The nearest thing to Outlook Express in Windows 7 is Windows Live Mail. OE is no longer available in any version of Windows 7. Can't help you with your specific problems, but if I recall correctly (I still use OE on my old XP desktop), you cannot insert pictures into Windows Live Mail either; they have to be attached. This is supposedly for security purposes. I don't think it's possible to have music in e-mails, either. The "junk" mail issue should get better as Outlook "learns" what mail is legitimate. You might be able to set up a "white list" of senders whose e-mail should come into your INBOX rather than the JUNK. I have no idea about the encrypted e-mails, but perhaps someone who uses Outlook will be able to help.

Outlook is business oriented program where Outlook express was created for the masses.

You can indeed 'insert' a picture. Open a new email then look right at the top of your screen (Outlook 2007 here) and you see the 'Message' tab highlighted, right next to it is your 'Inert' tab, click that and the 7th icon from the left in the new window is the 'Picture' tab.

No idea why you would have encrypted emails, it would seem that should be because of actions by the sender but of course that is just an observation.

I have not found a way to insert a sound byte so it plays when the email is opened by the recipient. Used to do that with OE for birthday greetings and the like.

When you find friends email in Junk, be sure to check it as Not Junk, which sends it back to your inbox. That will "train" your junk filter. If you just open them in Junk, the filter won't know it was wrong and soon you won't get anything those friends send you.

Thank you for your input owbist and breenthumb. I tried the insert instructions you gave me and it worked first time. Second time I tried it, it wouldn't work. How odd. Not giving up though.

Makes since breenthumb. I'm not used to having a junk mail so I've never had to deal with it or the spam before so it's all new. I need to learn more about this black and white mail and the filters.

I appreciate everyone's help.

When you failed to insert the picture you may not have had your data/message window live. Click in the message area and try, you'll see the blinking cursor and likely find it then works. Have done that myself a couple of times

I insert pictures in WLM without a problem. It has to be in the rich text format though. I click on insert at the top choose image and go from there. You can also resize it there. I can also insert music by setting it for rich text, open the mail, click on format and then back ground and sound. I have version 2009 build 14.