Some of our readers e-mailed us asking if we know what happened with the e-mail identities in Windows Mail. In Outlook Express, if multiple people were sharing the same computer, they had the possibility to create different identities to keep their e-mail separate from others.
According to this post, found on the Windows Vista Help pages, the ability to create e‑mail identities has been removed in Windows Mail. Instead, Windows Mail enables you to create separate Windows user accounts for each person who wants to use e‑mail on a single computer.
Basically, if multiple people use the same computer they should have different user accounts. This way they can keep both their e-mail and their data private. If you need to learn how to manage and create user accounts, you should read this guide.
Also, if you want to learn more about Windows Mail you can read this tutorial.
Related articles:
Windows Mail
Windows Mail keyboard shortcuts
Migrate from Outlook Express to Windows Mail
Configure Windows Mail to connect to Yahoo Mail Plus
Windows Contacts
Manage User Accounts
Comments
identities
Thunderbird is a steaming pile of crap. I have been trying for hours and have still not figured out how to make seperate identities,
thundercrap
I have been trying to figure out how to set difrent email identities for hours in this pile of junk. Thunderbird sucks.
I am not sure you actually understand what we mean by diferent Identities. We want to be able to switch to another identity for each email address we have, so that the only email we have in the inbox is for the Identity we are logged into. Outlook Express was awsome for what we wanted. It would close down completly and reopen to the identity we switched to.
I hate this windows mail
I hate vista; (i got as package deal with purchase of my new laptop), but I had no idea that with vista MS is trying to further complicate the things. It doesnot allow you to manage multiple email accounts with same windows user id....its pathetic. How many times; one would change/ log off to check the other mails etc....ridiculous.....
Is there a better solution available in market, coz if not, I am thinking of moving back to XP....
-BP
Go for Thunderbird
You can always use Thunderbird. It is free, it is good and migrating from one version to another is very easy and without headaches.
Also, the upcoming Windows Live Mail seems like a better solution.
We will try to cover both Thunderbird and Windows Live Mail in the future.
Multiple Personality Disorder
You are supposed to create different user accounts for different users of the computers anyway(so no husband and I business), because of that, why sould the mail client have different identities, when you are supposed to have only one user per account in the first place? Unless of course if you have alot of email accounts that u wanna keep seperate... try using filters and redirect ur mails to diferent folders instead. If that doesnt work, use another client. Opera has a simple yet sufficient built in email client.
Your comments WINDOWS MAIL IDENTITIES !
I'm sorry what utter rubbish you have written.
You clearly have no idea about identities as used in Outlook editions - who is linking the word users with email identities. The word in my mind never realted to an individual but to a seperate email account that has no relation to the first. It could be as simple as Personal and Business. I mean how dissimilar can you get for that. Do I need a different edition of Vista or maybe 2 PC's each with a new Vista on then for reading 2 email accounts - please NO. The manage identities in Outlook was fully functional and worked great.
Where do we look in windows mail or Outlook for our new emails - In the Inbox maybe - does it take a genius to work that out - so now your saying the inbox for one account won't be the inbox for the other so then your looking to create filters for everything your doing and the chance of missing stuff even loosing it - NOT GOOD ENOUGH MR ANOYIEMOUSE PERSON
Get serious
Hey guys... Don't blame Microsoft for your ignorance. Don't get me wrong, I am a linux addict and I have Linux permanently installed on my desktop computer as long as I can remember (and I have a good memory :). Windows Mail has the same functionality as Outlook Expres had for over 4 years now. With a simple rule, you can separate your email accounts into separate folders and subfolders with ease. If you want Microsoft to know what mail YOU consider important, I think you're asking the wrong thing here. Microsoft has many problems and, in general, the Microsoft software is big, full of bugs and pretty much everything someone can hate in IT business. And, to blame Vista... is too much... It's an upgraded operating system, full of bugs and security issues. The vast majority of the professional applications are not working as they should... And the ordinary applications are working with half of the speed they should have. What can I say... It's the biggest mistake Microsoft has done in decades (and I mean it as 20 years, from the Windows 1.0). But...be serious... if an application like Windows Mail is getting you into problems... maybe you need a pencil and a piece of paper.
Spoken like a true Linux
Spoken like a true Linux Fanboy.
I use multiple email accounts for legitimate reasons.
One for Normal everyday things, one for a historical hobby I partake in, and one used exclusivly for signing up for something where I expect to get spam at some point.
I don't want all 3 contact lists mixed together. That will make my contact list way too long. I also don't want to accidentially send to a mailing list with the wrong email (sender identity). A lot of lists will reject you mails, if it's not the one you subscribed with.
It's not JUST a matter of setting filters! It is a royal pain! I will be checking out Thunderbird at this point. Windows Mail does not support MY needs.
Next time try a product before you spew forth your vast Linux biased knowledge assuming the everyone has the same needs.
No more email multi-tasking allowed???
This is garbage!
I have multiple businesses and have dozens of windows open at one time. So I'm supposed to log off, go to another account, open windows there and remember everything I'm doing?
Stupid stupid people made this. Listen buddy boy Bill. You really fouled this up.
incredimail
I downloade incredimail. It is a copy of outlook express, but has an ugly skin to try and make you upgrade to the paid version. It actually works in vista and lets you make identities exacly the same way outlook did. Becouse it is almost exacly like outlook. Someone should be able to make something like it, without all the hype and junk of Incredimail.