I'm not aware of Outlook accounts becoming linked like that. Gmail and outlook accounts are fine to be passed on to someone else in the future - all you need to do is remember to change the recovery account details at the same time when you hand over the initial account. I'd go for Gmail.

Use InPrivate browsing to access it then it will not interfere with your normal google account (If you have one)

You'll find that GMX mail servers may appear on blacklists from time to time (due to service abuse) so emails you are send are more likely to turn up in people's junk email folders vs slightly more reputable services. In addition the GMX interface isn't very good.

Ideally if you can afford it - worth considering registering a domain and using either a web host webmail or an Outlook.com account which allows integration with a domain name. It will cost a few quid but help a lot when it comes to transfer time and also reputability.

I have 2 laptops running XP , 1 on 7 and 1 on 10. I have lots of update issues with the W10 machine and have had to recover it recently. Never had any issues with the other machines and if good firewall and antivirus is used then no issues.

In reply to a post by broadband66:

I have 2 laptops running XP , 1 on 7 and 1 on 10. I have lots of update issues with the W10 machine and have had to recover it recently. Never had any issues with the other machines and if good firewall and antivirus is used then no issues.

Why don't you just browse the web using IE5 - as long as you've got a firewall and antivirus then you should be OK right!?

Perhaps the likleyhood of issues is still small but you are playing a dangerous game of probability when you are browsing the internet and accessing email using out of date software - you only need to get compromised once and it will soon cause a lot more inconvenience and cost than having a newer system would have.

Not only that is is irresponsible because if you get compromised and your personal emails get leaked or you get scammed for money then all the people you have emailed also have their email exchanges with you compromised and the bank is having to compensate you for your failures to be secure. There is a line to be drawn with these things and browsing the internet using XP is irresponsible. Imagine if your bank lost all your details and it turned out it was because they had not updated any of their systems and were just carrying on running a 20 year old operating system - would you be pleased?

NHS and XP.

I never said I used the XP machine to browse the web or with email.

Mountains and molehills spring to mind. Even on W10 with bells and whistles attached some idiot will always download and install some dodgy bit of software (app) with a new virus included or open an email that they shouldn't.

There are thousands of users of unsecure web enabled devices that haven't a clue how to change their, so called, smart device details but they are happily continuing with life.