Mar
11
11
I have a Dell computer with pre-loaded XP Pro and the Internet Options in tools does not list Yahoo for email?
While I am able to use Yahoo mail and have set this as my home page, I am still frustrated that in many web sites that have an “email this” option to send the displayed info to a friend it defaults to Outlook express which I don’t want to use. In the tools section under the Internet Options Programs page they offer choices for “email” but do not list Yahoo - how can I get this changed so that I can use the “email this” feature offered so liberally on the net?
Yahoo mail is, in its free version, a “webmail”, that is you access it through a web browser. On the contrary, the “email this” feature needs a _locally installed mail program_, such as Outlook (if you like risk) or Thunderbird (if you are smarter).
These program send and receive mail using dedicated protocols (called SMTP or POP3) and exchange data with the mail server according to these protocol, while the Yahoo webmail displays mail as web pages and forms.
If you want to use Yahoo through a locally installed program (and hence use it with the “email this” feature), the normal way is to register to the yahoo paying service, which offers POP3 and SMTP servers. Look in Yahoo mail for the “Mail upgrade” link.
The second way, without paying, is to use a special program that will act as a gateway between the mail program (Thunderbird or Outlook) and the Yahoo webmail. Such gateway simulates the web browser to access Yahoo page, create a new mail with your data and send it. The problem of such approach is that Yahoo regularly changes the mail site, and the gateway must be adapted to the new site layout: in other words, it will work for a while, then it will stop working when yahoo changes the site, till the gateway developper upgrades it. If he upgrades it… You can try to find this but IMHO it is not worth trying…
The third way, without paying, since what you want is ONLY to send mail with your Yahoo mail ID, is to create a Outlook or Thunderbird mail account having this yahoo mail ID as sender:
- launch the mail program (Thunderbird or Outlook)
- create a new mail account
- you will have to give the mail address: put the Yahoo mail address
- you will have to give a POP server: you will not use the account to retrive mail from Yahoo since you don’t pay, so just give your provider’s pop server.
- you MUST give the SMTP server (to send mail): use YOUR PROVIDER’s SMTP (or “outgoing”) server. Check the information given by your provider (outgoing mail server, maybe user/password needed…)
Finally set this account as the mail program’s default account, and set the mail program in the Internet Option Page. That’s all.