Mail problem with Windows 8.1

[#1]

I've been having some fun (!) setting up a new laptop with Windows 8. After a few problems with a Microsoft account setup, I have managed to get Mail working, but it seems to take far too long to sync and I really don't like the format.
Ideally I'm looking for something between Outlook Express, which I use on my desktop under XP, and Outlook. I thought that Windows Live Mail would fit the bill. I know there are other non M$ products, but I am hoping that I would easily be able to transfer contact and saved/archived messages by sticking with M$. However, having downloaded and installed the Windows Essentials bundle, the Live Mail application fails to launch.
I tried uninstalling and reinstalling after upgrading to Windows 8.1, but still get the same symptoms.
Anyone else had similar problems who could suggest a solution?

[#2]

Windows Live Mail is indeed the product that is likely to do what you want. The W8/8.1 "tile" mail app is pants!  
Have you tried running it from the Desktop?
If you want to be sneaky, download the version for XP and use that. I think that's the "2009" version, at least that's what I use (on W7x64 admittedly).

[#3]

Thanks HPsauce.
I believe I downloaded the 2012 version. I pinned the app to both the start screen and the desktop taskbar. Clicking the tile switches to desktop mode, a rotating circle appears briefly, then nothing. The same happens when clicking the taskbar icon.
Is the Win8 desktop the same as Win7. I have never used any Windows variant since XP until now with Win 8 on the laptop. How sneaky do you have to be to get hold of  Live Mail 2009?

[#4]

I tried converting my email archive while it was still on the XP machine into Windows Live Mail and Thunderbird but I couldn't get it to work properly. In the end I found the easiest way to preserve my 15 year email archive was to transfer it to Gmail by linking my already existing Gmail account and dragging'n'dropping in Outlook Express. Haven't yet decided what to do on my W8.1 ultrabook to replace it - instead of Live Mail I might switch over to Gmail completely or try Thunderbird. The W8 Mail app is fine for just occasional viewing by far too simplistic.

[#5]

Live Mail now working! I think I was being a little impatient, it took a little while for a pop-up to appear which requested acceptance of TOCs, after which Live mail launched and I was able to set up the account to send receive mail from my Plusnet address.
I set up my account to use IMAP. However, I have noticed that deleting messages does not work in the same way as Outlook Express. In the latter, if I delete a message then the message appears in strikeout font in the Inbox, and needs to be purged to remove it completely. Under Live Mail, the messages just disappears completely. I have tried to find a setting that needs to be changed, but with no success. I have downloaded Live Mail to an XP machine and it still works the same as in Outlook Express. The XP machine has Live Mail 2009, which appears to be the default version on XP, the Win 8 laptop downloaded the 2012 version.
Is there a setting to change in Live Mail 2012 to restore the delete message functionality of the 2009 version? No luck finding out on the M$ community support forum.

[#6]

Quote from: drj

I tried converting my email archive while it was still on the XP machine into Windows Live Mail and Thunderbird but I couldn't get it to work properly. In the end I found the easiest way to preserve my 15 year email archive was to transfer it to Gmail by linking my already existing Gmail account and dragging'n'dropping in Outlook Express. Haven't yet decided what to do on my W8.1 ultrabook to replace it - instead of Live Mail I might switch over to Gmail completely or try Thunderbird. The W8 Mail app is fine for just occasional viewing by far too simplistic.

I've been using Thunderbird for years and am very happy, and using the free program MozBackup you can save out all your mail/settings to a single file to move to a new PC or to keep as a backup.