Length of message problem

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aekyall
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Length of message problem

Post by aekyall »

I have a 94 year old gentleman that I help out now and again with his computer problems (usually caused by either pressing the wrong keystroke or 'inadvertently' altering a setting)! He currently has a problem with WLM 2012 - I'm trying to get him to move away from WLM to either Windows Mail or, preferable to me, Mozilla Thunderbird. However, he's currently resisting my attempts to influence him and he has an ongoing problem with sending mail.
As far as I can tell (and see) - when composing mail if the length goes beyond the bottom of the screen (ie, the page starts to scroll up) more often than not the whole message suddenly disappears! It happened to me when I checked it out for him - I just kept hitting a character (and) <return> until lthe page started to scroll up - the whole lot suddenly disappeared! I am unable either to find out where the input went to (not to drafts etc) and I'm not converse enough with WLM anymore to know if there is any setting he may have altered which is causing this problem. If he sticks to just composing within the on-screen page area, then all is well!
I doubt anyone uses WLM anymore but, on the off chance, does/has anyone any idea what might be the root cause of his problem please? Meanwhile, I continue to try and persuade him to move away from WLM, citing that Microsoft no longer provides support/security updates for it - all, currently, to no avail :hairout:
Regards,
Keith

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BobH
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by BobH »

Keith,

Have you checked that his keyboard hardware is behaving properly? You might check to see if the driver benefits from an update.

I'm sorry, but I cannot offer any insight into WLM.
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Rudi
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by Rudi »

I can't help with your source question Keith, but how about telling him that you are going to service his PC and then bring it back to him with Mozilla Thunderbird installed. In other words, don't give him the choice and just do it! I'm sure he'll find it better after a quick orientation and he'll learn to live with it (I hope :crazy: )
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.

PJ_in_FL
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by PJ_in_FL »

Rudi, some might consider such high-handedness elder abuse of a 94 year old. Change is hard for some older people.

Even at the young old age of 59+, I still have a computer in the box that, any day now, I'm going to swap out my XP white box and put this in it place. "Any day now" has currently run on for about 16 months. :scratch:
PJ in (usually sunny) FL

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aekyall
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by aekyall »

Rudi - A tempting thought! :grin: But PJ does make a valid point!! I think, for now, that I'll continue to try and influence him rather than present him with a 'fait accompli' - however tempting that idea may be!! He's fiercely independent and, apart from not letting me remove his computer from his house (he lives alone), wouldn't take kindly to any such action :flee:

Raised problem here on off chance someone might have come across similar issues previously. Never mind, I'll wear him down - eventually!

BobH - Thanks. I will check his keyboard out, just in case.

Thanks all

(edited for typo)
Regards,
Keith

JoeP
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by JoeP »

What OS? Is it up-to-date with patches?

Have you tried to repair the WLM install?
Joe

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MalcolmWalker
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by MalcolmWalker »

For pertinent information about Windows Live may a suggest a look at the page at:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... sn-outlook

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Rudi
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by Rudi »

Hey PJ;

I am aware of elderly abuse and my comment was certainly not directed towards that. :thumbup: I love the elderly (not that I'm so young anymore myself), but find great pleasure in their stories and experiences of yesteryear. I also know how stubborn and hardheaded they can be so although my above comment had a more humorous point to it, I am serious when I say that a mildly forced change can be to their benefit as their wisdom on modern change can be a bit blind. If one had to install Thunderbird (for instance) and leave WLM on if they really resist, one can then show how superior the alternative is and hopefully convince then to try it out. Many times this ends with a thank you and a loving acknowledgment that they were too resistant to start with. :cheers:

Keith:
Apologies for pirating your thread; I promise to stop now but do want to wish you well with you current challenge and trust you will find a fix for WLM or an alternative solution that will make Gramps :gramps; happy. At that age he is a "General of Life" and we can certainly learn to respect their nuances, whether stubborn or not. :smile:
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.

PJ_in_FL
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by PJ_in_FL »

Rudi,

Actually I should be the one to apologize for using such a harsh term. A better way to express myself might have been to suggest Gramps would be displeased.

Keith,
Hope you can find a solution but the suggestion to install TB side-by-side might be a good start.
PJ in (usually sunny) FL

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Argus
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by Argus »

Good of you helping, Keith. I can understand his resistance; there is a (really annoying) problem composing slightly longer mails, not a lack of features or something else. :smile:

("Disclaimer": I have not used Windows Live Mail, though some other parts of the Essentials suite at some point.)

I agree with Joe that a repair is worth a try. (In Windows 7, via Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall > Windows Essential > Uninstall/Change > Repair.)

Has the text actually disappeared, or can you, for example, do a copy & paste (Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V) in the window, and paste there or elsewhere? I don't know if it matters in this case but is he using HTML or plain text? Apparently there have been some cases with text disappearing, or body of the email has gone missing, in Mail & Live Mail.

And as Joe said, what OS; if migrating to another mail client, Windows Mail is only part of Windows 8 and onwards (or was it Vista, but not Win7), I think. I agree that a side-by-side install of another client, as Thunderbird or similar, could be a way forward (but I don't know if there are any problems migrating/importing messages).

(Essentials 2012 is as you may know out of support since early this year, and apparently people using hotmail/outlook.com with WLM were forced to change to another client last year.)
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aekyall
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Re: Length of message problem

Post by aekyall »

Apologies! Should have said at the outset that he has W10 Creators version and fully up to date. Hadn't thought about any 'repair' option (wasn't really aware it was an option!!). Thanks for pointers, I'll give it a go when I next get opportunity to gain access to the computer (he has access to the control panel feature of W7)! Also, good idea about installing Thunderbird alongside WLM - that might be a really good option.

Thanks to all.
Regards,
Keith