Email Setup for Outlook 2003

Let's be clear from the outset we strongly advise you to upgrade your email software from Outlook 2003. It was a  bag of spanners when it was released and it has not improved any over the years. It is full of security holes as well as many nasty design glitches.

Instead we recommend you use the excellent open-source Thunderbird email software. Then follow our mail setup instructions here.

If you are forced to use it then once it is running, do the following:

  1. Click Options > Email Accounts
  2. New account
  3. Enter the details you were provided with:
    User name: your email address
    Incoming server address: mail.< your domain name >
    For example, a user with email address john@smith.com would have server address mail.smith.com
  4. Do not tick the box 'Log on using SPA'
  5. Click More Settings > Advanced
  6. Tick incoming server, Port 993
  7. When you connect for the first time, a 'Internet Security Warning' dialogue box appears. Sometimes it appears underneath the main Outlook 2003 window (nice, eh?) so watch the windows Taskbar for it. It will ask 'Do you want to continue using this server' - it is fine to do so.