First, Outlook Express (OE) is mostly an email handler and a light contact list. It cannot handle, nor was it ever designed to handle, calendaring, reminders, notes, journals and a whole bunch more that Outlook offers in feature/functionality of contact management. (If you want to compare the two of these, check out the Microsoft Office comparison page of Outlook vs. Outlook Express. Find it at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA011169051033.aspx

In OUTLOOK EXPRESS:

Check Outlook Express to see how many email accounts you have. Run Outlook Express. (The filename is msimn.exe in Program Files if you don't find it on your desktop).

--From the menu, click on File, Work Offline. This will (until you turn it on again) disable receiving of email in Outlook Express.

--Click on Tools, Accounts, Mail Tab. and count.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you have the password for each converting account BEFORE you progress to the next Outlook steps. Call you email hoster if you are unsure or have forgotten it. Passwords in Outlook will exactly match any email logons you may have with any webmail service you are currently running. Passwords ARE case-sensitive.

--Close Outlook Express.

IN OUTLOOK:

Run Outlook, click on File, Import/Export from the menu. Then, at the Import/Export Wizard, notice that there are 2 pertainent choices:

1. Import Internet Mail Account Settings (do this first) This allows you to automatically convert your email Accounts over to Outlook. For example, testemail@softwaremagician.com is one account. Click on this heading and click Next.

---In the Select Internet Mail client wizard box select Microsoft Outlook Express and click Next You will see one or more of your accounts matching those in OE.

---Select one and click Next

---You will enter a short wizard giving you the configuration of this account from OE. Change or accept the options (carefully). Notice that the Password is required for each one.

---Click Next through Finish. The dialog for one email account conversion is complete

---Test your work. Send yourself an email from within Outlook (by using Ctrl-Shift-M) using this email. Click send/receive until you get the email. If you don't get it, check the settings (you may have to call your email hoster, and they will assist you in setting these up). And they all have convenient FAQ's to help you

---To get to the Account Settings use Tools, Email Accounts, View and click Next. Then double-click on the email account and click on Test Account Settings. You should get check marks for all if the account was converted correctly.

---Now you get to perform all these steps again beginning with File, Import/Export above for EACH email Account. (I know, I know, Outlook should have made it easier, but they didn't, so this is what you have to do)

2. Import Internet Mail and Addresses Use this to first import first your email, then your Addresses. The option (checkbox) to import yourAddresses means these will be converted into Outlook Address book (and automatically create Contacts). Click on this heading and click Next.

---Click to highlight Outlook Express 4.x, 5.x, 6.x. Also check Import Mail, Import Address Book. Click Next

---On the next screen I advise Allow duplicates to be created. You can always isolate them with the creation date if you are already using Outlook and have possible duplicates in your existing contacts.

---Click Finish and then OK.

If you get the Internet Network Password dialog box check/try one or more of the following: The server may not be correct (Did you add or update new services? Are you attempting to 'relay' through another intermediate web service?) Try changing the smtp to your Internet Service Provider, NOT your website 2) The password may be incorrect (did you check it first?--Close Outlook, wait a moment, Restart. Try Test Accout Settings again.

--Fully qualify the User Name (e.g. change testemail to testemail@softwaremagician.com). 5) Restart the PC

Final notes. Because you chose Work Offline in Outlook Express, you won't be receiving email there even if you run Outlook Express. BUT if the email account is working correctly in both and the Work Offline is NOT checked, you can literally receive email into both OE AND Outlook (your email alternates for each account).

Thus, YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO OPEN OUTLOOK EXPRESS AGAIN. You may even consider removing the icon altogether from the Desktop (don't delete Outlook Express as you may need it sometime for diagnostics).

Once you have converted to Outlook, you'll want to know how to exercise all of it's amazing features. Get started now and unlock the incredible power of Outlook to achieve enormous results.