Newsletter Archives

  • How to safely migrate to a Microsoft 365 mailbox

    MICROSOFT 365

    Peter Deegan

    By Peter Deegan

    There’s an official way to migrate mailboxes to Microsoft 365 mailboxes (including Outlook.com) — but there’s a better, more prudent method I’ll explain in this article.

    Most of Microsoft’s advice is for medium and large organizations, but there’s a more direct option for smaller orgs, families, or individuals — and it also leaves you with an offline backup.

    I’ll focus on moving a free Gmail account to Outlook.com. You can use a very similar process to move small numbers of paid Google Workspace accounts to Microsoft 365 Business, or to migrate any mailbox, such as ISP-based email.

    Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.45.0, 2022-11-07).

  • How to use your Gmail account for more than just Gmail

    newsletter banner

    ISSUE 19.42 • 2022-10-17

    SOFTWARE

    Lance Whitney

    By Lance Whitney

    With the Gmail website or app, you can add access to non-Gmail accounts.

    Those of you who have a Gmail account likely use the Gmail website or app to view and work with your Google email. But both the site and the app are more versatile than you may think. With either one, you’re able to add a non-Gmail account, such as one for Outlook or Yahoo. Here’s how this plays out.

    Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.42.0, 2022-10-17).
    This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  • I have Outlook and can no longer connect to Gmail

    If you are seeing this you aren’t alone. Gmail made a security change and clearly didn’t communicate well about it.

    I’m reposting a solution posted by Roger in the forums on the main page so that others can see it: It should work on other versions of Outlook as well.

    Topic: How to use MS Outlook 2003 to access a Gmail account with 2-Step Verification @ AskWoody

    How to use MS Outlook 2003 to access a Gmail account with 2-Step Verification

    For many years, my wife and I have used MS Outlook 2003 to access our Gmail accounts. Because MS Outlook 2003 has some security issues, Google has for years required the “Access to less secure apps” option to be turned on in order to use Outlook 2003 with a Gmail account. However, Google has announced that this option will be removed at the end of May, 2022. At that time, Google says it will require 2-Step Verification (Two factor Authorization) on all Gmail accounts.

    However, Outlook 2003 doesn’t work with 2-Step Verification (later versions of Outlook do, I think). Therefore, it is necessary to use an “App Password” generated by Google instead of the usual Outlook password. After a day and a half of effort, I have learned how to do that. I summarize below what worked for me because I have not seen it documented elsewhere.

    First, turn “2-Step Verification” on in your gmail account and make sure it works. For me, this required at least two automated phone calls from Google to verify my identity. After that, I could access my gmail account with the gmail app with no problems.

    Then select the “Security” tab on your Google Account, then look for “Signing in to Google”, and select “App Passwords”. Google asks for type of computer (Windows PC for me) and program (“Outlook” is NOT an option and “Mail” does not work; instead Select “Other” and then type “Outlook”) Google then creates and displays a 16 character alphabetic password. Write down this password.

    Return to Outlook 2003, and try to access your gmail account. I got a pop up screen asking for my password, then entered the 16 character Google “App” password, and everything worked !! I had to save the Google Password within Outlook, and enter it “blindly” since Outlook 2003 does not have an option to display the password as it is entered. I had to enter this password a couple of times because I forgot to save it. But now, I can send/receive emails to/from my gmail account, and also use the Outlook 2003 “Test Account Settings” option with no problems.
    We continue to use Outlook 2003 because it works and is sufficient for our needs, but is obviously a very old program.


    Susan note on 6/10:  While I’d LOVE for you to get on a supported platform I’m also a bit of a realist. Also I know that many times you need to get into your email asap and then you’ll deal with upgrading later.  Note that you may see this on other platforms as well as your newer versions of email may have been set up with older auth technology.

    I’ve also found that some email (uh like my vintage pacbell.net account that has no ability to set an app password) can’t be used on Outlook but can be used on Windows 10 mail app.  You may have to move to another email app to get a comfortable email flow again. Don’t get stuck on Outlook forever. Try such mail platforms as em.

  • No Chrome? Easily add full-function Gmail to Edge!

    LANGALIST

    Fred Langa

    By Fred Langa

    Setup takes all of about 60 seconds, and there’s absolutely zero old-school POP or IMAP mail-server arcana to figure out.

    With literally a couple of clicks, you can add a permanent, utterly standard Gmail instance to Edge — or just about any other browser!

    Plus: Why some restarts during an update are OK, but others are destructive; and we note a milestone as the IBM PC turns 40!

    Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.31.0 (2021-08-16).

  • Gmail – it’s not you, it’s them

    2020 is not a good year for technology…

    Gmail is not having a good day.

  • Which is better, Outlook or G Suite?

    Preston Gralla has a detailed comparison of Outlook and Gmail-Calendar-Contacts in Computerworld.

    He digs into many nooks and crannies and comes to the conclusion:

    If simplicity is your goal, choose Gmail. If, on the other hand, you and your team need every bell and whistle possible, you’ll want Outlook.

    Which certainly matches my expectations.

    I used Outlook from the very beginning – wrote books about Outlook 97, 98, 2000, 2003, 2007 – and finally gave up on using the big O during the days of Outlook 2007. I moved to Gmail, Google Calendar and Contacts around then, and haven’t looked back. I’m a simple kind of guy, of course.

    Have you used both? (I mean, really used them?) What do you think?

  • Google says it may start scanning Gmail again

    It’s a disturbing development.

    In late June, Google announced that it would stop scanning free Gmail, in order to serve up ads. That follows earlier commitments to not scan Gmail for ads, for both the Educational version of Gmail and the paid GSuite.

    David Kravets at Ars Technica has uncovered a footnote in a class action settlement that says Google has reserved the right to start scanning free Gmail again. The settlement received preliminary approval on Thursday.

    The wording of the footnote has a tone that should ring familiar to most of you:

    Google believes, however, that the architecture and technical requirements for providing email services on a large scale evolve and change dynamically and that a longer commitment may hinder Google’s ability to improve and change its architecture and technology to meet changing demands.”

    It sure sounds to me like the “Let Microsoft provide more tailored experiences with relevant tips and recommendations by using your diagnostic data” setting in Win10 1703.

    I talked about that setting in my article about setting up Win10 Creators Update. It’s yet another step toward blurring the lines between telemetry and snooping. And now Google’s playing the same song and dance.

  • Google will no longer scan Gmail to serve up personalized ads

    It’s a remarkable development. Martin Binkmann at gHacks reports that Google’s giving up on its email scanning.

    Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if EU privacy concerns prompted the move. Whatever the impetus, the result is important. Google stopped scanning email in paid accounts and educational accounts years ago. This is another step in the right direction.

    Far as I know, Microsoft still scans the subject line in free Hotmail/Outlook.com mail accounts.

  • Wonder why I don’t use Microsoft Mail and the Outlook email service?

    Last time I checked my watch, it was 2017. Last time I looked at my test machine, tied to a very old @outlook.com account, here’s what I saw:

    Could somebody tell me how, in this day and age, a spam message like that could make it all the way to an @outlook.com address, break through, and get displayed in Windows 10 Creators Update’s Mail application?

    Sorry, folks. I’ll take Gmail any day of the week.

  • Going Google (apps)

    I’ve started a series of articles in Windows Secrets Newsletter about moving simple, everyday documents onto the web – where you can get to them with your PC, Mac, phone or tablet, no sweat.

    The trick is to use Google Docs (formerly known as Google Apps). It’s free, and for straightforward stuff, it’s absolutely breathtaking. I’m converting my wife’s bakery business over to Google. All of a sudden, employees don’t have to log on with their PCs to update daily reports or receive email. They can do everything on their tablets, or even their phones, for heaven’s sake. And it’s EASY to set up, easy to use.

    Part 1 covers moving your email over to Gmail. Yes, you can switch to Gmail and get all sorts of online access (including iPad and iPhone apps; I run my mail on my Android Galaxy Note II, which I’m really starting to like a lot). And you can do it without changing your email address – no changes at all.

    Follow the series, as it unfolds, at Windows Secrets Newsletter.

  • Lots of changes coming from Google

    If you haven’t looked at Gmail or Google+ yet, you should, especially if you’re thinking about switching to Google Apps.

    InfoWorld Tech Watch. [Link fixed. Sorry ’bout that!]

    (I’m back from vacation. Could you tell?)

  • Google vs Microsoft: Lessons on a Cloud #Fail

    It’s interesting to look at how Google and Microsoft both handled recent failures in the cloud.

    See my InfoWorld Tech Watch blog.