Windows 7 mail program

Not sure what's going on here. Do you and your wife share the same email account? If not, just set up different users accounts in Windows 7 - one for you and one for your wife. Then, under your Windows account, set up Windows Mail to log into your email account. Under your wife's Windows account, set up Windows Mail to log into her email account.

Otherwise, not sure if there such things to "filter" mail. Usually, ISPs grant you more than one email account though. I know mine allows up to 5 separate email accounts at no extra charge. Worse comes to worse, if you're ISP doesn't allow more than one email account, set her up on gmail and you can use Mozilla Thunderbird to access her gmail account.

Sounds like you're having similar problems that have me looking for a new e-mail client. First, I can't find any way to open Windows Live Mail except from the browser window and when I do open it and set up a second account for another household member I can't find a way to separate the accounts with a password. IMHO, the program sucks.

Did you install the Windows Live Essentials? Windows Mail does not come installed by default with Windows 7. You have to download it and install it. Kind of stupid I know, but that's how MS did it.

Or, you can download Mozilla Thunderbird, set up a gmail account if you want and you're all set.

You want to have a 2nd separate email account but you don't want to create a 2nd Windows user account?

Yes, what's wrong with that? It's something you could do with Outlook Express or Outlook from day one. I see no point in changing it now.

Well, maybe an e-mail program didn't install automatically with your Win 7 install but the Acer laptop I just bought has Windows Live Mail installed as the default mail handler and I hate it. I don't (yet) know what Windows Live Essentials is. I have a feeling I don't want to know. Didn't I hear somewhere that Win 7 could be setup to look/act like XP?

I'm not sure if that's true for most laptops, but speaking from my past experiences, laptops usually come with additional software already installed. And some of them won't let you change your OS, you have to use "recovery disc", which again installs the same additional software - toshiba is a great example. You have to blame your laptop company, not microsoft when it comes to this, desktop PC users don't get Windows Live Essentials or any other additional software installed with their OS, because they install clean version of OS without anything added.

Live Essentials is package of a few programs based on communication... mail, IM, blogging, video maker... You can download installer (wle setup) from their website and choose which features you want to have. The installer then downloads only chosen programs. It's not bad idea in my opinion, but I find only Messenger useful.
I also use Windows Mail, but it doesn't have enough features.

If, as you suggest it was Acer's call to install Windows Live Mail I might blame them for for poor judgement but Microsoft is responsible for the program content which is what I hate. IMHO, Win 7 is just one more example of Microsoft (and others) trying to sell cosmetic changes as innovation. I know they neee to sell something to stay in business but this is insulting.