Change Windows Mail general settings

You can use the General tab in the Windows Mail Options dialog box to change settings related to checking for new messages, receiving notifications for new messages, and choosing whether Windows Mail is used as your default mail program. To access the General tab:

1.     Open Windows Mail.

2.     Click the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab.

Automatically check for messages

To automatically check for new e‑mail and send pending messages each time you start Windows Mail, select the Send and receive messages at startup check box.

To automatically check for new messages at a specified time interval, select the Check for new messages every X minute(s) check box, and then enter the amount of time you want Windows to wait before it checks for messages again.

Change whether Windows Mail is the default messaging program

To make Windows Mail the default program for sending and receiving e‑mail messages, click Make Default next to This application is NOT the default Mail handler.

To make Windows Mail the default program for reading and sending newsgroup messages, click Make Default next to This application is NOT the default News handler.

Notes

• The Make Default options do not work properly In Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. To configure Windows Mail as the default e‑mail client, see Make Windows Mail the default e-mail program. To configure Windows Mail as the default news client, see Make Windows Mail the default news program.

Enable newsgroup features

Select the Notify me if there are any new newsgroups check box if you want Windows Mail to alert you to new newsgroups when you connect to a news server.

Select the Use newsgroup Communities support features check box to view and leave feedback about the usefulness of newsgroup messages.

See also

• Check for new e‑mail