Windows Live Mail stopped working after last Windows 10 update

It works!!! Just did this for the Windows update in April 2021. Thanks you SO much!

When I reinstalled my hotmail account after reinstalling WLM, I didn't use manual setup, and I couldn't   go to the setup step for manual setup without deleting the account and then adding it again using manual setup.  It is now working again.  When it started working again after it downloaded quite a few files which took a long time, I received your last reply.  I really appreciate your help.  I am saving these links in case this happens again.

Sounds like you're on the wrong tab. Did you go to the File tab>Options>Email accounts, then clicked on "Properties"?  If so, that's wrong.

You need to go to the Accountstab> then Properties>then the Servers tab.  There you can set up the IMAP server,

Starting back at Propertieshere's how mine is set up:

CAREFUL! I have a hotmail account (it somehow goes through Outlook), so these details might not be right for you,

General:

Mail Account: Your account name.

Name: First Last

Organization: blank

E-mail address: Your email address

Reply address: blank

Check "Include this account ..."

Servers:

My incoming mail server is a IMAP server.

Incoming mail (IMAP); imap-mail.outlook.com

Outgoing mail (SMTP): smtp.live.com

Email username: ******@something.com

Password: **********

Check Remember password

Bullet Log on using clear text authentication

Check My server requires authentication

Settings> Bullet Use same settings as ...

Security:

Two "Certificate" boxes - left blank.

Algorithm: 3DES

Advanced:

Outgoing mail (SMTP):  587

Check This server requires ... (SSL)

Incoming mail (IMAP):  993

Check This server requires ... (SSL)

Server Timeouts

   1 minute

Unchecked Break apart ...

IMAP:

Root folder path: blank

Check Check for new messages ...

Check Store special folders on IMAP server

Sent items path: Sent

Drafts path: Drafts

Deleted items path: Deleted

Junk path: Junk

Good luck.

Hi Echo Point, 

I followed your instructions all the way down  and recreated all 3 of the Recreat Indexes and made them read "0x00000000 (1)".  I closed every thing that was open and restarted Windows.  I then opened "Windows Live Mail".  It opened with the following message:  

Unable to send or receive messages for the Hotmail account.

Server Error: 404

Server: 'https://mail.services.live.com/DeltaSync_v2.0.0/Sync.aspx'

Windows Live Mail Error ID: 0x80194194  

I checked the Options - Email Accounts and checked Servers on my account and it was listed as an HTTP server:  http://mail.services.live.com/DeltaSync\_v2.0.0/sync.aspx.  I remember when I was able to keep WLM after Microsoft stopped allowing it to be used, I converted the server to be an IMap server and everything worked.  The problem appears to be that I reloaded the software as a possible solution before I used your instructions.  Now I can find no way to go back to the IMap server.  The properties doesn't have a way to change the server type.  I can't remember how I setup the IMap settings before.  I hope you can tell me how to go back to IMap.  

Ransome

Hi this has not worked for me can you help...

My problem with Windows Live Mail after a Windows 10 update was that WLM appeared to work correctly, but I could not get any of my new messages-they wouldn't download.

On July 3, 2020, ClitheroeKid posted a revised reply to DKO777's post of July 3, 2020 regarding this issue.  ClitheroeKid's revised reply worked perfectly and solved the problem.  However, I am not a computer        expert, and have never edited the Registry before.  Therefore, I am submitting this step-by-step expansion of CitheroeKid's advice for others that may be intimidated by the Registry.  This expansion includes a number of the intermediate steps and hopefully will give others the confidence to fix the           problem with Windows Live Mail created by Microsoft and Windows 10 updates.

Note: I first used this fix in September, 2020, and again had to use this fix on my latest (3/26/2021) update of Windows 10. 

My thanks to ClitheroeKid and DKO777.

1. Close Windows Live Mail.  (And any other programs.)  You should be on the Desktop.

2. Click the Search icon (a magnifying glass), next to Start, lower left.

3. At the bottom of the page, in the box that has a magnifying glass and says "Type here to search", type    "run".

4. "Run" should come up as Best Match.  Click on it.

5. The "Run" dialog box appears.  In the box following the word "Open", type in "regedit".  (Your last search may still be in the box; just delete or overtype it.)  Click "OK".

6. A warning appears: "Do you want to allow this app to make changes ...?"  Click Yes.

7. You're now in the Registry Editor, in the Windows Registry.

8. In the Windows Registry, open this key:

   Computer \ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows Live Mail.

(You start at the top and click on each of the above titles (the "keys") just like you go through folders in File Explorer, until you open the "Windows Live Mail" key.)

Explanation:

What happens with Windows update is that the update:

>either changes three DWORD entries' values in the "Windows Live Mail" key [in this case use OPTION A], or

>eliminates three DWORD entries in the "Windows Live Mail" key [in this case use OPTION B].

The three DWORD entries impacted are:

   RecreateFolderIndex

   RecreateStreamIndex

   RecreateUIDLIndex

OPTION A - The three above DWORD entries still exist in the registry, and their values are (0).

Following Step 8, you are now in the "Windows Live Mail" key.

9A. In the right window, under the column heading "Name", scroll down and select "RecreateFolderIndex".

10A. Right-click on "RecreateFolderIndex" and select "Modify".

11A. A dialog box titled "Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value" appears.  In the "Value data" box, change the 0 to 1.  Click OK.

12A. Repeat the above steps 9A, 10A, and 11A for the remaining two DWORD entries impacted:

       RecreateStreamIndex

       RecreateUIDLIndex

Now go to step 13 (which is after OPTION B)

OPTION B - The three above DWORD entries no longer exist in the registry.

Following Step 8, you are now in the "Windows Live Mail" key.

9B. Create these three DWORD entries in the "Windows Live Mail" key and give each the value of "1":

   RecreateFolderIndex

   RecreateStreamIndex

   RecreateUIDLIndex

The next three steps explain how to create the above three DWORD entries:

10B. Once you're in the Windows Live Mail key, go to the menu at the top and click on "Edit", slide down   to "New", slide over and down on the submenu and select "DWORD (32 bit) value".

11B. A box will appear with the words "New Value #1" highlighted in blue, at the bottom of Col. 1, [Name].  Overtype "New Value #1" with "RecreateFolderIndex".  This finishes the first step of the entry.

Go to Col. 2, [Type].  What is there should be "REG_DWORD".  Leave it as is.  This finishes the second step  of the entry.

Go to Col. 3, [Data].  What is there should be "0x00000000 (0)".  Change the (0) to (1).  This Col. 3, [Data],   should now read "0x00000000 (1)".  This finishes the third step of the entry.

12B. Repeat the above steps 9B, 10B, and 11B for the remaining two DWORD entries impacted:

   RecreateStreamIndex

   RecreateUIDLIndex

Make CERTAIN that you create DWORD entries. There are several other types: this solution FAILS if you      create the wrong type.

Now go on to step 13.

After completing either OPTION A or OTION B, continue with Step 13:

13. Close the Registry Editor window.

14. Restart your computer. This step is ESSENTIAL. Windows will only re-load the registry when Windows itself starts.

15. Start Windows Live Mail.

Then the message display should be back to normal, and those 3 values in the registry should have reset   themselves to 0 (and can be left like that).

Step 14 is essential.

If the foregoing does not fix the problem, you have made a mistake:

1. You have created the wrong type of entry in step 10 (you should have created DWORD entries); or

2. You have failed to restart the computer (restarting Windows Live Mail alone is not enough).

Good luck.