Microsoft Outlook Express Tips #7



*1. CALL ME WHATEVER YOU WANT -- PART 2 OF 2

July 8th, 1999

In the last tip, we showed you how to address a message by 
typing in a person's nickname, while keeping their full name 
intact on the actual message. But what if you want the nickname 
to be displayed on the message?  For example, let's say Uncle 
Lou hates his full name (which, you'll remember, is Louis B. 
Frankelheimer III -- can you blame him?) 

- 1. Click on Address Book 
- 2. Open Lou's contact information. 
- 3. In the Nickname box, enter Uncle Lou (or whatever
     nickname you'd like). 
- 4. In the display name box, enter Uncle Lou. 
- 5. Click OK. 

Now the message will be addressed Uncle Lou!


*2. IS IT DRAFTY IN HERE? -- PART 1 OF 2

July 9th, 1999

One reader asked, "What the heck is the Drafts folder for?" 
Sadly, it's not Outlook Express' ultimate guide to beer, though 
it is pretty useful. It's simply a place to store a message you 
haven't sent yet, perhaps one that needs some editing, like, 
say, your manifesto about office politics. A message will be 
automatically saved to your Drafts folder if, in the process of 
composing a message, you click on the "X" in the upper right 
corner of the Compose New Message window. When you click on 
that "X," you'll see a pop-up dialogue box asking you, "Do you 
want to save changes to this message?" If you click on the Yes 
button, that message will fly over to your Drafts folder. If 
you click on No, it's gone forever.


*3. IS IT DRAFTY IN HERE? -- PART 2 OF 2

July 12th, 1999

In the last tip, we showed you how to store an e-mail message 
in progress (say, your life-changing manifesto) in the Drafts 
folder. When you're ready to resume working on it so you can 
send it out to the whole office, follow these steps. 

- 1. Click on the Drafts folder. 
- 2. Double-click on the message in progress. 
- 3. Make whatever changes are necessary. 
- 4. Click Send. 

Now sit back and wait for acolytes to swoon at your feet.


*4. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEM

July 13th, 1999

Wouldn't it be handy if you could customize the icons used for 
new folders created in Outlook Express? Several readers thought 
so, and we agree, but apparently Microsoft doesn't. Sadly, 
you'll have to go elsewhere to exercise your creativity.


*5. THE MISSING LINKS -- PART 1 OF 2

July 14th, 1999

Concerned reader Mark Simon wrote that when he clicks on Web 
links in mail or news posts, nothing happens. In the next two 
tips, we'll show you common causes of non-functioning links, 
and what you can do. First, make sure that Outlook Express is 
set up as your default mail and news program. 

- 1. Click Tools + Options. 
- 2. Select the General tab. 
- 3. Make sure there's a check mark in the box next to Make
     Outlook Express my default e-mail program. 
- 4. Make sure there's a check mark in the box next to Make
     Outlook Express my default news reader. 
- 5. Click OK.


16. AND MAKE SOME COFFEE WHILE YOU'RE AT IT...PART 1 OF 4

July 16th, 1999

While you may not be able to afford a personal assistant to 
sort and file all your incoming paper mail, you can still play 
the big boss electronically by hiring an Inbox Assistant. In 
the next four tips, we'll show you how to put your new 
assistant to work routing your e-mail into the appropriate 
folders, corresponding with important contacts, and more. And 
you don't have to buy flowers on Secretary's Day.  

Let's say you want all the messages from your golfing buddy to 
be routed quickly into a personal folder. It's easy to set up 
the following rule:  

- 1. Click Tools + Inbox Assistant  
- 2. Click Add.  
- 3. In the section that reads When a message arrives with the
     following criteria, type your friend's e-mail address
     (let's say it's golfgirl@driver.com) in the From: field.  
- 4. In the section that reads Perform the following action,
     place a check mark in the box next to Move to:.  
- 5. Click on Folder.  
- 6. Select which folder you want your golf messages moved to,
     or create a folder by clicking New Folder, then naming a
     new folder Golf.  
- 7. Click OK.  

Presto! From now on, all e-mails from golfgirl@driver.com will 
be routed into your Golf folder. Fore!


*7. THE MISSING LINKS --PART 2 OF 2

July 15th, 1999

In the last tip, we showed you how to verify that Outlook 
Express is set up as your default e-mail and news program. If 
it is, and links still aren't working, you'll need to make sure 
that Internet Explorer is your default browser. 

- 1. Open Internet Explorer. 
- 2. Click View + Internet Options. 
- 3. Select the Programs tab. 
- 4. Make sure there's a check mark in the box next to the
     option Internet Explorer should check to see whether it
     is the default browser. 
- 5. In that same window, make sure that Outlook Express is
     listed as your Mail and News programs. 
- 6. Click OK. 

Web links should be linked and live in your Mail and 
News messages.


*8. AND MAKE SOME COFFEE WHILE YOU'RE AT IT...PART 2 OF 4

July 19th, 1999

In the last tip, we showed you how to get your Inbox Assistant 
to forward mail to a particular folder. Since we're feeling 
powerful, why don't we go a step further, and forward all 
golf-related e-mails to your social secretary, who can 
conveniently schedule your next tee-time. (Okay, so you don't 
have a social secretary, it's actually your husband, but it's 
nice to dream). To automatically forward messages to a contact 
in your address book: 

- 1. Click Tools + Inbox Assistant 
- 2. Click Add. 
- 3. In the section that reads When a message arrives with the
     following criteria, type your friend's e-mail address
     (let's say it's golfgirl@driver.com) in the From: field.
- 4. In the section that reads Perform the following action,
     place a check mark in the box next to Forward to:. 
- 5. Type in the e-mail address of the contact to forward the
     message to (or search the Address Book by clicking on the
     Contact icon). 
- 6. Click OK. 

Now any messages from golfgirl@driver.com will be forwarded to 
your husband, who can schedule you for 18 holes. Who says good 
help is hard to find?


*9. AND MAKE SOME COFFEE WHILE YOU'RE AT IT...PART 3 OF 4

July 20th, 1999

In the last two tips, we showed you how to put Inbox Assistant 
to work routing and forwarding e-mail to folders and contacts. 
Today we'll show you how to automatically send a file in 
response to an e-mail. Say you and your golf pals have a match 
schedule set up, and want an easy way to send it out. If any of 
them send an e-mail request with the words "Golf Schedule" in 
the subject line, Inbox Assistant can automatically send out a 
text file that contains the schedule. Here's how to set it up: 

- 1. Click Tools + Inbox Assistant 
- 2. Click Add. 
- 3. In the section that reads When a message arrives with the
     following criteria, type "Golf Schedule" or whatever text
     you'd like, into the Subject: field. 
- 4. In the section that reads Perform the following action,
     place a check mark in the box next to Reply With:. 
- 5. Click Browse, and navigate to the e-mail, text, or html
     file you need (in this case, the one containing the
     game schedule). 
- 6. Click OK twice. 

Now whoever needs the schedule can get it by e-mailing you 
a request.


*10. AND MAKE SOME COFFEE WHILE YOU'RE AT IT...PART 4 OF 4

July 21st, 1999

In the last three tips, we've shown you how to use Inbox 
Assistant to automatically route e-mail to folders, forward 
e-mail to contacts in your Address Book, and reply with a file 
attachment. What if you want to do some combination of rules? 
The good news is it's easy to apply multiple filters at the 
same time. For example, if all your e-mail from your friend 
golfgirl@driver.com gets delivered directly to your Golf folder 
and she sends a work-related mail, you might not get it right 
away. You can avoid this situation by applying multiple filters:

- 1. Click Tools + Inbox Assistant 
- 2. Click Add. 
- 3. In the section that reads When a message arrives with the
     following criteria, type your friend's e-mail address
     (let's say it's golfgirl@driver.com) in the From: field. 
- 4. Type GOLF in the Subject: field 
- 5. In the section that reads Perform the following action,
     place a check mark in the box next to Move to:. 
- 6. Click on Folder. 
- 7. Select which folder you want your golf messages moved to,
     or create a folder by clicking New Folder, then naming a
     new folder Golf. 
- 8. Click OK. 

Now, since your friend's e-mail must say Golf in the subject 
line to get moved to the Golf folder, you'll still get 
work-related e-mails from her in your Inbox.
