Windows Live Mail is part of a Microsoft suite of products called Windows Essentials which also includes Messenger, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer and OneDrive.  There has not been a new version since 2012 and there won't be any more updates of the suite.  

In fact, support for Windows Essentials ends on January 10, 2017.  That's not far away at all!

If you are currently using Windows Live Mail or any of the other software programs in the suite, you need to start looking for a replacement.  Only OneDrive will survive after January 10th and that's because it's built into Windows 10 and also available as a separate download. If you already use OneDrive, you won't have to do anything!

Here is information about replacement programs:

Messenger is replaced by Skype. (Since Microsoft purchased Skype, this is a natural replacement.) Of course, there are other messenger programs such as Facebook's Messenger (but anyone you chat with has to have a Facebook account).

Photo Gallery is replaced in Windows 10 by Photos but it doesn't have all the functions of the older program. Hopefully, Microsoft will add the missing functions in the near future. A nice non-Microsoft, free replacement is Irfanview.

Windows Live Mail has been replaced in Windows 10 by Mail, People and Calendar but the functionality is just not the same. Alternatives include Thunderbird (Mozilla) and one of our favorites eM.

Live Writer is replaced by an open source, free program called Open Live Writer.

Movie Maker currently has no Microsoft replacement but the rumors are Microsoft will be making this app available from the Windows Store prior to the end of Essentials support. A free alternative until Movie Maker is available again would be EZVid.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

 

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