How to Corner for Outlook Express
Is there something you are wanting to do in Outlook Express, but are not sure how to do it? Then take a look below, and you just might find what you are looking for! I have tried to cover topics which could possibly be of help to everyone. From the person who is just beginning and learning Outlook Express, to the advanced user, who has just forgotten how to do something or where to find a particular setting. If you know of something I should add to this page, or see that I have made an error about something, then please let me know at info@blind-corners.com.
How to compose & send a new
message
How to reply to a message
How to forward a message
How to Send a File Attachment
How to group messages by subject
How to make a new folder
How to move a message
How to make a mail rule
How to make and use signatures
How to change your layout
How to automatically empty your deleted items
folder
How to automatically put people you reply to
in your address book
How to include or not include original message in
reply
How to automatically check spelling before
sending messages
How to allow or not to allow attachments through
Outlook Express
Before you compose a new message, you must first bring up a new message window. This can be done in one of three ways:
1 Use the shortcut keystroke, and just hit control N.
2 Hit alt F for the file menu, arrow down to New Submenu and hit enter, then
hit enter on Mail message.
3 Hit alt M for the message menu, arrow down to new message, and hit enter.
Once the new message window comes up, you should hear, New message, to: edit. This window contains four edit boxes which you can go from one another by tab and shift tab respectively.
The four edit boxes are as follows in this order:
1 The to edit box: This is the edit box
you are in when you bring up the new message window. You should hear, to: edit.
Type in the email address to whom you are sending the message. Then you can tab to the next edit box.
2 The CC edit box: You only type an email address in here if you want to send a
carbon copy of this message to someone else.
You should hear, CC: edit. That is what CC stands for, carbon copy. Then tab to the next edit box.
3 The subject edit box: This is where you type the subject of your
message. You should hear, subject:
edit. Type in your subject, then tab to
the next edit box.
4 The message edit box: This is the fourth and last edit box in the
window. This is the big edit box where
you actually type your email message.
You should hear just, edit. So,
type your message. When you are done
you should be ready to send it on its way.
To send your newly composed message, you can do one of two
things:
1 Use the shortcut keystroke, and hit alt S.
2 Hit alt F for the file menu, arrow down to send message, and hit enter.
Whether you are on the message in the message list, or if
you are in the window pane reading the message, replying to a message can be
done by following the below steps:
1. Either you can use the shortcut keystroke and just hit control R, or hit alt
M for the message menu, arrow down to reply to sender, then hit enter.
2. This will bring up a message window, and you will be put in the message edit
box ready to type your reply message.
3. After you are done typing your reply, you can use the shortcut keystroke alt
S to send it, or you can hit alt F for the the file menu, arrow down to send
message, and hit enter.
Whether you are on the message in the message list, or if
you are in the window pane reading the message, forwarding a message can be
done by following the below steps:
1. Either you can use the shortcut keystroke and just hit control F, or hit alt
M for the message menu, arrow down to forward, then hit enter.
2. This will bring up a message window, and you will be put in the to edit
box. Enter the address to whom you want
to forward the message.
3. Tab one time and you will be put in the CC edit box. If you want to forward a copy of this
message to anyone, then enter their address here.
4. Tab once and you will be put in the subject edit box. The subject is automatically the same
subject as the message you received. If
you want to change the subject, just clear the edit box, and enter the subject
you want.
5. Tab one time and you are in the message edit box. The first line of this edit box is blank so you can type in any
message you want in concerns to the message you are sending. Below the cursor is the starting of the
message you are forwarding.
6. After you are done typing your message if any, you can use the shortcut
keystroke alt S to send it, or you can hit alt F for the the file menu, arrow
down to send message, and hit enter.
The first step in sending a file attachment is creating a
new message. For steps on how to do
this please refer to the above steps under How to
Compose & Send a New Message.
Once you have composed your message, and all you have left to do is add
your file attachment, then please follow the below steps:
1. Hit alt I for the Insert menu, arrow down to File attachment, and hit enter.
2. This will bring up a file attachment dialog box, and put you in a file name
edit box. By default it will
automatically have you looking in the My Documents folder. Just shift tab to be in a list of files in
that folder.
3. Once you find the file you are looking for, just hit enter on it, and it
will automatically add it to your email message as an attachment.
4. Your done, you are ready to send it on its way! You can use the shortcut keystroke and hit Alt S, or you can hit
alt F for the file menu, arrow down to send message, and hit enter.
There is a way of grouping your email messages into subjects, or conversations as Outlook Express refers to them. If you are going through your email, and there is a bunch of messages with, lets say for example, today’s weather, in the subject line, then you could group those messages together and delete them all together instead of one at a time. Another good thing about grouping conversations together is that you can read all of the messages that contain the same subject together one after the other instead of one at a time as they come up. This feature of Outlook Express can really be handy in reading email messages, as well as deleting messages.
The grouping messages by conversation feature can be turned
on and off by doing the following:
1. While in the message list, hit alt V for the view menu.
2. Arrow down to current view sub menu, and hit enter.
3. Arrow down to Group messages by conversations, and hit enter.
4. This should put a check mark beside it in the menus. When it is checked, it is turned on, and
when there is no check mark, then the feature is off.
Sometimes we find a need to make a new folder in Outlook Express. Either to have a place to store messages we would like to keep, or maybe a place to send messages from a particular source.
To make a new folder, do the following:
1. Tab until you reach your list of folders, you should land on Inbox.
2. Arrow up one time and you should hear, Local folders open.
3. Now you are ready to create your new folder.
4. Either hit the shortcut keystroke control shift E, or hit alt F for the file
menu, arrow down to new submenu, hit enter, arrow down to folder and hit enter.
5. This will open up the create folder dialog box. You will be put in an edit box, you should hear, folder name:
edit.
6. Type in the name of your new folder, tab to the OK button and hit enter.
7. Your done! Now arrow down through your list of folders, and you should come
to the one you just created!
Once you receive a message in your Inbox, you might want to
move it to another folder to keep or for another reason.
To move a message from one folder to another, do the following:
1. Be sure you are on the message in the list of messages. This option is not available in the actual
message window where you read the message.
2. Either you can use the shortcut keystroke control shift V, or hit alt E for
the edit menu, Arrow down to move to folder and hit enter.
3. This will bring up the move dialog box, and put you in a list view of all of
your Outlook Express folders.
4. Arrow down to the folder where you would like to move the message, tab to
the OK button and hit enter.
5. Your done. You will be placed back
into the list of messages where you were previously.
With a mail rule, you can tell Outlook Express what to do with a particular message that falls under certain criteria that you specify. For example, if you are receiving messages from an email list, then you can have those messages go to a separate folder so they will not clutter up your Inbox.
To make a mail rule, do the following:
1. Decide what folder you would like these messages to go to. If the folder does not exist, then please
follow the instructions in How to Make a new Folder
in order to accomplish this task.
2. Hit alt T for the Tools Menu, arrow
down to Message Rules, right arrow to mail, and hit enter.
3. This will put you in the message rules dialog box. Within this dialog box you will automatically be put in a list of
existing message rules. Tab to the New
button and hit the space bar.
4. This will put you in the new message rule dialog box. You have to specify the criteria for which
Outlook Express will use to find the messages.
5. The first option gives you a list of items to choose from, arrow down until
you hear, where the to or cc lines contain people, and hit the space bar to
select it.
6. Tab one time and you will land in another list of items to choose from. The
first item should say, move it to the specified folder, hit the space bar on
it.
7. Tab one time, now arrow down until you hear, where the to or cc lines
contain people, and hit enter.
8. Now you are in an edit box, enter the email address for which you are making
this rule for, tab to the add button, hit the space bar, then tab to the okay
button and hit the space bar.
9. Now arrow down until you hear, move it to the specified folder, and hit
enter.
10. Now you are put in a list of your folders.
Arrow up and down the list stopping on the folder where you want these
messages to go. Tab to the okay button
and hit the space bar.
11. Now tab one time, enter the name you would like to call this rule.
12. Tab to the okay button and hit the space bar.
13. Your rule has been created, now you have to activate it.
14. Tab to the Apply Now button and hit the space bar.
15. Now, once again, tab to the Apply button and hit the space bar.
16. This will bring up a dialog box letting you know that the rule now has been
activated, just hit enter on the okay button.
17. Now tab to close and hit the space bar.
18. Now tab to the okay button and hit the space bar. Your done!
Signatures is what you want to appear at the end of your email automatically. It can be something that will appear at the end of every email message you send out, or just when you select it. This can be handy and save in typing the same thing several times! You can have several signatures depending on who you are sending the email message to. One of the signatures you create, the first unless you specify differently, will be designated your default signature. Since signatures are so versatile, and you can do so much with them, please use the below scenario to hopefully help you understand the concept and possible usage of signatures:
I first create a simple signature that can be put at the end of all of my emails, and this will become my default signature. I now create three or four more signatures that I might use, but only when I send a message to a specific person or for a specific reason. Now after typing an email I can either use the signature that is the default, or I can choose one of the other ones that I created.
Now if you check the checkbox to always add signatures to out going messages, then this is how it would work. If you only have one signature, then it will just always add that signature to the end of your out going email. If you have more than one signature, then it will just automatically add the default signature to the end of your out going email. Even if you want to use another signature it will still be the default signature, plus the other one that you choose. Why and when would you use more than one signature? Good question! Let’s say that you have a web site address, a quote or saying that you like, and wanted it to go at the end of all out going messages. Then you would make the web site, quote, or saying your default signature, and then you could make some more signatures that you could use depending on who you are sending it to, and the reason you are sending it. Then your web site, quote, or saying would always be at the end of every message, and you could then choose, if any, one of the other signatures to go as a closing of the message or for something else. You will find the steps to do all of the following below!
To Make a new signature for the first time, do the
following:
1. Hit alt T for the Tools menu, arrow down to options, and hit enter.
2. Hit control tab until you get to the signatures tab.
3. Now tab to the new button, and hit the space bar.
4. This will put you in an edit box, enter your signature just like you want it
to appear at the end of your email message.
5. Tab until you hear, add signatures to all out going messages checkbox.
6. If you want your signatures to be
added to every out going message, then make sure this checkbox is checked, but
if you do not, then make sure this checkbox is unchecked.
7. Now tab one time and you will be in a list of your signatures. You should hear, list view, signature #1
(default signature) one of one.
8. Outlook Express automatically called your signature Signature #1. If you want to rename your signature, then
tab three times to the rename button, and hit the space bar to rename your
signature. After typing in the name,
just hit enter.
9. If you renamed your signature, then
you will be put in the list view of signatures. Now tab three times to get back to the rename button. Then tab
one time and you will hear, text radio button checked.
10. This is where you can choose whether your signature is going to be a text
message or the contents of a file. By
default text message is selected.
11. Tab one time and you will be back
to the edit box where you typed your signature message.
12. If you want to create more new signatures then Tab to the new button and
hit the space bar, but if not just hit the space bar on the OK button. Your done!
How to Select a signature after completing a message that is
ready to be sent:
NOTE: If you only have one signature,
and you checked the box that automatically adds your signature to all out going
messages, then you don’t have to do anything.
The signature will be added automatically for you.
1. After typing your message, put the cursor where you want the signature to
appear at the end of your message.
2. Hit alt I for the insert menu, arrow down to signature, and hit enter.
3. If you only have one signature, then the signature will then be added to the
end of your message. If you have more
than one, then a submenu list of all of your signatures will appear. Arrow up and down through your signatures
and hit enter on the one you want to use.
4. Your chosen signature will then be added to your email message. Your done!
Just remember, if you did check the box to always add signatures to all out
going email messages, then your default signature plus the one that you chose
will be added to the end of your message.
Just experiment and have fun!
You can control what is displayed in the Outlook Express window by selecting which items you want to make accessible to you. This is done by checking the checkbox beside the items you want in the Layout dialog box. Examples of these items are things like the Folder list, status bar, email contacts, and the preview pane. To get to the Layout dialog box and choose which items you want to be displayed, do the following:
Are you tired of going to your deleted items folder, selecting all, and hitting delete to delete all of your already deleted messages? Or, are you tired of having to go up to the edit menu, arrowing down to empty deleted items, and hitting enter? Well, you can set Outlook Express to automatically empty your deleted items folder every time you close out of the program.
To do this, do the following:
1. Hit alt T for the Tools Menu, arrow down to options, and hit enter.
2. Hit control Tab until you hear, maintance tab, cleaning up messages, empty
messages from the ‘deleted items’ folder on exit checkbox not checked.
3. Hit the space bar to check the checkbox, tab to the okay button, and hit
enter. Your done!
Now every time you close out of Outlook Express, your deleted items folder will automatically be emptied.
There is a setting in Outlook Express to where when you get a message from someone new, that is not already in your address book, and you reply to this message, Outlook Express will automatically add that person’s email address to your address book. Now remember, you must first reply to the message before Outlook Express will do this. To turn this setting on and off do the following:
I personally like to include the original message when replying to a message. This way, the person I am replying to has the original message they sent me to refer to if needed. This setting is dependent upon your personal preference.
To turn on or off this setting:
1. Hit alt T for the Tools menu, arrow down to options, and hit enter.
2. Hit control tab to the sent tab.
3. Tab until you hear, include message in reply checkbox.
4. Hit the space bar to check or uncheck the checkbox. To turn the setting on make sure the
checkbox is checked, and to turn the setting off, make sure the checkbox is
unchecked.
5. Tab to the okay button and hit the space bar. Your done!
After typing a message, you can always hit F7 to do a spell check to make sure nothing is misspelled. But if you have a hard time remembering to do a spell check, then Outlook Express has a setting that you can turn on that will automatically check the spelling before it sends the message. With this setting on, nothing will go unchecked! NOTE: Unless you have a spell checking program, MS Office, or one of its components on your system, this setting might not be available.
To turn this setting on or off, do the following:
1. Hit alt T for the Tools menu, arrow down to options, and hit enter.
2.Hit control tab until you get to the spell tab.
3. You should land on the first choice which should say, always check spelling
before sending checkbox.
4. Hit the space bar to check or uncheck the checkbox. To turn this setting on make sure the
checkbox is checked, and to turn the setting off, make sure the checkbox is
unchecked.
5. Tab to the okay button, and hit the space bar. Your done!
By default this setting is turned on, and many people can not receive attachments, but do not know why! To receive attachments through Outlook Express this setting must be turned off!
To turn this setting on or off, do the following:
1. Hit alt T for the Tools menu, arrow down to options, and hit enter.
2. Hit control tab until you get to the security tab.
3. Tab two or three times, you should hear, do not allow attachments to be
saved or opened that could potentially be a virus checkbox.
4. Hit the space bar to check or uncheck the checkbox. To turn this setting on make sure the
checkbox is checked, and to turn the setting off make sure the checkbox is
unchecked. Checked means no
attachments, unchecked means all attachments.
5. Tab to the okay button, and hit enter.