How to Live mail smtp settings

Published October 16, 2024 · Updated September 4, 2026 · Guides & Tutorials

Windows Live Mail is long past its prime, but plenty of people still use it - and getting its SMTP settings right is the difference between mail that sends and mail that silently fails. Here are the Windows Live Mail SMTP settings and how to configure an account correctly.

The SMTP settings you need

Setting	Value
Outgoing (SMTP) server	your provider's SMTP host
Port	587 (STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL)
Authentication	required - your email & password
Secure connection	yes (TLS/SSL)

How to add the account

Open Accounts → Email and enter your address and password.
Choose manual configuration and enter the SMTP host and port above.
Tick "requires authentication" and enable a secure connection.
Send a test to confirm it works.

If it still fails: the outgoing server usually needs authentication turned on explicitly, and the port must match your provider's TLS setting. Get those two right and most Live Mail SMTP problems disappear.

Why Windows Live Mail has become less reliable

Microsoft discontinued Windows Live Mail years ago and it no longer receives security or compatibility updates — as mail providers tighten TLS and authentication requirements over time, an unmaintained client increasingly struggles to keep up, which is why settings that used to work can silently stop.

Modern alternatives worth migrating to

Thunderbird remains actively maintained and free, and both Outlook (desktop or web) and the native mail apps on Windows and Mac handle modern authentication far more reliably. If Live Mail keeps failing despite correct settings, migrating the account to a current client is usually faster than continuing to troubleshoot it.
A quick sanity check before deep troubleshooting
Before changing any settings, confirm your provider's current SMTP host and port directly from their support page — hosts occasionally update these, and an outdated setting copied from an old guide is a surprisingly common cause of a "broken" configuration that was never actually wrong.
Note: If Windows Live Mail keeps misbehaving despite correct settings, treat that as a sign to migrate rather than keep troubleshooting an unmaintained client.
If you manage multiple accounts in Windows Live Mail, keep a simple written record of which SMTP settings belong to which account — a small habit that prevents a lot of confused troubleshooting.
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Frequently asked questions

What SMTP port should Windows Live Mail use?

Port 587 with STARTTLS, or 465 with SSL, with "outgoing server requires authentication" enabled.

Why won't Windows Live Mail send?

Usually authentication is off or the port/security settings do not match. Enable SMTP auth and use the correct secure port.