# Computer idiot needs help



## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Here's the problem- -since AT&T changed over to their new Home Page we have had problems accessing e-mail. I got my laptop straight last week, and it took over an hour to do so. Now, the wife wants the desktop straightened out so she can access her gossip. The desktop is the Outlook Express "Main Account". She has always been able to just open OE and her e-mail comes up as the password was saved. NOW- when OE is opened, there is a password required. NO, we don't remember it from a couple of years back. I found a way to change the password but it requires the old password to do so. A search of Microsoft, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express all lead me to a help page which tells me that for $60/hr. I can either call or e-mail them for help. NOT! Any suggestions please ! ! Thanks, David.


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

just call AT&T to have them reset the main password... no charge there.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Sorry Bob, and Thanks, I should have stated that I did contact AT&T about this and they informed me that it is not in their system, it's apparently in the Outlook Express. Maybe I can clarify this: there is an OE icon on the desktop, when it (used to be) is clicked the OE will open, and _used to_ go straight to the main e-mail account which is hers. Now, when the OE icon is clicked on it will ask for a password before it will show an e-mail account, this is the mysterious password we don't know. My laptop is set up for password protection for both Internet access and Outlook Express access. It took almost an hour last week with an AT&T techy on the phone line to get my laptop to work with OE and I knew the password. The techy highly encouraged me to drop my OE along with my current e-mail address and start over with the new AT&T-Yahoo. This password thing seems to be an Outlook Express problem. I'm still digging. Thanks, David


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I've never tried to recover a password
There are programs out there that say they will be able to recover them. If we had a user that used OE & saved & forgot their password we did not support them. They had to start over



> Forgotten PasswordsIf you forget your Identity password, you will not be able to recover it. Furthermore, since account passwords are stored in the Windows registry under a particular Identity, even if you have never used more than one Identity, you will also be unable to recover their passwords. You only option is to create a new Identity from the Identity logon window, re-enter your accounts information, and then import your mail folders as follows:
> 1.
> On the *File* menu, click *Import*, then click *Messages*.
> 2.
> ...


http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/passwords.mspx

If you know how to edit the registry
THIS CAN cause your PC to crash & be unusable if you do the wrong thing

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_oe_passwords.htm


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## perpetualjon (Jan 30, 2009)

You can also configure Yahoo or Gmail to access your POP3 mail accounts (which this is). Frankly, I'd encourage you to move over to a dedicated email service like Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail as there are far fewer problems and, if you don't like your broadband carrier, you can always fire them and get another one without changing your email address... Good luck


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## 2long4u (Dec 29, 2008)

Thurman said:


> Sorry Bob, and Thanks, I should have stated that I did contact AT&T about this and they informed me that it is not in their system, it's apparently in the Outlook Express. Maybe I can clarify this: there is an OE icon on the desktop, when it (used to be) is clicked the OE will open, and _used to_ go straight to the main e-mail account which is hers. Now, when the OE icon is clicked on it will ask for a password before it will show an e-mail account, this is the mysterious password we don't know. My laptop is set up for password protection for both Internet access and Outlook Express access. It took almost an hour last week with an AT&T techy on the phone line to get my laptop to work with OE and I knew the password. The techy highly encouraged me to drop my OE along with my current e-mail address and start over with the new AT&T-Yahoo. This password thing seems to be an Outlook Express problem. I'm still digging. Thanks, David




So start using thunderbird.


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## Tub Refinisher (Feb 15, 2009)

You might try this:

http://www.nsware.com/Outlook-Express-Password-Recovery.htm


--Barry


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

I was going to just let this one die away, but- -I called AT&T once more today. I kept asking for someone who knew what they were doing with this problem until I got a young man who did indeed sound like he had heard of this problem. He instructed me how to roll-back my computer so that I had the "old" AT&T Home Page and when I opened Outlook Express the e-mail accounts for mine and my wife's worked just fine. He actually stayed on the phone with me and as I was doing this he would say those "Hmm", and "Oh Yeah" things, like he was looking into another computer at my computer. After that I downloaded the "New AT&T" Home Page and the e-mail went to HELL again. Back to the old Home Page and we are off and running. He asked me everything about my computer and instructed me as to how to get into what he wanted to know. He made a case number and stated that AT&T would get back with me on this as it definitely was the AT&T Home Page that was doing something to my computer and/or operating system. There's got to be something different between the desktop and my laptop that allows the new Home Page to work on my laptop but not the desktop. Both are running Windows XP-Home with SP-3. The desktop is an eMachine and the laptop is a Toshiba. We'll see. Thanks for all the help. David


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## 2long4u (Dec 29, 2008)

You really should try Thunderbird. It is by the same developers as Firefox and you can download it from Mozilla's home page. 
Here is the link. 

http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/


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## perpetualjon (Jan 30, 2009)

Frankly, my money is on Gmail or Yahoo. You can get your POP mail there (if you still want to use POP mail which I'm not a fan of) but you're safe from a hard drive crash, burglary, etc. You can check your mail anywhere you can get online --and on any machine that can browse the web. Save yourself a lot of headaches!!


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