How do I configure AOL email in Outlook Express using POP3?

A free AOL email account can be accessed with POP and IMAP. Though both these email protocols let you download messages to a computer, POP (or POP3) provides the added benefit of leaving a copy of the email on the server. For some this would be exactly what the doctor ordered because AOL now offers unlimited storage space which means they never have to delete any email!

Note for the technologically challenged: It’s fairly easy to configure an AOL email in Outlook Express using POP3… do not be intimated by all the geeky jargon. The entire process is explained below in detail and screenshots of each step are provided.

Configuring an AOL email account in Outlook Express

The only things required to configure your AOL email account in Outlook Express are the login information and the AOL POP3 settings. Follow the step by step instructions below and refer the screenshots when in doubt.

1. Open the Outlook Express program and select “Accounts” from “Tools” [Slide1].
2. You’ll come to the “Internet Accounts” window that lists all the accounts configured in the Outlook Express program [Slide 2].
3. Click the “Add” button and choose “Mail” [Slide 3].
4. Provide your name in the “Display name” field and move to the next screen [Slide 4].
5. Now enter your full AOL email address… including the aol.com part [Slide 5].
6. Making sure POP3 is selected option for “My incoming mail server is a“, type in the AOL POP3 settings [Slide 6].
   Incoming mail server: pop.aol.com
   Outgoing mail server: smtp.aol.com
7. Put the AOL email login ID in the “Account name” field and the password in the next [Slide 7].
8. You’ve provided all that was required! Click the “Finish” button in the next screen [Slide 8].
9. You’ll find the newly added AOL email listed with others in the Internet Accounts window [Slide 9].
10. Select the this account and click the “Properties” button which should bring up another window [Slide 10]. We’ll start configuring the different settings for the AOL email account.
11. Though optional, it’s nice to have a more descriptive name for the AOL account so that it can easily be identified. Similarly, the name of your organization and a “Reply to” address are not required but good to have [Slide 11].
12. Move to the “Servers” tab and put a check mark in front of “My server requires authentication” [Slide 12].
13. Under the “Advanced” tab, put 587 as the Outgoing SMTP port and check “This server requires a secure connection (SSL)” option [Slide 13]. You may also select the “Leave a copy of message on server” feature. Click “Apply” -> “OK“.
14. Close the Internet Accounts pop-up [Slide 14].
15. Finally, click “Tools” -> “Send/Receive” to download AOL email messages to your computer [Slide 15].

Though it’s easy to configure an AOL email in Outlook Express using POP, you should also look at the IMAP option (which is simpler). It lets you synchronize the online email account with any computers / devices that access it. So if you want everything organized, check out how to set up AOL email in Outlook Express with IMAP.