If a message is received without proper character set encoding information, it can be read by selecting the proper encoding on the View menu.
If you are unable to read or post news, make sure that you use an account name and password for a news server only if it requires them. If you use an account name and password and they are not required, you will not be able to connect to the news server.
If you run into a problem, try the Troubleshooting section in Help:
Frequently asked questions and popular Help topics on Outlook Express are available on the Microsoft Web site at: Outlook Express Frequently Asked Questions
If that name isn't found by your Internet service provider, you
can type 131.107.3.27 instead.
You do not need to log on to this news server.
To send a message to someone in the Address Book, double-click the name of the contact in the Contacts area.
To edit the source of an HTML message you are writing, on the View menu, click Source Edit. Three tabs will be displayed at the bottom of the Window. Click the Source tab to see and change the HTML.
To change the New Mail Notification sound, in Control Panel, double-click the Sounds icon, and select New Mail Notification from the events list. Click the Sound list to view your choices.
To look up a person's e-mail address when sending e-mail, on the Tools menu or New Message toolbar, click Check Names. The name will be underlined when the associated address is found.
To send an e-mail message in plain text only (no HTML formatting), on the Format menu, click Plain Text. To make plain text the default setting for new messages, replies, and forwarded messages, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the Send tab, under Mail Sending Format, click Plain Text. (News messages are sent in plain text by default, but similarly, this setting can be changed under News Sending Format.)
To customize the toolbar, right-click it, and then click the menu commands to perform the desired actions.
You can resize the preview pane or the message list by dragging the divider between the preview pane and the message list.
You can change how the preview pane splits, or turn it off entirely, by clicking the View menu, clicking Layout, and then changing the options in the dialog box.
To view the e-mail address of someone who has sent you a message, double-click the message to open it, and then double-click the author's name in the From field. You can also add this person to your Address Book by right-clicking the name, and then clicking Add To Address Book.
To view responses to a particular message in a newsgroup, click the plus sign (+) next to the message. The responses are displayed indented below it.
In e-mail, you can leave a copy of your messages on the server. To set this option, on the Tools menu, click Accounts. Click the mail account you want to modify, and then click Properties. On the Advanced tab, select the Leave A Copy Of Messages On Server check box.
You can search for newsgroups that contain specific words in their
names.
To do this:
You can also search newsgroup descriptions. If you cannot see the descriptions, on the Tools menu, click Accounts. Click the news account you want to modify, and then click Properties. On the Advanced tab, select the Use Newsgroup Descriptions check box. On the Tools menu, click Newsgroups. In the Newsgroups window, click Reset List.
To reorder columns, you can drag and drop column headings. Columns can be resized by dragging the right edge of the column header.
To hang up, on the File menu, click Work Offline. When prompted whether you want to hang up, click Yes.
To set Outlook Express to connect and check e-mail at a regular interval, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. Make sure the Send and receive messages every X minutes option is selected, and then click either Connect only when not Working Offline or Connect even when Working Offline.
If any of your mail or news accounts requires you to use a specific ISP connection, select the Always connect to this account using option and select the appropriate account. This option is available on the Connection tab in the Properties for each account. This option is mainly used by people who use multiple connections, such as a LAN and a dial-up connection or two dial-up connections.
To check for new messages at start up, on the Tools menu, click Options. On the General tab, click Send and receive messages every X minutes. For each account you want to check, on the General tab in Properties, click Include this account in Send and Receive All. The At Start up, ask me if I would like to connect option only initiates a connection. It does not check for e-mail.
The Dial-up Connection option, At Start up, ask me if I would like to connect, will always prompt you to dial a modem at start up, even if a LAN connection exists. If you primarily use a LAN, deselect this option.
To disable the Connect automatically option for any of your dial-up accounts, click Cancel while connecting to the account. This will bring up the Dial-up Connection box and allow you to deselect the Connect automatically option.
If you are running Outlook Express on Windows NT and you need to add support for a different language, in Control Panel, double-click the Keyboard icon, and then click Add. Follow the instructions on your screen. This installs the appropriate NLS (National Language Support) files. You do not have to use the associated keyboard layout.