Windows 8.1 (OEM)

My email server is POP only. I have been using Thunderbird for email, but it hangs up quite a bit.

My ISP does not offer IMAP, so want to keep my POP email, so have downloaded Windows Essentials/Live Mail 2012. WLM receives ok, but will not send. WLM Status Bar shows ‘Connecting…’ for several minutes and then shows ‘!Error’. 

As far as I can tell, I have the same account properties and settings (ports, checked boxes, login info, etc.) in WLM as I do in Thunderbird. And the settings are actually the same as on my old Vista machine using WLM which sent fine. Incoming mail is set to port 110; outgoing mail port is 587. Box is checked for ‘Outgoing Mail Server’| My server requires authentication’. I have tried a variety of other port numbers & checked boxes, but no joy.  I have radio button checked for ‘Log on using clear text authentication’.  My antivirus is native Windows Defender.

Any clues will be appreciated.

John Hanley

Houston, TX