Microsoft Outlook Version 2002 Step by Step with CD-ROM

• Formatting Messages
• Changing Message Settings and Delivery Options
• Filtering Messages
• Using Personal Folders and Address Books

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Format messages
• Change message options
• Filter messages
• Use personal folders and address books

As you learn the fundamentals of sending, receiving, and managing your e-mail, you will see how using e-mail can help you work more efficiently. Because you can customize the format of your messages, select from a number of message and delivery options, filter messages, and set up personal folders and address books, you can configure Microsoft Outlook to be as convenient and useful as possible. For example, you might ask your project team to use a particular phrase in the subject line of messages related to the project. Then, when you need to focus on the project, you can filter messages to display only those items related to it.

This chapter uses the practice files that you installed from this book's CD-ROM onto your hard disk and copied into Outlook. For details about installing and copying the practice files, see "Using the Book's CD-ROM" at the beginning of this book.

Formatting Messages

E-mail messages are sent in one of three formats: HTML, Plain Text, or Outlook Rich Text Format (RTF). Outlook supports all three formats. Other e-mail programs might be able to work with only some of them.

• HTML is the default message format in Outlook. HTML supports text formatting, numbering, bullets, pictures and backgrounds in the message body, styles, and stationery. Most popular e-mail programs support HTML messages.
• Outlook Rich Text Format supports a host of formatting options including text formatting, bullets, numbering, background colors, borders, and shading. Rich Text Format is supported by some Microsoft e-mail clients, including Outlook 97 and Outlook 2000. Microsoft Outlook Express, which is distributed with several versions of Microsoft Windows, supports only HTML and Plain Text.
• Plain Text is supported by all e-mail programs, but as the name implies, messages in plain text do not include any formatting.

For the most part, HTML format will meet your needs. In fact, Microsoft recommends using the HTML format, whether you are sending messages over the Internet or using Microsoft Exchange Server. When you send an HTML message to someone whose e-mail program doesn't support HTML format, the message is displayed as plain text in the recipient's e-mail program. Outlook automatically converts RTF messages you send over the Internet into HTML format. When you reply to or forward a message, by default Outlook uses the format of the original message. However, you can choose the format for any message you send.

When sending messages in HTML format, you can enhance the appearance of your messages using stationery and themes. When you use stationery, you can specify the set of fonts, bullets, background color, horizontal lines, images, and other elements you want to use in outgoing e-mail messages. You can choose from a collection of predefined stationery, customize one of the patterns, create new stationery, or download new patterns from the Web. If you use Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor, you can choose from additional patterns available as Word themes.

In this exercise, you will use Word as the default e-mail editor to format messages in HTML, Rich Text, and Plain Text formats. You will also compose messages using stationery and themes. You don't need any practice files for this exercise.

1. If Outlook is not already open, start it now. Then if necessary, maximize the window.
2. On the Outlook Bar, click the Inbox icon.

3. The contents of the Inbox are displayed.

4. On the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.

5. A blank Message form appears.

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6. Click in the body of the message, and type Wow! Have you seen the new roses?.

7. By default, the text is formatted in 10-point Arial (the Normal style).

8. Drag the gray bar at the left end of the Formatting toolbar to the left as far as it will go so that you can see more of its buttons.
9. Select the word Wow!, and change its size by clicking the down arrow to the right of the Font Size box and clicking 16.
10. Click the down arrow to the right of the Font Color button, and click the red square.
11. On the Message form's toolbar, click the down arrow to the right of the Message format box, and click Plain Text.

12. A message box appears, indicating that Plain Text format does not support some of the formatting in the message, as shown on the next page.

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    TIP:
    You can choose to bypass this message in the future. Before clicking Continue, select the Don't show this dialog box again check box.

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13. Click the Continue button.

14. The text is formatted in 10-point Courier New (the Plain Text style), and the Formatting toolbar is unavailable.

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15. On the Message form's toolbar, click the down arrow to the right of the Message format box, and click Rich Text.

16. The message format is changed to Rich Text format, but the text remains in the Plain Text style. You can now use the Formatting toolbar to change the style or other text formatting.

17. Click the Message form's Close button, and when asked if you want to keep a draft of the message, click No.

18. The Message form closes.

19. On the Tools menu, click Options.

20. The Options dialog box appears.

21. Click the Mail Format tab.

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23. In the Message format area, click the down arrow to the right of the Compose in this message format box, click Plain Text, and then click OK.

24. The Options dialog box closes. The default message format for new messages is set to Plain Text format.

25. On the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.

26. The Message form appears, with the Plain Text format selected.

27. Click the Close button.

28. The Message form closes.

29. On the Tools menu, click Options.

30. The Options dialog box appears.

31. Click the Mail Format tab.
32. In the Message format area, click the down arrow to the right of the Compose in this message format box, and then click HTML.
33. In the Stationery and Fonts area, click the down arrow to the right of the Use this stationery by default box, click Clear Day, and then click OK.

34. The Options dialog box closes. New messages will be formatted in HTML format using the Clear Day stationery.

35. On the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.

36. The Message form appears, using the Clear Sky stationery.

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37. Click in the body of the message, and type Bring your family and come to.

38. By default, the text is formatted in 10-point Arial (the Normal style for this stationery).

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    TIP:
    You can customize message stationery. On the Mail Format tab of the Options dialog box, click the Stationery Picker button. To edit existing stationery, click the stationery design you want, click the Edit button, apply the font, background, and color formatting you want, and then click OK. To create new stationery, click the New button in the Stationery Picker dialog box, and follow the directions in the wizard that appears.

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39. On the Format menu, click Theme.

40. The Theme dialog box appears.

41. In the Choose a Theme list, click Artsy.

42. A preview of the Artsy theme appears in the Theme dialog box.

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43. In the Choose a Theme list, click Industrial, and then click OK.

44. The Theme dialog box closes, and the Industrial theme is applied to the message, replacing the Clear Day stationery.

45. In the body of the message, press the Enter key, type The Garden Company Summer Picnic, press the Enter key, type June 24th – 11 A.M. to 5 P.M., and then press the Enter key again.
46. Click in the first line of text, and on the Formatting toolbar, click the Center button.

47. The line is now centered in the body of the message.

48. Click in the second line of text, and on the Formatting toolbar, click the down arrow to the right of the Style box, and then click Heading 1.

49. The line is now formatted with the Heading 1 style.

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    TIP:
    If you can't see the Style box, click the Toolbar Options button to display a drop-down menu of additional buttons, and set the style for the paragraph there. The Style box will then join the other buttons on the visible part of the Formatting toolbar.

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50. Click the third line of text, and on the Formatting toolbar, click the down arrow to the right of the Style box, and then click Heading 3.

51. The line is now formatted with the Heading 3 style. The message looks like this:

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52. Click the Close button on the Message form, and when asked if you want to keep a draft of the message, click No.

53. The Message form closes, discarding the draft.

54. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
55. In the Stationery and Fonts area, click the down arrow to the right of the Use this stationery by default box, click <None> at the top of the drop-down list, and then click OK.

56. The Options dialog box closes. New messages will now be formatted in HTML with no stationery applied.

Changing Message Settings and Delivery Options

To help you manage your e-mail and convey the meaning of your messages more effectively, you can set the importance, sensitivity, and a number of delivery options for e-mail messages.

You can set a message to High, Normal, or Low importance. Messages sent with High importance are marked with a red exclamation point. Messages sent with Normal importance have no special marker. Messages sent with Low importance are marked with a blue arrow pointing downward. These markers show up in the Importance column in the Inbox.

You can also set message sensitivity to Normal, Personal, Private, or Confidential. Messages marked as Private cannot be modified after they are sent.

To help you manage messages you receive, you can choose to have people's replies to your messages sent to another e-mail address. For example, you might have replies sent to a new e-mail address as you transition from one to another. To help you manage messages you send, you can choose whether to save copies of your sent messages and in which folder they should be saved. You can also specify when a message will be delivered and make a message unavailable after a certain date.

In this exercise, you will set the importance of a message. You will also modify the delivery options for a message. You don't need any practice files for this exercise.

1. With your Inbox displayed in the Outlook window, on the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.

2. A blank Message form appears.

3. On the Message form's toolbar, click the Options button.

4. The Message Options dialog box appears.

5. In the Message settings area, click the down arrow to the right of the Importance box, and click High in the drop-down list.
6. In the Delivery options area, select the Have replies sent to check box, delete the text in the adjacent box, and type kimy@gardenco.msn.com.

7. The dialog box looks like this:

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8. Click the Close button.

9. The Message Options dialog box closes, and you return to the Message form.

10. In the To box, type your own e-mail address.
11. Click in the Subject box, type This is a message of high importance, and on the Message form's toolbar, click the Send button.

12. The Message form closes, and the message is sent.

13. On the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.

14. A blank Message form appears.

15. On the Message form's toolbar, click the Options button.

16. The Message Options dialog box appears.

17. In the Message settings area, click the down arrow to the right of the Importance box, and click Low in the drop-down list.
18. In the Delivery options area, click the Browse button.

19. The Select Folder dialog box appears.

20. In the Folders list, click the Drafts folder, and click OK.

21. The sent message will be saved in the Drafts folder.

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22. Click the Close button.

23. The Message Options dialog box closes, and you return to the Message form.

24. In the To box, type your own e-mail address.
25. Click in the Subject box, type This is a message of low importance, and on the Message form's toolbar, click the Send button.

26. The Message form closes, and the message is sent.

27. If the messages have not yet arrived in your Inbox, click the Send/Receive button.

28. Outlook downloads any new messages. The message sent with High importance is marked with a red exclamation point. The message sent with Low importance is marked with a blue arrow pointing downward.

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29. Double-click the message sent with High importance.

30. The Message window appears. The message header indicates that this message was sent with High importance.

31. On the toolbar, click the Reply button.

32. The Reply form appears. The To box contains the e-mail address you entered earlier, kimy@gardenco.msn.com, as shown on the next page.

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33. Click the Close button.

34. The Reply form closes.

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    Recalling Messages

    If you are connected to a network that uses Microsoft Exchange Server, you can recall messages you've sent. For example, if you discover errors in a message you've sent, you can recall the message so that you can correct the error and resend the message.

    To recall a message:

    1. If the Folder List is not open, click Folder List on the View menu.
    2. In the Folder List, click Sent Items.
    3. Double-click the message you want to recall to open it in a Message window.
    4. On the Actions menu, click Recall This Message.
    5. Select whether you want to delete unread copies of the message or delete unread copies and replace them with a new message, and then click OK.

    You can recall or replace a message only if its recipient is logged on, is using Microsoft Outlook, and has not yet read the message or moved it from the Inbox.

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35. Click the Close button on the Message window.

36. The Message window closes.

37. On the Folder banner, click the down arrow to the right of Inbox, and then click Drafts in the drop-down list.

38. The contents of the Drafts folder are displayed, including the copy of the message you sent with Low importance.

39. On the Outlook Bar, click the Inbox icon.

40. The contents of the Inbox are displayed.

Filtering Messages

As messages accumulate in your Inbox, it can be a challenge to find a message you need when you need it. To help meet this challenge, you can filter your messages by customizing views. When you filter messages, you display only those messages that meet common criteria, helping you identify a specific collection of messages. You can also create rules to move your messages to selected folders as you receive them, and you can filter out junk e-mail or e-mail with adult content.

In this exercise, you will create a view to filter messages and create a rule that will move messages out of the Inbox.

1. With your Inbox displayed in Outlook, on the View menu, point to Current View, and click Define Views.

2. The Define Views for "Inbox" dialog box appears, as shown on the next page.

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3. Click the Copy button.

4. The Copy View dialog box appears.

5. In the Name of new view box, type Filtered for Show, and click OK.

6. The Copy View dialog box closes, and the View Summary dialog box appears, showing the settings from the view you copied.

7. Click the Filter button.

8. The Filter dialog box appears.

9. In the Search for the word(s) box, type show, and click OK.

10. The Filter dialog box closes, and the View Summary dialog box appears, showing the new filter settings.

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11. In the View Summary dialog box, click OK.

12. The View Summary dialog box closes, and you are returned to the Define Views for "Inbox" dialog box, which shows the new view in the View Name list.

13. Make sure Filtered for Show is highlighted in the View Name list, and click the Apply View button.

14. The Define Views for "Inbox" dialog box closes, and the Inbox is displayed, containing only the messages with the word show in the subject. The Folder banner indicates that a filter is applied.

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15. On the View menu, point to Current View.

16. The list of available views appears, including the new Filtered for Show view.

17. Click Messages on the Current View submenu.

18. The filter is removed, and all your messages appear in the Inbox.

19. Now you'll create a rule to manage messages that meet specific criteria. On the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.

20. The first page of the Rules Wizard appears, as shown on next page.

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21. Click the New button.

22. The next page of the Rules Wizard appears. The Start creating a rule from a template option is selected. Take a moment to look over the types of rules you can create from a template. (If the Office Assistant offers to help you, click No, don't provide help now.)

23. Be sure that Move new messages from someone is selected, and click the Next button.

24. The next page of the Rules Wizard appears.

25. In the Which condition(s) do you want to check? list, clear the from people or distribution list check box, and select the with specific words in the subject check box.

26. The description in the Rule description box is updated to reflect the change. The underlined words in the description are values that you must specify to complete the rule.

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27. In the Rule description box, click the underlined words specific words.

28. The Search Text dialog box appears.

29. In the Specify words or phrases to search for in the subject box, type Travel, click the Add button, and then click OK.

30. The Rule description box is updated to reflect the change.

31. Click the Next button.

32. The next page of the Rules Wizard is displayed.

33. In the What do you want to do with the message? box, be sure the move it to the specified folder check box is selected, and in the Rule description box, click the underlined word specified.

34. The Rules Wizard dialog box appears, showing a list of folders for you to choose from.

35. Click the New button.

36. The Create New Folder dialog box appears.

37. In the Name box, type Travel, and in the Select where to place the folder list, click Inbox.

38. The dialog box now looks like the graphic shown on the next page.

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39. Click OK.
40. If prompted to add a shortcut to the Outlook Bar, click No, and then in the Rules Wizard dialog box, click OK.

41. The dialog box closes, and the Rule description box is updated to reflect your folder selection.

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42. Click the Next button.

43. The next page of the Rules Wizard is displayed.

44. In the Add any exceptions (if necessary) list, select the except if it is flagged for action check box, and in the Rule description box, click the underlined word action.

45. The Flagged Message dialog box appears.

46. Click the down arrow to the right of the Flag box to see the available options, click Any, and click OK.

47. The Rule description box is updated to reflect your selection.

48. Click the Next button.

49. The final page of the Rules Wizard is displayed, summarizing the parameters you have set for the Travel rule.

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50. Select the Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox" check box, and click the Finish button.

51. The rule is saved and is now listed in the Rules Wizard dialog box, as shown on the next page.

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52. Click OK.

53. The rule is now active, and Outlook applies it to the messages in the Inbox.

54. In the Folder List, click the plus sign (+) to the left of the Inbox folder, and then click the Travel folder.

55. The contents of the Travel folder are displayed, including the Travel Schedule message from Kim Yoshida.

56. In the Folder List, click Inbox.

57. The contents of the Inbox are displayed.

Outlook offers several options for managing junk e-mail messages—the unsolicited advertisements and solicitation letters that can swamp your Inbox if your e-mail address finds its way into the hands of unscrupulous mailing list vendors. You can color-code junk messages for easy identification, or you can move them to another folder to reduce clutter in your Inbox. You can manage messages with adult content in the same way.

To filter junk e-mail or adult-content messages:

1. On the toolbar, click the Organize button.

2. The Ways to Organize Inbox pane appears.

3. In the Ways to Organize Inbox pane, click Junk E-Mail.
4. To color-code junk messages, in the first line, set the first box to color, and in the second box, click a color in the drop-down list.

5. You can also set the first box to move and select a destination folder in the second box.

6. Click the Turn On button to turn on the rule for filtering junk messages.
7. To filter adult-content messages, in the second line, select either color or move, and then select a specific color or destination.
8. Click the Turn On button to turn on the rule for filtering messages with adult content.
9. Close the Ways to Organize Inbox pane.

The filtering rules remain in effect behind the scenes until you turn them off.

The items you create and receive in Outlook—messages, appointments, tasks, notes, and journal entries—are kept in a data file either on a server on your network or on the hard disk in your computer.

• If your information is kept on a server, which is the case when you are working on a network that uses Microsoft Exchange Server, it is part of a file called a private store. You can access this store only when you are connected to your server.
• If your information is kept on your computer, it is stored in a Personal Folders file that has a .pst file extension. The default Personal Folders file is Outlook.pst. You can access this file whether or not you are connected to your ISP.

Whether you are working on a networked or a stand-alone computer, you can create Personal Folders files to store Outlook items on the hard disk of your own computer. If you are working on a network, you might want to do this so that certain items are available whether or not you are connected to the server—if you work on a laptop that you use both in the office and at home, for example. If you are not working on a network, you might want to do this so that you can keep items related to a particular project in a separate Personal Folders file. Then you can back up that file separately from your other Outlook items, or you can copy that file to another computer.

For the same reason, you might want to create a Personal Address Book to store e-mail addresses and distribution lists separately from your Contacts folder. Personal Address Book files have a .pab file extension and can be stored on your local computer.

In this exercise, you will create a Personal Folders file, move messages and folders to the new file, add a Personal Address Book, and create a personal distribution list.

1. On the File menu, click Import and Export.

2. The Import and Export Wizard appears.

3. In the Choose an action to perform list, click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.

4. The next page of the Import and Export Wizard appears.

5. In the Select file type to import from list, click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
6. On the next page of the Import and Export Wizard, click the Browse button.

7. The Open Personal Folders dialog box appears.

8. Click the down arrow to the right of the Look in box, browse to the SBS\Outlook\Address folder, click Travel, and then click the Open button.

9. The Open Personal Folders dialog box closes, and the path to the folder you selected appears in the File to import box.

10. In the Import and Export Wizard, make sure the Replace duplicates with items imported option is selected, and click Next.
11. In the Select the folder to import from list, click the Travel folder, and then click Finish.

12. The Travel folder is added to your Folder List. (If the Folder List is not visible, display it by clicking Folder List on the View menu.)

13. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Setup tab.

14. The Options dialog box appears, with the Mail Setup options displayed.

15. Click the Data Files button to display the Outlook Data Files dialog box.

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17. Click the Add button, and in the New Outlook Data File dialog box, click OK to create a new Personal Folders file.

18. The Create or Open Outlook Data File dialog box appears.

19. In the File name box, type personal.pst, and click OK.

20. The Create Microsoft Personal Folders dialog box appears.

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21. In the Name box, type MikeG as a distinct name for this file, and click OK.

22. The Outlook Data Files dialog box is displayed, showing the new Personal Folders file.

23. Click the Close button, and in the Options dialog box, click OK.

24. The Options dialog box closes.

25. In the Folder List, double-click MikeG.

26. The contents of the Personal Folders file are displayed in the Inbox (currently the file is empty), and the folder is expanded in the Folder List. By default, the Personal Folders file contains its own Deleted Items folder.

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27. In the Folder List, click Inbox.

28. The contents of the Inbox are displayed.

29. Click the Upcoming show message from Catherine Turner, and then hold down the Ctrl key and click the RE: Upcoming show message.

30. The messages are selected.

31. On the toolbar, click the Move to Folder button, and then click Move to Folder on the drop-down menu.

32. The Move Items dialog box appears.

33. In the Move the selected items to the folder list, click MikeG, and then click OK.

34. The Move Items dialog box closes, and the messages are moved to the new Personal Folders file.

35. In the Folder List, click MikeG.

36. The contents of the new Personal Folders file, including the two messages you just moved, are displayed.

37. In the Folder List, drag the Travel folder to the MikeG folder.

38. The folder and its contents are moved to the new Personal Folders file.

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39. Now you will add a Personal Address Book to Outlook. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts to display the E-mail Accounts dialog box.
40. Select the Add a new directory or address book option, and click Next.

41. The Directory or Address Book Type page appears.

42. Select the Additional Address Books option, and click Next.

43. The Other Address Book Types page appears.

44. In the Additional Address Book Types list, click Personal Address Book, and then click Next.

45. The Personal Address Book dialog box appears.

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46. Click the Browse button to open the Use Personal Address Book dialog box.
47. Click the down arrow to the right of the Look in box, browse to the SBS \Outlook\Personal folder, which is probably on drive C, click GardenCo, and then click the Open button.

48. In the Personal Address Book dialog box, the path to the GardenCo file appears in the Path box.

49. Click OK, and in the Add E-mail Account message box, click OK again.

50. The address book is added, but you must restart Outlook to use it.

51. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Outlook.
52. On your desktop, double-click the Microsoft Outlook icon to start Outlook.
53. On the Tools menu, click Address Book. Then click the down arrow to the right of the Show Names from the box, and click Personal Address Book.

54. The contents of the Personal Address Book are displayed, including entries for Catherine Turner and Kim Yoshida.

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55. On the toolbar, click the New Entry button.

56. The New Entry dialog box appears.

57. In the Put this entry area, click the down arrow to the right of the In the box, and then click Personal Address Book in the drop-down list.
58. In the Select the entry type list, click Personal Distribution List, and then click OK.

59. The New Personal Distribution List Properties dialog box appears.

60. In the Name box, type Team, and click the Add/Remove Members button.

61. The Edit Members of Team dialog box appears.

62. In the Show Names from the list, click Personal Address Book.

63. The names in the Personal Address Book appear in the Name list.

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    TIP:
    You can also add contacts to your personal distribution lists. In the Edit Members dialog box, click Contacts in the Show Names from the list to show names from the Contacts folder, and then click the names you want.

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64. In the Name list, click Catherine Turner, hold down the Shift key and click Kim Yoshida, and then click the Members button.

65. The names are added to the Personal Distribution List box.

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66. Click OK, and in the New Personal Distribution List Properties dialog box, click OK.

67. The Address Book shows the new distribution list. Distribution lists appear in bold and are marked with an icon, as shown on the next page.

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68. Click the Close button.

69. The Address Book window closes.

70. On the toolbar, click the New Mail Message button.

71. A new, blank Message form appears.

72. Click the To button, click the down arrow to the right of the Show Names from the box, and then click Personal Address Book in the drop-down list.

73. The contents of the Personal Address Book are displayed in the Name list.

74. In the Name list, click the Team distribution list, click the To button, and then click OK.

75. The Team distribution list appears in the To box.

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76. Click the Close button, and click No when prompted to save the message draft.

77. The Message form closes, discarding the draft.

78. Close the Folder List by clicking its Close button. If you are not continuing on to the next chapter, close any open messages, and on the File menu, click Exit to quit Outlook.

By default, Outlook will check any e-mail address you type against the entries in the Outlook Address Book. If the address book does not contain an entry for a name that you type in the To, Cc, or Bcc boxes of a new message, when you send the message, Outlook will prompt you to select an address book entry or provide a full address.

To have Outlook check entries from your Personal Address Book:

1. On the Tools menu, click Address Book.
2. On the Address Book window's Tools menu, click Options.
3. In the Addressing dialog box, click the Add button.
4. In the Add Address List dialog box, click Personal Address Book, and then click the Add button.
5. Click the Close button.
6. In the Addressing dialog box, click OK.
7. In the Address Book window, click the Close button.