MS Outlook E-mail
Intermediate Topics
Attachments
Do you need to send a file with your e-mail? Attachments are the way to do this.
In Outlook 2000/XP/2003:
- With an unsent message open, click Insert in the menu bar, then File.
- You will see a browse window, allowing you to find the file on your computer to attach.
- A new field will show up underneath the Subject: field. You can now click the Attach... button to add more files (labeled Insert in Outlook XP and 2000).
In Outlook 2007:
- Click the Insert tab at the top of the e-mail.
- Click the Attack File button.
- You will see a browse window, allowing you to find the file on your computer to attach.
- A new field will show up underneath the Subject: field, listing the files you've attached.
In Outlook 2003, to the right of the new attachment field is a button labeled Attachment Options.... Click it to bring up a new side panel. You'll have the option of making a "regular attachment" or a "shared attachment." Shared attachments function a bit differently from a regular attachment. Normally, Outlook would send a copy of the file you've attached to all recipients of the message, but if you chose to use "shared attachments," Outlook would create a space on the network for a new copy of the file that all recipients could work on simultaneously. The document would be automatically updated after each user changes it. Note that this only works when all of the people to whom you send the e-mail are members of the vetmed domain.
If you aren't sure which kind of attachment you want to use, you probably want to use the regular attachment. Use the shared attachment option only if you want to modify the file cooperatively with someone over the network, and only if the other person is on the network.
Signatures
If you'd like to have your e-mails display your name, title, phone number or any other information at the end of all your e-mails, there is a simple way to make that happen.
- Click Tools in the menu bar, then Options.
- In the new window, select the Mail Format tab.
- Near the bottom of that tab is a button labeled "Signatures..."; click it.
- In the new window, click the "New..." button.
- In the new window this brings up, give your signature a title, then choose to "start with a blank signature."
- Click Next.
- Now, design your signature. You may use any kind of fancy text formatting you see fit, or even use the advanced editing button to design your signature with Word.
- Once you've designed a signature, click Finish, then click OK.
- Once you're back at the Outlook Options menu, in the Mail Format tab, find the area for signatures again.
- There are three drop-down menus, the lower two labeled "signature for new messages" and "signature for replies and forwards."
- Set these to a signature you've designed to have your signature pop up on all e-mails of the kind you've indicated, then click OK.
Organizing Your Mail
The easiest way to keep your e-mail organized is the use of folders and rules. With folders, you can sort e-mails with like e-mails. With rules, Outlook will sort e-mails automatically.
- To start organizing, navigate to the folder within which you want to place your new folder. If you want the folder to be in the same area as your inbox, go to the Mailbox folder.
- Click the down arrow next to the New button, then choose Folder.
- Give your folder a name that will help you remember what kinds of e-mails are found there - "Personal," or "Newsletters," for example.
- Then, choose where to place the folder. You can place the folder within an existing folder, like your inbox, or place it in the mailbox, the base level.
- Click OK.
Your new folder will show up where you've placed it, and you can now drag and drop e-mails into the folder. The easier way is to create a rule to sort your e-mail for you.
- To make a rule, right-click on an e-mail in your inbox for which you'd like to make a rule.
- You can set e-mails to play a sound, give an alert or move the e-mail to a folder whenever they meet certain criteria. The most common are to set it to sort e-mails from a particular person or with a particular subject so they'll automatically go into the folders you've created.
- There are other, more advanced options under the "Advanced Options..." button.
- Once you've set all the perameters, click OK.
- You'll be given the option to have this rule apply retroactively - that is, Outlook will sort through your old e-mails and apply the rule to them, sorting your old e-mails.