Why is Windows Live Mail still working?
QI’ve been happily using Windows Live Mail (WLM, see screenshot right) on my Windows 7 PC for years, so I was disappointed last year when I read that it was being withdrawn. Inertia got the better of me and I didn’t do anything about it, but we’re now halfway through 2017 and I’m still happily using WLM. In your 500th issue you recommended a different email program to one you recommended last year. Why is this? And can you explain what will happen to WLM and when? Dick Blakemore
ATechnology changes constantly, and our advice has to keep up with new developments. Programs we recommended last year or even last month may have been updated in ways that make them less desirable, or superior alternatives may appear. A new program recommendation doesn’t necessarily mean an older suggestion is no longer any good, though – recommendations can coexist.
As for your copy of WLM, it will work indefinitely – even if you update to Windows 10. However, Microsoft officially ended support for it in January this year (see bottom screenshot), so it’s unlikely to be updated ever again. This means it will become increasingly unsafe. If new security holes are discovered, Microsoft is unlikely to fix them (although it has been known to make exceptions for programs that are still popular).
WLM will also become increasingly incompatible with current email systems, such as Microsoft’s Outlook. com webmail service (formerly Hotmail) as companies upgrade their systems and introduce new features.