Home | All Questions | alt.html FAQ >

How do I use Outlook properly?


When I reply, Outlook sticks the cursor on the top of a post, so that means topposting is right?

No, from a Microsoft newsgroup FAQ:

Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.*
Subject: [microsoft.public.windowsnt] Welcome - read this first!
Last-modified: 10/26/99
Copyright: (c) 1995-1999 Microsoft Corporation
Maintainer: essmvp@microsoft.com

[snip]
When including text from a previous message
in the thread, trim it down to include only text
pertinent to your response.  Your response
should appear below the quoted information.
[snip]

[snip]
In follow-ups, whether News or Mail, CUT
headers & signatures, PRUNE quotations,
and preserve order.  That is to say, quote
above each part of your reply as much of the
earlier stuff as is needed to put the new material
in context, but no more; most readers will be able
to refer to the earlier article itself, if need be.
Never write on the same line as a quotation, except
in lists and notes; generally leave a wholly blank
line between. Do not quote the header or the
signature, unless it is relevant to do so.
[snip]

How do I get Outlook 6 to bottom post?

Delete, Ctrl-End is the one way, then adding the sig if required using the Sig button

Or brucie's method:

  1. Don't have "add auto sigs" selected:
    tools > options > signatures >
    Deselect "Add signatures to all outgoing messages"
    

    Or have it selected, but have "Don't add signatures to replys and forwards" also selected.

  2. The next time you're replying to a post and the window pops-up right click where the icons are and select "Customise".
  3. Find the icon that says "Insert Signature" (it's a pen) and add it to the toolbar. (It will be there for future messages).
  4. After trimming the post and adding your reply etc. click on the "Add Sig" icon to place the sig at the bottom of the post where your cursor should now be. When you use this option, you don't have to add those dashes (and space) at the top of the signature, because Outlook Express automatically puts it in.
  5. click send.

One plus point of this method is that you can have several sigs for different purposes, and the pen-icon used to add the signature has a dropdown list where you can select which signature you want to put in.


How do I make Outlook safer for reading mail?

Other than uninstalling it.... *eg*

The first major step is to disable scripting in emails, since this is the biggest security hole that Outlook has:

tools > options > security tab
select "Restricted Sites".

Now its down to common sense ideas like not opening attachments unless you were expecting them. That includes attachments from people you know that also use Outlook. Also get in the habit of making sure all mails you send are plain text only (this gives your recipients a reason to trust your emails). There's no reason, advantage or benefit from sending HTML e-mails (not to mention the horrendous tag soup email clients tend to create).


Disabling Active Scripting in Outlook

This will help prevent infection by Outlook email viruses.

  1. open Internet Explorer
  2. choose the Tools menu
  3. choose Internet Options
  4. click the Security tab
  5. click the Restricted Sites icon
  6. click "Custom Level"
  7. scroll down to "Active Scripting" and set it to Disable or Prompt
  8. Click OK
  9. open Outlook Express
  10. choose the Tools menu
  11. choose Options
  12. click the Security Tab
  13. In the "Security Zones" section, choose the "Restricted Sites" zone

How to live with Outlook Express

  1. menu: View > Layout > (Uncheck) Show Preview Pane
  2. Get creative with your message rules. Mine are to select specific messages into folders, everything else into Deleted Items.
  3. Peek at Deleted Items list. If anything in there looks valuable:
    1. Single click to select, right-click for Properties, click on Details, click on Message Source to view ascii without letting macros, links, and JS kicking in.
    2. If it's safe, move it to a working folder.
    3. If it's unsafe, but still has useful stuff, Copy-Paste text you want from the message into a text editor.
  4. Use above Peek method on anything in your sorted folders that comes with an attachment.
  5. Set menu: Tools > Options > Maintenance > (Check) Empty message from Deleted Items folder on exit

Recommended Resources

Discussion

Related Questions