Use Multiple Outlook Express Identities

Often, two people share a single logon on a single XP computer. This is very common on many a home computer. But let's say that on that computer, you want to maintain separate "his and her" email identities. Example: husband doesn't want to receive wife's email, and wife doesn't want her address book sullied with husband's golfing buddies' information. Or, you have one email account set up for business-related mail and one for personal mail, and you want to keep the two accounts completely separate.

How to do this? With separate email identities. The first identity, called Main Identity, is created by default. Here's how to add a second, third, and so on:

1.	From the OE main window, choose File | Identities, and then click Add New Identity.
2.	As shown in Figure 12-15, enter the name for the second user. Figure 12-15. Add a second email identity.
3.	You could also password protect this new identity with the "Require a password" option.

Click OK. You'll be prompted to switch to the new identity, and once you click OK, you'll be taken to the Manage Identities dialog box, shown in Figure 12-16.

Figure 12-16. Manage your Outlook Express Identities from this dialog box.

Note that you can rename the Main Identity to a more intuitive name. You won't be able to delete this identity, though.

You can now switch between email identities by choosing File | Switch Identity. Everything will be maintained separately. If you want to set up an email account for the new identity, you'll have to use the Tools | Accounts menu selection to access the Internet Accounts dialog box. Also, a new folder will be created to store all of this new identity's Contacts.