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Set up or recover Hotmail, Gmail, or AOL (POP or IMAP) email in Outlook for Mac 2011

Article ID: 2352963 - View products that this article applies to.

SUMMARY

This article describes how to configure Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2011 with POP or IMAP email accounts. POP or IMAP email accounts include accounts from Internet service providers and from email services, such as AOL, Gmail, MobileMe, Windows Live Hotmail, and Yahoo.

You can also use the following steps to recover your account if you accidentally delete it in Outlook.

Important: Because there are many Internet service providers (ISPs), Outlook may not configure your settings automatically. In these cases, you have to manually enter the setting information that you obtain from your ISP.

In some instances, you may have to manually enter your receiving and sending server names and ports. The information about receiving and sending servers is provided by your ISP. Most ISPs have support webpages that provide steps to configure Outlook for Mac with the email client. The following information can help you get started. If you still cannot connect, contact your ISP to confirm your receiving and sending server names and the port numbers, or search the Internet

(http://www.bing.com/search?q=outlook+mac+account&form=QBLH&qs=n&sk=)

to find the setting information.

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MORE INFORMATION

You can use Outlook for Mac 2011 to send and to receive messages from a web-based email account without a direct connection to the provider's website. Messages that are from a web-based application account remain on the mail server.

The steps in this section apply if you already have an existing web-based account.

Step 1: Verify your user name and your password

Before you begin, make sure that you have the correct user name and password. First, sign in to your web-based account to make sure that you have all the information. If you do not enter the correct user name and password, you will receive an error message when you try to send or receive email.

Outlook 2011 will automatically enter the incoming and outgoing server names and ports. If you cannot receive or send email, check these settings with your web-based email provider or Internet service provider.

If you have the correct user name and password, go to step 2.

Step 2: Set up Outlook 2011 with your web-based account

Follow these steps to set up your web-based email account:

On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
If this is the first time your setting up an account, click E-mail Account.
Note You may not see this option if you already have an account created in Outlook 2011. Instead, you will see the Default account information. To create an email account in this scenario, click the + symbol and select E-mail...

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The Enter your account information dialog box will appear. In the E-mail address box, type your web-based email address. For example, type username@hotmail.com.

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Click Add Account.
Click the More Options button.
In the Authentication drop down box, select Use Incoming Server Info, and then click OK.
In the Accounts window, verify the information, and then close the window. See screenshots below for comparison.

Hotmail or MSN:

Note: For MSN accounts, your email address and user name will end with @msn.com.

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Gmail:

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AOL

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Yahoo

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Create Additional accounts

To create additional accounts, click the plus (+) sign in the lower-left corner of the window. Then, click Email, and enter the appropriate information into the fields on the screen.

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