Windows Live Mail was a pre-built Microsoft email tool that first appeared on Windows Vista. It is also compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and 7. As the name suggests, it helps users connect to their mail accounts and get electronic messages directly into their computers. You can view them on the platform, and luckily they are also being saved onto your computer, meaning you can always have a copy in case you missed or deleted them.
To find the saved emails, you will have to go deep into the subfolders of C: Users, where you will find a folder titled AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsLive, and you can view your emails there. However, always searching for your mail like this can take time and effort. Therefore, it’s better to transfer your inbox from Windows Live Mail to Outlook. Both platforms are from Microsoft, but you need expertise and tools to copy your messages from one platform to the other.
Local Folders
When you initially set up the application, it establishes a set of local folders that may be used to store your email messages. These files are only accessible through your computer. Some of the local folders that are here are Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts, and Deleted Items. The local folders are stored on your computer’s hard drive in a folder labeled “Windows Live Mail.” This is the default location for the local files.
For example, if you are using Windows 10, the default location of the local folders is in the following directory: C:\Users\Your_Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail.
The Mail Server
This is another location where the email client stores the messages. When an email is sent or received from the mail server, it is saved here. When you set up your email account, you must input your email account’s server settings.
After configuring your email account, the client will connect to the mail server and download your emails to your local folders. Following that, Windows Live Mail will maintain the local copy of the email in sync with the server by checking for new messages regularly and uploading any changes you make to your local copy of the email back to the mail server.
Keeping a Backup of Your Inbox
It’s important to remember that email can be stored in local folders and on the mail server, but it’s also a good idea to back up your email regularly. This way, you won’t lose any important information if something happens to your computer or the server.
You can back up your email by exporting your local folders to an EML file or by using backup software to make a copy of the email and save it to an external drive or another storage device.
Cons of Windows Live Mail
Like any software, Windows Live Mail also has its cons, such as compatibility issues and concerns about its security. The email client is made to work with certain versions of Windows. It may not work with newer versions of Windows or other platforms like macOS or Linux. It is also a simple email client that might have fewer features than Microsoft Outlook or other more advanced email providers, like Gmail.
In the past, Windows Live Mail has been known to have some security holes. Make sure you’re using the latest version of the program and that your anti-virus and anti-malware software is always up-to-date. Since Windows Live Mail is no longer being updated, Microsoft’s support is limited, and users may have to deal with bugs and compatibility problems on their own.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Windows Live Mail stores email in local and remote folders. Local folders are stored on the computer by default but may be moved to a different place on the hard drive if desired. You should back up your inbox often so you don’t lose any important information. It’s important to know that Windows Live Mail was shut down in 2017 and that support for it ended on January 10, 2020. Therefore, there may be better choices than this software for the long term.