Username asked each time

[F Sease]

Username is entered in the Mail Account configuration with Password left
blank. Usually in Outlook Express when you then check for your mail, the
username is already entered, so all you need to do is enter the password.

But in Vista Windows Mail, you are asked to enter the Username again, along
with the password. Is there a way to have the Username recalled from the
Mail Account configuration so you don't have to enter it each time? I could
fix this by checking the "save my credentials" box, but I don't want to do
this since I would like to enter the password each time (but not the
Username).

Anybody has a solution?

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Sorry, that's the way it is. I'm not aware of any workaround.
I guess Microsoft figured that most people would enter their
credentials for the mail account only once. What are you
trying to accomplish by leaving it blank?

Gary VanderMolen

 

[F Sease]

Exactly, I entered the credentials once when configuring the e-mail account-
entering the username there. But despite that, when first checking mail
each time I turned on windows mail, it asks for the username again!

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

You said before that you leave the "save my credentials" box
unchecked because you want to enter the password each time.
To restate what I said before, Windows Mail will ask for both
the username and password each time, if you leave that box
unchecked.

You still have not explained why you want WM to ask you
for the password each time. If I knew the reason for what you
are trying to accomplish, I might be able to suggest a different
approach.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[F Sease]

The obvious answer- security. If you have it save the credentials, anyone
with access to the user profile can have access to the e-mail account in a
shared environment.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

That's what I thought you'd say. All you are protecting is the
ability to send or download new emails. It does not protect
access to already downloaded emails, nor does it protect any
sensitive Documents or Pictures you may have in your profile.
For these reasons Microsoft decided to do away with the false
sense of security that users had when password-protected
Identities were available in Outlook Express. If you want real
security, you need to use the Windows 'switch user' feature to
log out of your profile when you are done using the computer.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[F Sease]

You're absolutely right, but if this were the rationale, why not remove
asking for the username and password entirely (& just enter them at setup of
the account-once)? In this way then the ("dumb") user will certainly not
have a 'false sense of security'.

My contention is that software should allow the user as much
flexibility/choice/customization as possible without compromising real
security. The difference between having to enter the username every time
vs. just once at account setup is miniscule or non-existent as you know and
implied in your posting. But what if I want to have the security (albeit at
a reduced/limited level if you will) you indicated (i.e. not allow sending
or downloading when pc is left unattended), but without the hassle of
entering the username each time? Why should MS not allow this convenience?
There are many sophisticated users/consumers like yourself out there, so MS
is presuming the dumb consumer at its own risk- and so I doubt that this is
the reason for the removal of this feature in Windows Mail. It's more
likely that this is yet another example of poorly/inadequately designed
software.

 

[F Sease]

Absolutely, if this were my intent - but it's not. I just want to be
allowed the flexibility/choice of entering the username only once during
account setup but enter the password each time to log into my mail accounts.
It's not too much to ask and really does not change anything with respect to
overall security. MS should put this feature back as in Outlook Express.
Even in Outlook (purportedly a more secure client) one does not have to
enter the username each time.

If there's no solution for this specific question, that's fine. But there
is no reason to rationalize this deficiency in the software in the name of
"security", or excuse MS for forcing this upon us Vista users. This
specific change from Outlook Express is a step backward.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

As a long time Microsoft beta tester, I am probably more attuned
to Microsoft trends than the average user. For Vista, MS made
*real* security a top priority. Part of that philosophy meant doing
away with pseudo-security, such as the misuse of mail server logins.

Gary VanderMolen