e-mail tips

from my newsletter

These tips assume you have Microsoft Outlook as your mail program and that the folder list is visible (on the view menu click folder list)

Work Off Line

If you have a dial up modem and pay by the minute for time connected it makes sense to minimise your time on line. You only need to be on line to send/receive messages. You can read and write email while off line.

Under Tools/Options/Mail delivery check the hang-up after sending messages box

Organise

Did you know you can organise your mail to group like items together rather than sprinkled through the inbox - for example  you could keep all these newsletters together.

  1. right-click on the Outlook today folder in the folder list and choose New Folder
  2. type in the new folder name eg Sladens
  3. to move an e-mail from the inbox to the new folder  you  "drag and drop" - left click on the mail message      hold the left button down and move the mouse pointer over the new folder in the folder list   when the new folder changes colour release the mouse button 

rules wizard

create rules to automatically file an e-mail into a folder depending on who its from or what the subject is

for example to file this newsletter

  1. choose rules wizard on tools menu
  2. choose new
  3. choose check messages when they arrive, click next button
  4. check with specific words in the subject
  5. click on specific words in the rule description box and enter SLADENS, click next button
  6. check move copy to a specific folder
  7. click on specific folder in the rule description box and pick the folder you wish to copy to (or click new to create a new folder), click next button
  8. no exceptions necessary click next
  9. type in a name for the rule eg sladens
  10. click finish 

drag to contacts list

you get an e-mail from someone and want to add their name to your address book - you could open your address book and type in the details - but there is a faster way, simply drag and drop the e-mail (from the inbox list) to the contacts folder (in the folder list)  

use the signature option to automatically insert your name,address at the bottom of an e-mail. . To do it yourself

  1. click the tools menu
  2. choose options
  3. choose mail format
  4. choose signature
  5. edit the default signature by typing in your details
  6. click OK,OK.. 

You can use this method to insert any text you regularly add to an email

when sending an e-mail you can type an e-mail address in the 'To' box - or you can click the 'To' button and choose a name from your address book. But the quickest way is to type the persons name as it appears in your address book and Outlook will look up the address for you

e.g if you had my name in your address book as Richard Dowie - just type Richard in the 'To' box, press the tab key and voila! my name will be replaced with my address

(NB if you have 2 Richards in your book you have to include a few letters of the surname as well)

a quick way to send someone a file

  1. start Outlook
  2. open windows explorer and move the window so you can see Outlooks folder list
  3. locate the file (picture ,doc , zip etc)
  4. drag and drop file onto the inbox and Outlook will create a new message with the file attached

(reminder - to 'drag and drop'  locate cursor over item,hold down left button and  move mouse cursor until its over your target and then release left button)

use the red flag.

An e-mail arrives which you can't afford to ignore - red flag it and it will remain at the top of your inbox even after other mail has arrived. Right click the email in the inbox list (or choose Actions on top menu bar) and choose "Flag for follow up". To clear the flag repeat the process and click clear flag.