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Email Tips

Searching through the email

Many of you are familiar with how to search the Internet, but did you know you could search through your email similarly? Look for the "Search" function in Thunderbird and the "Find" function in Outlook or Outlook Express in the  Edit menu.

Using these tools, you can quickly search through hundreds of messages to find a specific sender, content of the message, etc. Simply fill in the boxes corresponding to the information you want to search for. You can choose to search for a word in the From, To, Subject or Body of the message.

Backup Outlook Express Email

The most reliable way is to search your computer for *.dbx files using Start –> Search. Make sure you check the option to search for hidden folders and files. Then backup any of the dbx files.

To restore these files on a new computer or new installation, Start Outlook Express, Click File –> Import –> Messages. Follow the wizard and choose Outlook Express 6 as the type of email you are importing, then click Browse to where you saved the original files.  

Red X’s in Email Messages

I’m resetting this tip from two or so years ago because we have had so many phone calls and email messages about this topic. 

Have you ever received an email with "red x’s" in a box or just an empty box in the middle of the email? There are three possible explanations for this phenomenon; either you are reading the message offline, your email program is blocking images from appearing in your email, OR more likely the pictures or graphics that were supposed to be in that message didn’t get sent with the message.

First, a quick background on how pictures work in email messages. Email originated as a text only medium, but in the late 90’s it evolved to the point that it was possible to send embedded pictures, colored text and more with email. This is called Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) email. In English, that means special computer code to display those pictures and formatted text. Essentially, email has become like mini-web pages. One problem with HTML email is that not all email programs or users can read this type of email…they simply see the plain text devoid of pictures and formatted text.

Spam Revisited…and Outlook Express Filters

If you use Outlook Express, a listener, Jerry, pointed out an important and extremely helpful tip for seeing less junk in your Inbox. Thanks Jerry!

1. Click Tools from the menus
2. Click Message Rules –> Mail
3. (Click the New button IF the ‘new mail rule’ box doesn’t appear)
4. Check the box “Where The To Line Contains People”
5. Check “Delete It” or another action you prefer
6. Click on the blue “Contains People” in the third box
7. In the select people box, type in Your E-Mail address
8. Click the Add button
9. Click on the Options button (this is the most important step)

Signature Files

A signature file will automatically put any text you desire at the end of your outgoing email. Here?s how:

Outlook Express

1. In Outlook Express, Click on Tools à Options
2. Click the Signatures Tab
3. Click the New button
4. Type how you want your signature to look
5. Make sure the ?Add signatures to all outgoing messages? box is checked at the top of the screen
6. Click OK…now all of your outgoing messages will be automatically signed.

Saving Pictures from Email II

With scanners built into sub $100 printers and the onslaught of digital cameras, more pictures are being sent via email than ever before. Search through our archives on the most efficient ways to send your digital photos and ways to resize photos that were sent to you too large.

Today’s tip, however, focuses on the recommended method of saving those precious photos from getting lost. One thing I do not recommend doing is saving old email with attachments just so you don’t lose your photos. I don’t recommend this for two reasons; 1) Most emailers don’t back up their email and 2) it takes much longer to look for and view your photos if they are still attached to an email.

Resize an emailed photo for printing

Have you ever been frustrated when trying to view or print a picture that you received via email?

Today’s tip will solve this annoying problem for you quickly and almost effortlessly.

1. When you receive one of these large pictures, save it to your hard drive (and remember where it is).
2. Start Microsoft Word (Word Perfect and newer versions of Works will work as well).
3. Click on Insert –> Picture –> from file from the menus
4. Click in the “Look in” box and navigate to where you saved the photo
5. Double-click on your photo
6. Word automatically resizes the photo to fit in the document.

Unblocking Attachments in Outlook Express

Many computer users over the past few months lost the ability to receive attachments normally in Outlook Express for seemingly no reason. As with all problems, there is a cause. In this case, the loss of attachments starts after a Windows Update session or an upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer/Outlook Express. Microsoft decided that since attachments can bring along a virus, by default they would prevent attachments altogether from reaching users of Outlook Express. The sentiment is admirable, but the execution is flawed.

Fortunately, you can reverse the process and get your email attachments normally again. Start Outlook Express and follow these steps:

Print Address Book – Outlook Express Revisited

Prompted by a listener, here is the procedure for printing a copy of your address book from Outlook Express with more control than the tip we discussed a few weeks ago.

1. Open your Address Book from within Outlook Express
2. Click on File
3. Click on Export
4. Click on Other Address Book
5. Click on Text File (Comma Separated Values)
6. Click on Export
7. Type in Address in the white box
8. Click on Browse
9. Click on Desktop from the “Save In” box
10. Click on Save
11. Click on Next
12. Uncheck all the boxes except Name and Email Address
13. Click on Finish