Support Start > Email > Setting Up An Email Program > Microsoft Outlook > Microsoft Outlook Express > Leaving Mail on the Server with Outlook Express

With Microsoft Outlook Express, it's possible to leave a copy of each message on the mail server after you read it.

You'll want to do this if you read email in Outlook Express and another program (or our Webmail system). If you don't do this, Outlook Express will delete the message copy from our servers as soon as it connects, and the other program (or Webmail) won't be able to see the messages later.

You can also do this if you want your old incoming mail to be permanently stored in our backup system (see "E-mail backups" on our backup policy page for more details).

This page explains how to set up Outlook Express to leave a copy of each message on the server. It assumes that you have already followed the basic instructions to set up Outlook Express.

Changing the Outlook Express settings

To leave messages on the server, you will:

• Open the Advanced settings window for your mail account
• Check the "Leave a copy of messages on the server" checkbox

1. Start the Outlook Express program from your Start menu.

When Outlook Express opens, click Tools, then Accounts from the menu bar.

2. The "Internet Accounts" window appears.

Highlight the email account you wish to change and click Properties.

3. The "Properties" window appears.

Click the Advanced tab, then check the Leave a copy of messages on server checkbox.

To make sure copies of every message don't stay on the server forever (which can slow down your mail connections and use up your disk space allowance), we also recommend checking the box marked "Remove from server after X days". Choose a number of days that's long enough that you'll be able to read the messages in your other mail program (or Webmail).

Alternately, if you want to have our servers keep a copy of every message that you keep (don't delete) in Outlook Express — that is, to act as a backup system for the mail on your computer — you could check the "Remove from server when deleted from 'Deleted Items'" box instead of the "Remove from server after X days" box.

4. Close the setup windows.

Click OK to close the Properties window, then click Close to close the Internet Accounts window.

Outlook Express setup is complete

You're finished! From now on, any mail that arrives should stay on the server, and you should be able to see it in your other mail program or Webmail. (If you're using another mail program, you'll probably want to setup that program to leave a copy of your messages on the server, too.)