If you are using Outlook.com as your email service you may have received a notification email with the title Action required for users of Windows Live Mail 2012 which, among other things, states that:

"Windows Live Mail 2012 does not support the synchronization technologies used by the new Outlook.com. When account upgrades begin at the end of June, you will no longer be able to receive email sent to your Outlook.com account in Windows Live Mail 2012. Please take action before June 30th, 2016, which is when we'll begin upgrading accounts that currently use Windows Live Mail 2012."

Behind the scenes (and not mentioned in the email itself), Windows Live Mail 2012 uses DeltaSync protocol, the proprietary Microsoft communications protocol to connect to Outlook.com and this means that some portion of WLM 2012 will stop working after the server upgrade.

However, this does not affect standard communications protocols such as POP3, IMAP and SMTP and therefore, this change does not affect OE Classic at all.

OE Classic will continue to work with Outlook.com because it uses standardized protocols which are not affected by this change to Outlook.com. So you don't have to worry about any of this, you will be able to continue receiving and sending emails in OE Classic just like you used to do so far. Also, this change does not affect any other email service such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, GMX or any other.

Of course in case of any change which will make it incompatible, we will modify OE Classic accordingly as we keep track of all such changes (including security protocols and vulnerabilities). But for the moment, the changes in OE Classic communication protocols are not needed and they will continue to work beyond the above mentioned date.

And just as a short update - the work on Message Rules is getting in the final stage and it will be one of the best and most flexible mail filtering systems available we have seen in any software so far (and light years ahead of the original Outlook Express extremely limited Message Rules system). Regardless of the power it will offer, it will have very easy to use user interface so it will be understandable to many users. More on all this very soon!

It is always a good thing when bugs are fixed but it is exceptionally good when obscure bugs are found. Version 2.42 fixes one such bug and also improves program speed, therefore, upgrade is highly recommended! Full list of changes follows:

New features

• Navigating to URL preview window is removed (URL is shown in status bar when mouse pointer is over the link)
• When replying or forwarding, From drop-down is now set to the same account which originally received the message
• Huge speed increase in URL detection in plain-text messages (over 10000% faster in some cases)
• Easier upgrade on a system where current user is not of administrator type
• Copy/Move window now remembers last used folder and window size
• Added popup menu for To/Cc/Bcc boxes in message editor
• Added Sort Ascending/Sort Descending to the message/contact list header popup menu
• Improved detection of external links (frames/iframes)
• Added sorting of Find/Search results
• Secondary sorting by Received column when sorted by any other column
• Program icon improved so it is no longer stretched for some icon sizes
• Added timestamp at the beginning of POP3 and SMTP connection log

Bug fixes

• Some test messages previously failed to open due to slow URL detection method
• After opening some messages, program could not be closed (and CPU was under full load)
• When re-opening a draft, From drop-down did not keep the account originally used and reverted back to default
• When shutting down the system with the program opened, the settings weren't saved
• Arrows up-down not working for scrolling message in Windows 10 is fixed with the latest Windows 10 updates (it was not an issue with OE Classic but with Internet Explorer)

This version utilizes fixes one smaller bug. If you haven't yet read release notes for the version 2.4 - please read them!

Bug fixes

• Fixed rare upgrade issues caused by created but unused identities

This version utilizes new file format which is different from version 2.32 and earlier - the new format makes room for new features (e.g. better sorting and searching, and soon, message rules and a few other unimplemented features). We try to keep the file format updates as rare as possible. The automatic upgrade program has been tested a lot and should be working well. Therefore, the users of version 2.32 should be able to easily upgrade to this version.

As for the users which are using version older than 2.32 - the program no longer supports upgrade from older versions. This has been done to make the update code simpler. However, you can still upgrade from version 2.31 and earlier using the OE Classic 2.32 database upgrade program.

After you upgrade from earlier version into the 2.32 format, you can then install and upgrade to the latest version. Future versions will only support one or two versions back and for those who don't upgrade for too long - they will have to upgrade using these intermediate upgrade programs which will be published occasionally - so it is much easier if you upgrade right away when an update is available. Note that users will have more than enough time to upgrade - version 2.32 has been available for almost a whole year.

Store folder backups made for older versions will be incompatible with this version so please make a new backup as soon as you upgrade the program to the current version.

New features

• Added export of address book into CSV format, also supports exporting each address book folder as a separate CSV file
• Added default email selection in address book - determines which email is used (personal, work or other)
• Compact All is much faster as it evaluates if folder needs compacting or if it can be skipped
• Signature support for multi-format emails (plain text and HTML), signatures from file and separators
• Updated application manifest for improved Windows 10 compatibility
• Reply and Forward message templates, fully user-customizable, with a few predefined templates to choose from
• Icon set has been improved (especially the small icons which are now much sharper)
• Clicking To/Cc/Bcc buttons in the message editor also sets the appropriate To/Cc/Bcc recipient box as default in the contact selection window (for example for double-clicking contacts)
• Trimming spaces from address book email fields to make error reports less frequent
• Rename Folder added to right click menu in the address book
• Signature editor has been redesigned and includes new Move Up/Down and Sort buttons (sorting takes separators into account)
• Accounts and signatures are now saved in SQLite database to make saving more secure and less frequent
• New fields added to folder index database which will be utilized in future updates (search by email, message threading, better sorting)
• When Subject is sorting column, message sorting and search by typing strips "Re:" prefixes to sort appropriately or to jump to appropriate message
• Search now also searches for email addresses and domains (From and To search fields)
• Generating of Message-Id, In-Reply-To and References headers has been improved for replies and drafts

Bug fixes

• Message decoder tweaks to improve filename handling
• Windows 10 was detected as Windows 8.1
• Delete confirmation dialog for deleting from 'Deleted Items' deleted messages if user clicked "X" (to close the window)
• Next opened message was not marked as read when currently opened message was deleted in viewer window
• Multipart/mixed messages have not been correctly decoded
• TLS version for newsgroup accounts was not saved
• Signatures, folders and accounts now use unique ID which will avoid reusing of the same ID and associated issues
• Signature with a single hyphen as name was interpreted as separator
• Cc and Attachments panels in the message viewer could change order when using Previous/Next buttons
• Decoding of Japanese (ISO-2022-JP) headers such as Subject/From is fixed
• To/Cc/Bcc field editor had issue with left key handling in a list with one item
• Better compatibility of visual controls with high DPI settings in Windows
• When selecting shortcuts (.LNK files) a file being pointed to is used instead - many servers reject .LNK files as a security risk
• Updated SSL/TLS libraries with the latest bug/security fixes (v1.0.2g)
• Updated built-in SQLite with the latest bug fixes (v3.11.1.0)

OE Classic has been tested on Windows 10 final version (build 10240, RTM) which will be released on July 29th, 2015.

Everything works as expected (including spell checker) and no issues have been found so far.

Of course, the program will be adjusted accordingly if there is a need to do so in the upcoming versions but the good news is that you can use it on Windows 10 - right now!

New features

• Additional editor message validation against missing file attachments, file attachments of zero size and too large attachments
• Error report when sending a message if the message size is larger than the maximum size allowed by the server
• Message decoder has been optimized to use fewer temporary disk files and more processing in memory, resulting in faster display of a message or message source
• Stationery and program data have been moved to a single folder for easier maintenance

Bug fixes

• Caret was invisible when renaming folders
• "Control has no parent window" error when clicking on To/Cc/Bcc buttons in the message editor
• External exception EEFFACE when importing some DBX files using Outlook Express 6 importer
• Message decoder tweaks to improve compatibility with other email programs
• Filenames which used Unicode characters have not been shown properly on the bottom of the message
• Computer name was not filtered for diacritical marks causing certain issues when connecting to outgoing server or generating message

A bug slipped through a crack and broke down the upgrade program rendering version 2.3 incapable of upgrading older database format (2.1 and older) to the current one. The problem only affected those who skipped version 2.2 because in the version 2.2 the upgrade program was working properly. This upgrade fixes the issue so upgrade of older database format now works again.

New features

• Contact selection window folder drop-down height is now larger (depending on window height)

Bug fixes

• Database upgrade for versions 2.1 and older to current version was broken

OE Classic 2.3 is here!

New features

• Group contacts in address book (also supports nested groups inside a group, with automatic duplicate filtering)
• Address book folders and shared folders/contacts
• Added folder selection in the Edit Contact window
• Added status bar in address book with contact count
• To/Cc/Bcc buttons in message editor no longer open Address Book for selecting contacts but instead open a specialized contact selection window (can be resized)
• Flag/Watch added into the Message menu of the main window (works for multiselected messages too)
• Create new folder opens a window for naming the folder before creating it
• Added Properties to local folders popup menu (right click menu)
• New Properties dialog for local folders which includes more information about a folder
• Added list of signatures as sub-menu of the Insert - Signature menu in the message editor
• Added New Folder button to Copy/Move window (target folder selection for message Copy/Move)
• Added "Local Folders" to the folder select dialog so that it can be selected as a root for New Folder or Multiple .EML export operations
• Added Expert tab to newsgroup account properties due to some servers misbehaving and to make the program more adjustable to such servers
• Editor window "From" dropdown can now also show "From" name and "From" email address in addition to the account name (display format can be customized in Options using custom text and tags #displayname#, #email#, #accountname# and #default# as placeholders)
• Added Debug menu tool for repairing and rebuilding DB index files from MBX data files (normally, this is not needed, but it helps in case of corrupted DB file caused by disk failure or by some other program)

Bug fixes

• Another "list index out of bounds" fixed in the message editor To/Cc/Bcc fields
• Update Now button in the update dialog shows UAC/elevation required indicator (shield icon)
• Sorting of address book items was inconsistent for different windows
• Rare issue with Received date decoding and improved Received date extraction logic
• Inconsistent dates and issues when switching between standard/daylight saving time
• Better tab order for Advanced settings in News account Properties
• SSL/TLS libraries have been updated for the latest bug/security fixes, including the fix for the FREAK flaw (March 2015) (v1.0.2a)
• Updated built-in SQLite for the latest bug fixes (v3.8.8.3)
• Adding recipients in To/Cc/Bcc which spans across multiple rows no longer makes items in the second row non-editable
• Hotkey for Close menu item changed to C instead of L (ALT + f, c)

What will follow next?

As planned, the most important feature version 2.4 should bring are incoming message rules (for example to sort messages automatically into certain folders, as they arrive). Of course, this will not be the only improvement and as before it will all be announced on this page.

Address Book Folders and Groups feature is now available for download in the latest version of OE Classic 2.3.

Some of the new features (more to come!):

• Group contacts in address book (also supports nested groups inside a group, with automatic duplicate filtering)
• Address book folders and shared folders/contacts
• Added folder selection in the Edit Contact window
• Added status bar in address book with contact count
• To/Cc/Bcc buttons in message editor no longer open Address Book for selecting contacts but instead open a specialized contact selection window

This update is only available to OE Classic Pro users.

If you are free user and don't have access to this new version here are some screenshots to see what you are missing out.

New features include Address Book Folders and Groups and Shared Folders/Contacts which are visible across all Identities

Folder selection is now possible from the contact editor without the need to open Address Book

Page 1 of Group contact editor - Name and members editor

Page 2 of Group contact editor - Group details

Group contact members selection

OE Classic 2.2 brings you lots of bug fixes and a completely new store folder file format which will allow us to add many new features you have requested.

If upgrading from version 2.1, please note that the file format used in 2.2 is no longer compatible with 2.1 format. The program will automatically upgrade your store folder from older format to the latest format during the installation. If you have store folder backup, please create a new, fresh backup after the automatic upgrade has completed as the old one will not be compatible with the new version.

One of the first features enabled by the new store folder format is the number of unread messages next to a folder name

New features

• New file format which is ready to support new features such as count of messages next to folder name, address book groups and other features (your file backups made for previous version won't be compatible with this version so please update them!)
• A number of file and folder functions have been rewritten or revised to be more stable and reliable, including Move/Copy function which was complicated and unreliable before
• Automatic upgrade from older version file format to this version file format
• Aggregate Properties in main window for viewing message properties (sender, recipient, headers, message source etc.), folder properties or contact properties
• Aggregate Properties in address book (folder or contact) and Properties in separate message viewer window
• Number of unread messages is now shown next to a folder name
• Added Save As in message viewer window (saves message as a single EML/NWS file)
• Various address book actions (in main window, message editor, address book) are now even faster and rarely use disk operation
• Deleting multi-selected contacts is much faster
• Folders can now store multiple copies of an identical message and are self-contained units
• Identity Manager menu key has been changed to "S" for faster switching using ALT + F, S key combination
• Program title bar now shows "Folder - Identity - Program name", instead of just "Program name" as before (this info is also visible in the taskbar)
• SSL libraries have been updated to address the SSL 3.0 POODLE flaw (v1.0.1j)
• Message decoder improved to be more resistant to malformed messages (which may contain long lines without line breaks, invalid Content-Transfer-Encoding etc.)
• Compact All is more resistant to certain types of errors and can correct them automatically

Bug fixes

• Updated installer to be more compatible with more recent Windows like Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
• Message editor now opens much faster when there are lots of contacts in the address book
• Fixed blank space in To/Cc/Bcc edit boxes when using Reply All with lots of emails in a maximized window
• Removed delay before starting checking email on program startup
• Fixed blurred fonts on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 with high-DPI setup
• Lookup for email addresses in To/Cc/Bcc was not working properly
• Some missing shortcuts added like shortcuts for Reply, Reply-To-All, Forward, Mark as Read and a few others
• Removed problematic functions which could cause failure to start the program if a file error occurs
• Improved font rendering in message/folder/contact list which is no longer clipped on a higher DPI system
• Identity Manager focuses on the list of identities as the first control so identity can be selected immediately with up-down arrow keys (and Return/Enter key to switch to it)
• Fixed error which occurred after creating/renaming/deleting identities
• Improvements in how message download is triggered in the newsgroups - fast clicking on items won't confuse the program anymore and will also refresh items as they are downloaded
• Updates on folder open/close status (and also the new folder count) is now performed from memory only, without unnecessary disk read operation to slow it down (it is visible with larger number of folders)
• A number of issues associated with message count refresh have been fixed (while copying, moving, deleting, creating drafts etc.)
• Huge speed increase when saving message list in the newsgroups
• Message is now marked as read after moving from Outbox to Sent Items
• After sending a message, only Outbox and Sent Items are refreshed and not currently displayed folder (e.g. Inbox), causing message list reload and switching currently displayed message
• SSL 3.0 is no longer supported due to POODLE security vulnerability (use TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1 or TLS 1.2 instead)
• Updated built-in SQLite for the latest bug fixes (v3.8.7.4)
• Charset decoding improved, especially for African and Asian languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian as well as many others
• Fixed creating/moving/deleting too large messages (like 200 MB) which previously caused errors like "Out of memory" or "Invalid number of transaction parameters for operation 11"
• Message icon updated with arrow after a message has been replied or forwarded

What will follow next?

With this new file format we can now begin work on the implementation of some of the very frequently asked features such as address book groups and folders. In fact, version 2.3 will be focused a lot around many improvements to the address book and how the program manages contacts in general.