Use Windows Live Mail to synchronise contacts

It’s important to understand that installing Windows Live Mail will replace either Outlook Express or Windows Mail, though the configuration and contents of these programs will be retained (so your messages should be safe). Windows Live Mail is part of the Windows Live Suite. To download this, visit www.snipca.com/x1971 and click the Download now button halfway down the page to begin.

If the File Download Security Warning dialogue box appears, click Save and then choose a location for the downloaded file. Firefox users should select Save File to save the download to Firefox’s default download folder. Now locate and double-click the wlsetup-web.exe file. When the installer starts, the entire Windows Live Suite will be selected for installation by default. We only want Mail, so click to deselect the other applications. Click the Install button to continue and you will be prompted to close Internet Explorer if it’s running – click the Continue button to close it automatically. Windows Live Mail, and any other chosen applications, will then download and install.

A Windows Live ID is required in order to use Windows Live Mail’s calendar and contacts synchronisation. Hotmail users can use their existing webmail account details; otherwise, you will need to sign up for a free account – click the Sign up link on the last screen of the Windows Live installer. A web page will then open for you to register for a free Windows Live ID. Create a new Hotmail or Live email address here, or just use an existing email address if you don’t want Microsoft’s free webmail service.

Close the Windows Live ID website and launch Windows Live Mail from the Start menu. Take a minute to confirm that your existing Outlook Express or Windows Mail account and messages have been preserved by the upgrade, then click the Sign in button at the top-right of the Windows Live Mail window. When the dialogue box opens, enter your existing Hotmail account details or the new Windows Live ID you created in Step 3, then click the Sign in button. If you signed up for a new Hotmail account (rather using an existing non-Hotmail address), some additional folders required to use the webmail service in Live Mail will now download.

The Windows Live Mail setup is now complete. At the bottom left of the program window are five links for different views for the application. Click the one for Calendar and the window will change to a month-view calendar, with options for Day, Week and Print along the top of the window. Create additional calendars using the Add calendar link at the middle left of the window – ones for your name, birthdays and public holidays are created by default, but you may want to add one for work, for example (click Add calendar).

Click Contacts at the bottom-left of the Windows Live Mail window to see the contacts list. The Calendar and Contacts on this PC will now be synchronised to the Windows Live online Calendar and Contacts at www.live.com (log in with your Windows Live ID), and with any PC with that has Windows Live Mail installed and configured in the same way. Better still, changes made to Calendar and Contacts on any PC configured in this way (or at the Windows Live website) will be automatically synchronised to the others.