Change Incoming and Outgoing servers in Windows Live Mail

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Follow these steps to point Windows Live Mail at your new mail server, for an IMAP or POP3 mailbox. You'll update the incoming server (how you receive mail) and the outgoing (SMTP) server (how you send it). Windows Live Mail lets you change these on the existing account, so none of your mail is removed in the process.

Settings you'll need

Use these with the mailbox address and password you were given. Wherever you see mail.example.com, use the exact server name we provided.

Purpose Protocol Port Encryption
Receiving (recommended) IMAP 993 SSL/TLS
Receiving (POP3) POP3 995 SSL/TLS
Sending (recommended) SMTP 465 SSL/TLS
Sending (alternate) SMTP 587 STARTTLS

Your username is your full email address. Sending (SMTP) must have authentication enabled, using the same username and password as receiving.

About encryption in Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Mail doesn't offer an "SSL/TLS vs STARTTLS" choice — each server just has a single This server requires a secure connection (SSL) checkbox. Tick it, and the port number decides the rest: 465 uses SSL/TLS, and on 587 it negotiates STARTTLS.

Incoming server — receiving mail

  1. In the left folder pane, select your account.
  2. Open the Accounts tab on the ribbon and click Properties (or right-click the account and choose Properties).
  3. On the Servers tab, set the Incoming mail (IMAP or POP3) server to mail.example.com.
    • Replace mail.example.com with your own domain — the exact server name we provided.
  4. Confirm the Email username is your full email address.
  5. Click the Advanced tab.
  6. Set the Incoming server port to 993 for IMAP (or 995 for POP3).
  7. Tick This server requires a secure connection (SSL) for the incoming server. (Ticking SSL can auto-change the port — confirm it's still 993 or 995.)

Outgoing server (SMTP) — sending mail

  1. In the same Properties dialog, on the Servers tab, set the Outgoing mail (SMTP) server to mail.example.com.
    • Replace mail.example.com with your own domain — the exact server name we provided.
  2. Still under Outgoing Mail Server, tick My server requires authentication, click Settings, choose Use same settings as my incoming mail server, and click OK.
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. Set the Outgoing server (SMTP) port to 465. (If sending is blocked on your network, use 587 with STARTTLS instead.)
  5. Tick This server requires a secure connection (SSL) for the outgoing server. (On 465 this is SSL/TLS; on 587 Windows Live Mail uses STARTTLS.)
  6. Click OK to save.

If it isn't working

  • Mail arrives but won't send: on the Advanced tab confirm the outgoing port is 465 with SSL ticked (or 587), and that My server requires authentication is ticked on the Servers tab.
  • Password keeps prompting: confirm the Email username is your full email address and re-enter the mailbox password (the one you use for webmail).
  • Can't connect: make sure each server has its secure connection (SSL) box ticked with the matching port (993/995 in, 465 out) and the server name has no typos.

Still stuck? Reply to this article or open a ticket with a screenshot of the error and we'll sort it out.

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