To set up a connection to a mail server

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Accounts, click E-mail.
3. Click New Account.
4. Type a name for your mail account. This name will be used to identify the account in the folder list and in any menus.
5. Click the button that corresponds to your type of mail server.
6. Click OK. Your mail account appears in the Mail Accounts menu and in the Account Name box.
7. In the Full Name box, type your first and last name. If you have already set up a default account, Microsoft Outlook Express will automatically use the information from your default mail account.
8. In the E-mail Address box, type your e-mail address.
9. In the Organization box, type your company or group name. If you have already set up a default account, Microsoft Outlook Express will automatically use the information from your default mail account.
10. In the SMTP Server box, type the name of your outgoing mail server.
11. In the Account ID box, type the name of your mail account.
12. In the Server box, type the name of your incoming mail server.
13. If other people have access to your computer, you may want to leave the Save Password check box clear so that anyone who attempts to connect to your mail server will be prompted for a password. If this is not a concern, and you don't want to type a password whenever you connect to the mail server, select the Save Password check box, and then type the password you use to gain access to your mail account.
14. If you want to make this your default account for sending mail messages and posting to newsgroups, click Make Default. When you create a message, you can use the Account menu in the new message window to change the account from which you want to send the message. However, your default mail account will always be used to post to newsgroups.

Tips

• This information is supplied by your Internet service provider (ISP).

• Click Advanced to further customize your mail server account. Depending on whether you have set up a POP or IMAP account and the limits of your account, you can set up a POP mail server account for online access, override the default port, leave a copy of messages on the server, or omit a server when using Send & Receive commands.

To receive messages

• Do one of the following:
  • If you have a POP server account, on the Tools menu, point to Send & Receive, and then choose the POP account from which you want to receive mail.

  • If you have an IMAP server account, click the account in the Folder list. When you do so, the folders to which you are subscribed are displayed in a hierarchy in the Folder list, and all folders on the server are displayed in the right pane. Click a folder in the Folder list, or double-click a folder in the right pane.

  • If you have set up online access for your POP account, click the account in the Folder list to display message headers.

• If you have an IMAP account or have set up a POP mail server for online access, you can refresh the message list to receive new messages. To do so, click the online folder or account in the Folder list, and then choose Refresh Message List from the View menu.

• Mail messages with attachments have a paper-clip icon next to them.

• You can set up rules to organize your messages automatically. For example, you can remove attachments or move messages to a specified folder.

• By default, IMAP servers are displayed in the Folder list and are designed for online access, but you can set up a POP mail server for online access. Online access lets you leave your messages on the server so that you can access them from any computer.

Related Topics
Automating tasks for mail messages using rules
Keeping copies of all messages on the server
Reading a message
Receiving messages automatically at timed intervals
Receiving messages automatically when starting Microsoft Outlook Express
Sending a message
Subscribing and unsubscribing from a folder on an IMAP server
Working with folders (overview)

To read a message

1. Click the Inbox, or another folder where messages are stored. If you have a POP server account, the number of unread messages you have is displayed in bold to the right of the folder in the Folder list.
2. Do one of the following:
   • To view the message in the preview pane, click the message in the message list. The text of the message appears in the preview pane below the message list.
   • To view the message in a separate window, double-click the message.

Tips

• If you have an IMAP or have set up a POP mail server for online access, you can refresh the message list to receive new messages. If you have an IMAP server account, click the online folder that you want to refresh, and then choose Refresh Folder Messages from the View menu. If you have an online POP account, just click the account in the Folder list, and choose Refresh Message List from the View menu.

• Internet headers can give more information about a message, such as when it was sent. To view the Internet header on individual messages, choose Internet Headers from the View menu. You can change your preferences settings so that you always show Internet header information.

• By default, IMAP servers are displayed in the Folder list and are designed for online access, but you can set up a POP mail server for online access. Online access lets you leave your messages on the server so that you can access them from any computer. Also, if your mail account is set up for online access, you can delete a message without downloading it to your computer. First, make sure that the preview pane is turned off. To do so, review the View menu to make sure that a check mark does not appear beside the Preview Pane command. If a check mark appears beside the command, just choose the Preview Pane command to turn it off. Select the message you want to delete, and then press the Delete key.

Related Topics
Automating tasks for mail messages using rules
Changing the character set used to display a message
Deleting a message
Glossary (download)
Opening file attachments
Receiving messages automatically at timed intervals
Receiving messages automatically when starting Microsoft Outlook Express
Sending a message
Setting up a POP mail server for online access

To use Microsoft Outlook Express without being connected to the Internet

To work offline

• From the File menu, choose Work Offline.

To write messages when you are offline

1. Write a reply to a message or a create a new one.
2. On the message window toolbar, click the Send Later button. This will store the message in the Outbox. When you want to reconnect to the Internet and send your message, point to Send & Receive on the Tools menu, and then choose Send All. This will send all messages stored in the Outbox.

• When you are working offline and click the Send Now button, you will be prompted to reconnect to the Internet. When you do so, the message you have written will be sent immediately, however, you will still need to use the Send & Receive commands to send messages stored in the Outbox.

Related Topics
Opening file attachments
Reading messages
Receiving messages
Sending a message
Setting up a POP mail server for online access

To read international messages

When this happens, you can change the character set for the displayed message. You must already have the support for that language installed on your computer.

1. In the message list, double-click the message you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, point to Character Set, and then choose a character set. The character set you choose is used by Microsoft Outlook Express to label the message only. It does not change the character set used in the message.

Related Topics
Changing font settings
Glossary (character set)
Reading messages

To open file attachments

1. In the message list, click the message title that contains the attachments you want to view. Mail messages with attachments have a paper-clip icon next to them.
2. Click the paper-clip icon located above the message, and choose the attachment you want to view. Depending on your Preference settings, a file helper may automatically display the attachment. If your Preferences are not set up to use file helpers, you can save the attachment, and open it later.

Tips

• You can set up file helpers to display attachments that Microsoft Outlook Express can't open itself. For example, you could set up a relationship between the file type .xls and Excel so that when you receive a message attachment with the .xls suffix, Excel will automatically open and display the file. If Microsoft Outlook Express comes across an attachment that it can't open and a file helper has not been assigned, a dialog box will open in which you can choose the application you want to use to open the attachment.

• If you press the Option key while you choose an attachment, you can override the current setting of the Use File Helpers To View Attachments check box (located in Preferences). For example, if the Use File Helpers To View File Attachments check box is clear, and you receive an attachment that you want to read immediately, just hold down the Option key while you click the attachment and the assigned file helper will be used to open the attachment.

• You can set up rules to handle attachments automatically for all incoming and outgoing messages.

Related Topics
Attaching files to a message
Automating tasks for mail messages using rules
Glossary (attachments)
Saving file attachments
Setting up file helpers to view attachments in messages

To save file attachments

1. In the message list, click the message that contains the attachments you want to save. Mail messages with attachments have a paper-clip icon next to them.
2. On the Message menu, point to Save Attachment, and choose the name of the attachment you want to save. You can also choose Save All Attachments to save all attachments at the same time.
3. In the Save dialog box, choose a location for the file, and then click Save.
4. If a file you receive is compressed and encoded (for example, Example.sit.hqx), Microsoft Outlook Express will decode it for you, but you will need to use a program, such as Stuffit, to decompress it.

Related Topics
Automating tasks for mail messages using rules
Glossary (attachments)
Opening file attachments
Setting up file helpers to view attachments in messages

To print a message

1. In the message list, click the message you want to print. If you want to print more than one message, hold down the Shift key as you select messages.
2. On the File menu, choose Print.
3. Change settings as needed.
4. Click Print.

• To print one copy of a message press - Option - P.

To save a message as a text document

1. In the message list, double-click the message you want to save as text.
2. On the File menu, choose Save As.
3. Choose a location and type a name for the file.
4. Click Save.

Related Topics
Moving or copying a message to a folder
Sending a message

To delete a message

1. In the message list, click the message you want to delete.
2. On the Edit menu, choose Delete Message. This will result in the following:
   • If the message is located in a local folder, it is moved to the Deleted Messages folder.
   • If the message is located in an online folder, it is marked for deletion and a line is drawn through the message in the message list.
   • If you have set up a POP server account for online access, the message is deleted permanently.

1. Do one of the following:
   • Click the Deleted Messages folder, and then choose Empty Deleted Messages from the Edit menu. You can set up Microsoft Outlook Express to empty the Deleted Messages folder automatically when you quit the program.
   • For online folders, click the server account to remove all marked items, or click a specific folder to remove only marked items in that folder. On the Edit menu, choose Purge Deleted Items.

• If your mail account is set up for online access, you can delete a message without downloading it to your computer. First, make sure that the preview pane is turned off. To do so, click the View menu, and make sure that a check mark does not appear beside the Preview Pane command. If a check mark appears beside the command, just choose the Preview Pane command to turn it off. Now, click the message you want to delete and press the Delete key.

Related Topics
Deleting items permanently when quitting Microsoft Outlook Express
Hiding IMAP messages marked for deletion
Moving or copying a message to a folder
Saving a message as a text document
Setting up a POP mail server for online access
Turning off delete confirmation messages
Undeleting a message

To undelete a message

• For local folders, open the Deleted Messages folder, and drag the message to the Inbox or another folder.
• For online folders, select the marked message in the message list, and then choose Undelete from the Edit menu.

Note

• If you set up a POP server account for online access and delete messages, the deleted messages cannot be retrieved.

Related Topics
Deleting items permanently when quitting Microsoft Outlook Express
Deleting a message
Moving or copying a message to a folder

Searching for mail messages

To search the message list

1. Click the folder in which you want to search so that its messages are displayed in the message list.
2. Click the Display Subjects Containing menu above the message list, and choose which column you want to search.
3. In the text box to the right of the menu, type the word(s) contained in the message you are looking for. As you type, only the messages that match what you type will be visible.
4. To show the entire list of messages again, delete the text you typed.

To search all mail messages

1. On the Edit menu, choose Find.
2. In the Find box, type the text you want to find.
3. If you want to search for the text in a specific location in the message, select the From, To, Subject, or Body check boxes.
4. Click the button that corresponds to where you want to search.
5. Click Find.

Related Topics
Finding a person, business, or e-mail address
Searching for a newsgroup
Sorting the message list

To sort the message list

1. Click the column heading by which you want to sort.
2. To switch between ascending and descending sort order, click the triangle that appears in the column heading.

To automate tasks for mail messages using rules

1. On the Tools menu, choose Mail Rules.
2. Click New Rule on the toolbar.
3. In the Rule Name box, type a name for the rule.
4. Select the Apply To Incoming check box and/or the Apply to Outgoing check box to specify when you want the actions to be applied.
5. In the Criteria area, choose an item from each menu, moving left to right, and then type the text that applies to each rule in the text box.
6. If you want to create a second or third criteria, select the check box beside the Criteria menus and repeat step 5.
7. From the Execute Actions If menu, specify when you want the rules to be applied to a message.
8. From the Action menus, specify how Microsoft Outlook Express should handle files that match the criteria. Microsoft Outlook Express will perform the rule in sequential order starting with the Action 1 menu.
9. Press OK.
10. If you have set up multiple rules, Microsoft Outlook Express will perform the rule in the order displayed in the Mail Rules list. Drag the rules to prioritize them.

• If you wanted to file all messages from Bob in a particular folder, you would first need to create a Inbox rule by clicking New Rule and giving it a name. Then, in the Criteria area you would choose From from the first menu, Contains from the second menu, and then type Bob's e-mail address in the text box. Then, from the Action 1 menu, you would choose Move Message, and then choose a folder from the menu that appears.

Tips

• If you want to stop applying a rule, clear both the Apply to Incoming and Apply to Outgoing check boxes. If you want to permanently remove a rule, choose Mail Rules from the Tools menu, click the rule name, and then choose the Delete Rule button from the toolbar.
• To apply a rule to existing messages, click the message(s) in the message list, point to Apply Rule on the Message menu, and then choose the rule.

To change or delete a rule

1. On the Tools menu, choose Mail Rules.
2. Click a rule, and then on the toolbar, do one of the following:
   • To change the priority of a rule, drag and drop the rule.
   • To change rule information, click the Edit Rule button, and then make changes as needed.
   • To delete a rule, click the Delete Rule button.

To show unread messages only

• On the View menu, choose Unread Only. A check mark appears beside the command when it is turned on.
  To view both read and unread messages, choose Unread Only again to remove the check mark.

To mark a message as read or unread

1. In the message list, click the message.
2. Do one of the following:
   • To mark the message as read, choose Mark As Read from the Message menu.
   • To mark the message as unread, choose Mark As Unread from the Message menu.