I am very nervous about continuing to use WLM on Windows 10.  I was not happy with the mess I ended up in trying to switch to the Windows 10 Mail app (when I did the free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10) -- and so went back to using WLM which seemed to survive the upgrade to Windows 10 nicely.

However, I also have a new Christmas present Laptop for my wife that is currently sitting in a corner because and I am seeing a lot of problems/conversations with installing and running WLM on Windows 10.  Additionally, there is a Microsoft note being passed around (I have seen it quoted many places) that essentially says Microsoft is going to be making some changes to Windows 10 that will fix it so that WLM will no longer work on Windows 10 and suggest that all WLM users move to the new Windows 10 Mail app.

I can probably handle the changes that need to be made, but my wife probably can't - in particular, the likely loss of all of the WLM folders she has set up over the last 4 years of running in Windows 7.

I have a TWC provider which has been performing pretty good for the last 4 years with WLM configured as a POP3 client (but the performance is ABSOLUTELY AWFUL when I access the TWC  mail as Webmail via a browser, if I were wanting to go that route).  I THINK I now understand that if I want to have folders with the new Windows 10 Mail app, that it would have to be configured as an IMAP interface (is that right).  And if I do go to the new Windows 10 Mail app, I don't see any migration instructions to save our old WLM folders.  So would I still have access to these folders, either through the new Windows 10 Mail app or via an off-line WLM client.

I will have to confess that I do not understand all of the Microsoft mail offering (Office Outlook, Outlook.com, Outlook Express, Mail, WLM, Windows 10 Mail app) -- so help further clarification here would help.

I prefer keeping everything in the Microsoft camp, just for compatibility reasons and I am pretty familiar with their products and the Community support.  So should I gut it out and stick with the Microsoft products (like which one) or should I consider some of the 3rd party clients, many of which have pretty good reviews.  My problems here is that I don't want to have to be switching clients every year or so or be faced with losing all of my email history (or should I be looking at a psychological adjustment to get over thinking I need to keep email around for 5+ years - like have a way with dealing with that -- like have a way to store only the absolute vital email).

So comments and help would be appreciated.  I would like a lasting solution, if possibly.    Thanks.

ron in round rock