Don't know what I did wrong but Big problems with sending/receiving mail. I have XP and Server is Cox Cable. Server says they have nothing to do with mail and to call Outlook Express. They were no help at all. Windows keep asking for my user ID and password, which I have no idea where to find as it was very long ago I opened account so forgot. Also says they need digital ID which is missing. So were do I get that? I even tried to open a NEW account but no luck. Frustrated and no where to turn. Any help please? Thanks.

Don't get frustrated, your problems are just beginning. These are normal start-up problems, so please be patient with yourself.

Normally, Cox will get you set up on their site with a user name and password.

For example [email protected]. Do you have that id from Cox yet?

Next, you have to tell Outlook where to go to get your e-mail. You do this by starting Outlook Express and selecting the "Tools" drop down menu. Select "Account Settings"

A new box will pop-up you should see your current account listed. Here you select the "New" from the boxes toolbar.

You want to select go to the botom left of the panel and check the "Manual configuration box" select "Next"

When the new screen comes up, type in the name you want displayed for this account, for example Mary Cox Mail.

Next at the location requests the new e-mail address: "[email protected]"

Then you have to enter your password and then retype your password. This is why you must have the account set up on Cox before you configure Outlook Express. Cox will give you a temporary password that you can change to your permanent password.

Here is the tricky screen, You need to get the incoming and outgoing server names from Cox.

Since I am on the East Coast of the US, my server names are

Incoming Mail Server pop.east.cox.net

The outgoing server is an "SMTP" (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol server)

smtp.east.cox.net

There is another check-box that tells you to include the account when checking e-mail. I just don't remember where it is at the moment

Now the real heart ache begins:

You need to notify all of the people in your address book of the new e-mail address.

You also need to go into all of your on-line accounts, for example barnesandnoble.com and change your e-mail address.

Next, consider security. Cox provides free of charge a McAfee security suite for up to 5 computers. To get this suite, you must use the primary id and password to log onto Cox.net.

Then you go to the Internet menu security and download the application.

Before you do that, you must end all security protocols you are running. Then using the Control Panel > Add Remove Programs, remove all of the security applications.

Once that is finished, you can then download the security application and install it. Of course if you already have an app. That you want to keep, then you do not need to install Cox's security package.

Let me know if you need some more help.