Outlook Express (for Windows) FAQ

Questions:

Answers:

How can I setup multiple email accounts on my computer?

If you have more than one person uses the same computer for email, each person can have a separate message store in Outlook Express by creating multiple identities. If you have multiple email accounts that you use to view email messages, you can view all of your email messages by using the same identity. To start Identity Manager, click File, point to Identities, click Manage Identities.

How do I create a new email identity?

To create a new identity, click File, select Identities, click Manage Identities, click New, and follow instructions. If you want, you can set a password for your identity, by clicking to select the Require a Password check box, type a password in the New Password and Confirm New Password boxes, click OK. When finished, click OK.

How can I switch from one email account to another?

To switch to a different identity click File, click Switch Identity, select identity you want to switch to, click OK.

How do I access my address book?

To open the Address Book, click Tools, select Address Book. In the Address Book, if you cannot see the folders on the left, click Folders and Groups on the View menu.

How do I organize my address book?

Creating subfolders:
To create a subfolder in the Address Book, click File, select New Folder. Type a name for the folder in the Folder Name box, click OK.

How can I move addresses around in my address book?

Moving contacts: To move contacts in the Address Book, click the contact that you want to move. Then drag the contact from the list on the right to the group or folder on the left that you want to move the contact to.

When I receive an email, is it possible to add the address to my address book?

To add a new address to your Address Book, either click on Address icon or click Tools, select Address Book, click New, click New Contact, type First, Middle, and Last fields to make the Display name, type email address, click Add, click OK. If you have opened an email, you can add the address to the Address Book by clicking on Tools, select Add to Address Book, and follow the rest of the instructions.

I want to send an email to a group of friends at the same time. How is this done?

To create a group of email addresses, click on New Group, add members to the group by selecting addresses already entered (Select Members) or adding new addresses (the New Contact). Click OK when finished.

How do I customize my options or preferences?

Click Tools, click Options. To make changes, click on the appropriate top tab (General, Read, Receipts, Send, Compose, Signatures, Spelling, Security, Connection, Maintenance). Read menus below each tab and make choices or else just leave default choices.

I can't open attachments. How do I fix this?

Click Tools, click Options, select Security tab, UNCLICK the sentence that begins "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened..." The hit OK to save the change.

Can I write email offline, since my dial-up connection ties up my phone line?

To compose and read email offline, launch Outlook Express while you are offline. If you receive a prompt to Log On, cancel the connection screen, and proceed into Outlook Express. Click File, select Work Offline. You can read any email messages you have previously received. Compose your email messages. When you click on the Send button the messages will be placed in the Outbox. When you are finished, turn off the Work Offline setting by selecting it again and the checkmark will go away. Click on Send and Receive button. Any messages in your Outbox will be sent and any new messages you receive will be placed in your Inbox.

My mail box is full. How do I delete my email?

Highlight the message you wish to delete and click Delete icon (or press Ctrl+D, or click Edit, click Delete). Pick and choose several emails to delete by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on messages to highlight them. To select all emails, click on one email, hit Ctrl+A, and then click Delete.

I have so many emails, I need to sort them by categories. How do I do this?

Click on the Title bar at the top of the email listing. To sort it in ascending order, click once; descending order, click twice. You can sort email by Received Date, Sender, or Subject.

How can I compose and send an email?

There are many ways to compose a new email. One method is to click Create Mail. Enter an email address in To (or if you begin typing an address it will automatically fill in the rest of the name from the Address Book) or click on book icon to access address book. Hit tab key between boxes to get to Subject (not required to enter one but you will be prompted for a subject), tab to Text and type message.

How do I reply to an email?

Reply to any email by highlighting or opening the email and click Reply or Reply to All (to send to everyone). When finished composing email, click Send.

How do I forward an email?

To forward an email to someone else, highlight or open the email and click Forward.  Enter address of the forwarding recipient.

How to I send or receive emails?

To send email you have composed offline and is in Outbox or to receive email that may be waiting for you, click Send and Receive.

I am sending email to a group of people and do not want all of the addresses showing up.

When sending one email to a group of clients or friends, you should enter their email addresses in the BCC field and not the TO field. If not, the email address of each of your recipients will be visible to ALL the other recipients.  With BCC (blind carbon copy), the email message each person gets will have only his/her address visible.

I have lost some previously seen screens, how do I get them back?

It is possible to set up Outlook Express with many different types of screen views.  Click on View, select Layout and then check or uncheck different types of views, then click OK.

Is it possible to get help for Outlook Express?

For additional information about Outlook Express, click Help, click Contents and Index, click the Index tab, type a word or partial word and it will scroll down the subject matter.  Click on article

What version of Outlook Express do I have?

To determine the version of Outlook Express that is installed on your computer, click Help, select About Microsoft Outlook Express, note the version number above the copyright notice.

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