Windows Live Mail - password protect the program

[jordanspringer]

I'm trying to get Windows Live Mail to prompt me to type in a password to View program or any messages.

With the new Windows Live Mail desktop application, when you run it, it will pop up a box to sign in to Windows Live, if you press cancel, it will still take you to your mail and allow you to view my messages. I know I can uncheck 'Remember my password' in Accounts>Properties, but that only stops it from sending/recieving new messages only, I can still view old messages.

Is there a way to prevent WLMail from loading without prompt for a password first?

[cj0771]

Im having the same problem, and i suppose everyone else is too.

I have read and windows say that for better secrurity you just have to put a password on your windows user account.

Still i don't think this is better secrurity, i think it's less! In the end i uninstalled it!

[Deletedforeverhaha]

It has broken security features even though it's a nifty program.

[JRM12345]

I went through the bother of signing up for this account just to throw in my 2 cents worth on the windows live mail program. Upon installation, the thing went online and retreived EVERYBODYS EMAIL THAT HAS AN ACCOUNT ON THIS COMPUTER! Even though to read their email on their hotmail account it is password protected on line, this program went right by that and downloaded all their email and put it on the desktop for me to read. Now if I were nosey, that would be fine, but HOW WRONG IS THAT!.

You cannot password protect this program either...their lame excuse to cover up their flub is "it's best to password protect your account anyway". An after seeing what this program did, I can't see what difference it makes if you create separate accounts for everyone on the computer anyway...like I said...I downloaded it and it retreived everyones email on the computer! If one of the other users downloads it, are they going to get all MY email also? And if, say for instance, you turn your computer over to someone to work on for whatever reason, are you telling me the can simply hook up to the internet, install this program, read everything in your whole familys emails, then just uninstall the program without a trace or sign that he was in there? This program should have been named:

WINDOWS LIVE SECURITY BREACH MAIL

And the selling point should have been "why keep all your email to yourself...share it with the world"

[McDave]

@cj0771 & jrm12345. I really don't see what you are fussing about. Since Win2k we have this thing called user profiles. Each user logs into the compter using their profile name & password then only their cookies & stored passwords are avalible. If you don't log out or lock your session yes people can access your stuff just like people can enter your home if you don't lock the doors.

If everyone useing that computer decides to enter their email accounts into the client on the same user profile of course their mail will be visible but if you do it on a diffrent user profile it won't. I really don't see how this is a security breach.

[joeblogg]

if you really want security use hotmail or just put a password on your user account. people can't access your windows live mail if you have a password on user account can they?

[Calum Veteran]

I went through the bother of signing up for this account just to throw in my 2 cents worth on the windows live mail program. Upon installation, the thing went online and retreived EVERYBODYS EMAIL THAT HAS AN ACCOUNT ON THIS COMPUTER! Even though to read their email on their hotmail account it is password protected on line, this program went right by that and downloaded all their email and put it on the desktop for me to read. Now if I were nosey, that would be fine, but HOW WRONG IS THAT!.

You cannot password protect this program either...their lame excuse to cover up their flub is "it's best to password protect your account anyway". An after seeing what this program did, I can't see what difference it makes if you create separate accounts for everyone on the computer anyway...like I said...I downloaded it and it retreived everyones email on the computer! If one of the other users downloads it, are they going to get all MY email also? And if, say for instance, you turn your computer over to someone to work on for whatever reason, are you telling me the can simply hook up to the internet, install this program, read everything in your whole familys emails, then just uninstall the program without a trace or sign that he was in there? This program should have been named:

WINDOWS LIVE SECURITY BREACH MAIL

And the selling point should have been "why keep all your email to yourself...share it with the world"

You signed up for an account just to post that and rant about Windows Live Mail, trying to say it is rubbish or something? Well I've never had this problem with Windows Live Mail so it is obviously something you are doing wrong. I also know many others who use this program who haven't had that problem!

[HawkMan]

I'm trying to get Windows Live Mail to prompt me to type in a password to View program or any messages.

With the new Windows Live Mail desktop application, when you run it, it will pop up a box to sign in to Windows Live, if you press cancel, it will still take you to your mail and allow you to view my messages. I know I can uncheck 'Remember my password' in Accounts>Properties, but that only stops it from sending/recieving new messages only, I can still view old messages.

Is there a way to prevent WLMail from loading without prompt for a password first?

Log out or Lock your windows

asking for a password to read download mails don't make sense. once they are logged onto your user acount they have full acess anyway, well with physical access they can get access to anythign anyway with enough patience and the right tools and skills.

if you're trying to stop family from reading your mail, then lock or og out, if other people need to be able to access the computer, add more user acounts.

you're attacking this "problem" that doesn't exist from the wrong angle.

[canuckken]

This is an old topic but there is a way to do it. Bluementals Program Protector will work for WLM. I agree with the others who said just protect your user account but if there is a situation where others share your account then program protector will do the job. The program is not free though. It cost about 20 or 30 dollars but you can evaluate it before you buy. I tried other free programs and none would work for WLM. They would password protect it no problem but when you tried to run WLM you get an error saying that a certain dll. was not found. I experienced this with 4 different programs and only Bluementals Program Protector worked for me.

I also should say that my operating system is Windows 7 7100 RC so no problem with compatibility. Anyway this is my first post and I hope it helps someone.

Cheers

[null_]

I know this thread is old, but honestly the best way to go about protecting your data is to simply create a separate user account for yourself and create a secure password that you will be able to remember. This also has the added benefit of also protecting not only your email (through Windows Live Mail), but also your documents, pictures, and other sensitive information.

[deletedxyz]

Look at it this way:

Windows Live Mail - Casual user who doesn't want the powerful features of Outlook (and uses WLM as their primary email account).

Outlook - Password protect and everything under the sun for emails.

[Omen1393]

The fact that you could still access the mail for WLMail was actually a serious problem for me. When I was in florida, our family made the mistake on not putting passwords on our accounts on the laptop and well that laptop was stolen and we had to change all of our account passwords because they could still access our mail otherwise. If they haven't formatted the laptop they won't get any more updates from the account but they can still look through all of the previous e-mail in the inbox.

[HawkMan]

unless you also encrypt it. password protected mail folders/file archives are cracked in about half a second + the 3 minutes to download the tool.

[McDave]

Omen when someone has physical acess to your computer you have loast the battle. All your data belongs to them now. Adding a password to your windows user account makes no diffrance unless you run something like BitLocker or NTFS EFS.

[canuckken]

I am not sure I get why some of you think it is meaningless to put a separate password on you WLM or any other exe. file for that matter. As I said it is best to protect you user account and yes have separate accounts. However no one is perfect and it only takes 5 minutes to walk away from your computer forgetting to lock it and someone could have accessed your emails. If you are at a work place then I especially see how password protecting your email account could be helpful. No one is going to download software on your computer just to crack the password unless they have stolen it. Say for example you are at your work place and you receive an important call or whatever and you walk away from your computer forgetting to lock it. I am sure this has happened. A separate password in that situation could help.

Some are going to tell you it is meaningless but I say an extra bit of security is better than nothing and if it gives you peace of mind than do it. If you don't feel the need to protect your exe. programs than fine but don't discourage others from doing it.

As for me I password protect my user account and my email account both.

[HawkMan]

if you're at work, then you probably have your e-mail app open anyway so the password would be just as useless if you forgot to lock it.

and in that case, what does it matter if other work mates read your work mail...

[canuckken]

OK Hawkman but I know my email is not always open. I still don't get it. What is wrong if someone wants to password protect their WLM? If you don't want to or don't see the need too then don't. I am still going to take even small measures on my computer but others can do what they want on theirs.

Enough said about this I think.

[zhangm Supervisor]

OK Hawkman but I know my email is not always open. I still don't get it. What is wrong if someone wants to password protect their WLM? If you don't want to or don't see the need too then don't. I am still going to take even small measures on my computer but others can do what they want on theirs.

It is a relatively large amount of effort to create and support a feature that isn't very useful. Is there a huge difference between this and asking whether you can make it so that someone has to enter a password to view your Documents or Pictures folders?

Winkey + L locks the computer instantly. Alternatively, any company that cares about casual data security will use this nifty little thing called a screensaver that forces the desktop to lock after some amount of inactivity. It sounds like your argument is built on a whole series of "what if's" that aren't applicable if you really care about security.

What if I don't want people to access my confidential information...but I haven't created a password protected account on my computer?

What if I care about computer security...but I'm careless and leave my computer without locking it and without a screensaver?

[canuckken]

It is a relatively large amount of effort to create and support a feature that isn't very useful. Is there a huge difference between this and asking whether you can make it so that someone has to enter a password to view your Documents or Pictures folders?

Winkey + L locks the computer instantly. Alternatively, any company that cares about casual data security will use this nifty little thing called a screensaver that forces the desktop to lock after some amount of inactivity. It sounds like your argument is built on a whole series of "what if's" that aren't applicable if you really care about security.

What if I don't want people to access my confidential information...but I haven't created a password protected account on my computer?

What if I care about computer security...but I'm careless and leave my computer without locking it and without a screensaver?

I did not think I was arguing at all but if I was my arguments would not be based on what ifs. I know of the other measures one could take to protect their computer but the original post specifically asked about WLM. Secondly I have never said protecting your WLM was going to prevent others from reading it. I had suggested as someone else did to password protect your user account and as you have mentioned I check the box in your screen saver settings "on resume, display logon screen."

You think that I have based what I have wrote on what ifs. I say you base your arguments on what ifs.

What if I never forget to lock my computer?

What if I am an intermediate or advance computer user that knows all the keyboard shortcuts?

We do not live in a perfect world and yes people are sometimes careless and forgetful. No one is going to convince me that to password protect their WLM account is a bad thing. It is simply one more small measure one can take to protect your email account.

I do not know why we need to keep disscusing this. Password protect your WLM or don't. It is as simple as that.

[canuckken]

Correction. It was not so much the original post but it was JRM12345 that said it can't be protected.

[Robbie Ride]

You signed up for an account just to post that and rant about Windows Live Mail, trying to say it is rubbish or something? Well I've never had this problem with Windows Live Mail so it is obviously something you are doing wrong. I also know many others who use this program who haven't had that problem!

Jordanspringer has a point, Windows Live Mail has always had this problem even when it was called Windows Live Desktop't and it's never changed, it's obvious Microsoft aren't worried about security of their programs.

I have 2 email accounts added to Windows Live Mail and sometimes i click cancel at the login box by mistake, it downloads emails/junk emails from non contacts into my primary account and all emails from my secondary account and my contacts are fully accessable by anyone, it's really bad.

Why should everyone who uses Windows Live Mail lock their desktops, i did have the application on my primary PC that i use to watch Media Centre recordings that i cannot lock as it's the only TV output in my home so i had to remove it for security reasons. If Microsoft had fixed the issue then it would be a problem.

It's obvious when people on this post rant on about this issue, they don't take their security seriously which is a concern, jordanspringer has raised an important subject regarding a security issue in a very well used application and yet no one listens, well maybe you will once you emails are read without ur knowledge, then you can complain to Micorosoft about it.

[canuckken]

Jordanspringer has a point, Windows Live Mail has always had this problem even when it was called Windows Live Desktop't and it's never changed, it's obvious Microsoft aren't worried about security of their programs.

I have 2 email accounts added to Windows Live Mail and sometimes i click cancel at the login box by mistake, it downloads emails/junk emails from non contacts into my primary account and all emails from my secondary account and my contacts are fully accessable by anyone, it's really bad.

Why should everyone who uses Windows Live Mail lock their desktops, i did have the application on my primary PC that i use to watch Media Centre recordings that i cannot lock as it's the only TV output in my home so i had to remove it for security reasons. If Microsoft had fixed the issue then it would be a problem.

It's obvious when people on this post rant on about this issue, they don't take their security seriously which is a concern, jordanspringer has raised an important subject regarding a security issue in a very well used application and yet no one listens, well maybe you will once you emails are read without ur knowledge, then you can complain to Micorosoft about it.

Well said and I agree totally. I just don't get some of these ranters.

[McDave]

If you left your WLM app open it does not matter if there was a password protecting it or not someone can still look at your emails.

Password on application launch only protects access, not the session like windows account locking does.

[canuckken]

I swear to God some of you are just brain dead. I am through with posting on the topic about if password protecting your WLM account is a good idea. Some of you simply want to argue and nothing I or anyone says is going to keep you from being a complete arse hole.

Done!!!

[Robbie Ride]

I swear to God some of you are just brain dead. I am through with posting on the topic about if password protecting your WLM account is a good idea. Some of you simply want to argue and nothing I or anyone says is going to keep you from being a complete arse hole.

Done!!!

Well cry us a bloody river!!