Receiving, Answering, and Sending Email

July 29, 2008

Receiving, Answering, and Sending Email in Outlook

1. On your desktop, double-click on your Outlook icon or click on the Start button, move your cursor up to Programs, slide your cursor across to the list and move it up or down until you have Outlook highlighted. Double-click on it and it should open.
2. Once in Outlook, there is a listing of options along the left side in the Outlook Short… list. Click Inbox to get to your email program if it is not already open.
3. Once the program is up, you should see a menu of options across the top. If your email program is not set to automatically send and receive email, click the Send/Receive button. NOTE: Occasionally you may have to click it again to get it to work. NOTE: You can also click it, even if your system is automatic every ten minutes, just to get the in-between mail. NOTE: If your email program is passworded, no mail will be delivered to you until you complete step #4.
4. After clicking Send/Receive, those of you who have passworded your email program will see a box that asks you to enter your user name (this should be the first part of your email address) and password (your email password). Once you have done this, click the OK button and you should receive any incoming messages.
5. Below the toolbars and to the right of the Outlook Shorts… list, should be a window with Inbox listed in the top left corner. There are probably headings called Folder List, From, Subject and Received. Under these headings you should find your email messages.
6. Double click on any of the messages and they will fully open. NOTE: NEVER DOUBLE-CLICK AN EMAIL MESSAGE UNLESS YOU RECOGNIZE THE SENDER. THERE ARE SEVERAL VIRUSES BEING SENT THROUGH EMAIL. IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE A VIRUS, DELETE THE MESSAGE by highlighting it (one click) and then clicking on the X (delete button) in the top toolbar.
7. If there is an attachment(s) underneath, usually double-clicking on the attachment will cause a box to come up asking you to save it or open it. If you choose to just open it, normally the correct program will open and the document will come up. You can then save it if you want to keep the file.
8. To reply to a message, click the reply button on the toolbar. This will bring up the received message with space at the top for you to begin your reply. NOTE: It helps to remove the old message if it is not needed. Simply highlight it and hit the Enter or Backspace key.
9. When you are finished with your reply, click the Send button in the top left side of the toolbar. NOTE: The message has not actually been sent yet. It is sitting in your outbox ready to go as soon as you click on the Send/Receive button in the middle of the top toolbar.
10. To create an email message without having to receive one, click on the "New" button on the top left side just under File & Edit. If you have entered the person and their email address into your Contacts folder, a list will appear when you click on the "To" button in your new email message. If you have not entered any names in Contacts, simply insert the person's email address next to the "To" button.
11. Place your cursor in the Subject box and give your email message a name that will help the contacted party recognize what you are communicating.
12. Place your cursor in the large empty box and type in your message.
13. Go back to step #9 to send your message.
14. To send an attachment, click on the paperclip in the top toolbar, or go to Insert on the toolbar and click on "file" in the dropdown menu. At this point, an "Insert File" box will appear. Go to the dropdown menu in it and locate the file you want to attach to your email. Click insert and it "shall be done".
15. There is a lot more to learn when using email, but this should get you started.