F2, directly after power on. On some machines, higher F-keys may give you a boot menu, F12 perhaps. Tab or Escape might give you a different boot screen. Once Windows has started bootstrapping though, you’ve missed your, er, window.

Thanks, Cougar, I’ll try those.

You’re right, it’s just a matter of timing when to hit the Del key and the bios opens up like before. I’ve enabled the F12 key and changed the boot priority to mobile device but it still boots off W8 rather than Vista on the external drive even if I hit F12 and select windows boot menu. Time to fix the sink (a nuts, bolts, plaster, plumbing, tiles and glue job I can handle without help).

How did you copy vista to the external drive? Is it just the old drive removed and put in an external caddy, or did you use some drive imaging software?

It’s the hard drive out of the old machine in an external enclosure plugged into one of the USB ports on the motherboard, MSP. I can access all the data files on it but would like to run Vista and all my Vista programmes I have on it. I think the solution if there is one lies in the bios settings but so far I’ve failed.

As well as the boot order look for something like “enable legacy usb support”.

I’m finding this excellent to use until I get used to the changes.

https://www.pokki.com/windows-8-start-menu

I think I’ve found the cause of my problems , more looking under stones needed.

That’s talking about the Windows boot menu, not the BIOS boot menu, yeah?

Ah, no, it’s on about EFI, whole different barrel of whelks. How new is your PC?

Manufactured in mid September 2012, Cougar. I’m now happy the bios is set to boot off the USB device first if there’s a bootable one there, I’ve been into the bios both ways; from randomly hitting del and from W8 through the windows boot menu as described in that link (both get you to the classic bios settings).

I reckon my problem now is that my external hard disc isn’t being recognised as a bootable device. The enclose it goes in has a circuit board and when I connect it a driver loads that’s for a storage device. I want the boot to see it as bootbale rather than just storage. Time for bed now, I’ll have another go in the morning.