Outlook Express Problem

[Carole]

I wonder if some-one could advise me regarding my Outlook Express which has been playing up ever since I tried to change over the Thunderbird (on Mike's recommendation).  I loaded Thunderbird and made it my default programme, but it did not show dates on the E mails, and I tried everything to make this happen. Plus I was not keen on some of the layout (I seem to recall).  In the end I went back to Outlook Express and reverted this to being my default programme and deleted the Thunderbird (in add or delete programmes).

Ever since that time I seem to be having lots of problems with Outlook Express.

1. Some-time it will not connect to the server and I have to log out and log back in again.

2. Sometimes it just crashes altogether (the Outlook Express that is).
3. More recently I have been having strange fault messages and some saying there was not enough memory to open an E mail and yet when I log out and in again (or re-start my computer) this problem disappears.

I was wondering whether I should download a new version of Outlook Express (and there seem to be a lot of places to do so - ARE THEY ALL SAFE?). 

or

Should I abandon Outlook Express altogether and go back to Thunderbird and does any-one know how I can get it to date E mails?

Thanks for any replies.

Carole