Academic Computing Services
QUICK STUDY #4
March 2001

Configuring and Using the Microsoft Outlook
Mail Program on Your PC

The configurations and instructions described in this document apply to the commercial Microsoft Outlook mail program in a PC computing environment.

Note: If you are connected through an alternate ISP, you will not be able to send mail outside the rpi.edu domain using the mail.rpi.edu SMTP server. Please contact your ISP for the appropriate SMTP server information.

Starting and Configuring Outlook

To start the Outlook mail package, double-click on the Microsoft Outlook icon on your PC's desktop.

To configure your mail for use here on the Rensselaer campus:

1.

Pull down the Tools menu and select the Options... option. A separate Options window will appear.

2.

Click on the Mail Delivery tab, then click on the Accounts... button. An Internet Accounts window will appear.

3.

Click on the Add button, then select the Mail option. An Internet Connection Wizard window will appear.

4.

Enter your full name (for example, Joe Smith) in the Display name: field, then click the Next button.

5.

Another Internet Wizard Connection window will appear. In this one, enter your e-mail address (for example, smithj@rpi.edu) in the E-mail address: field and then click on the Next button.

6.

In the window that appears, enter mail.rpi.edu in both the incoming and outgoing mail server fields, then click the Next button.

7.

Another Internet Connection Wizard window will appear. Enter your RCS userID (for example, smithj) in the Account Name field, and click on the Next button.

8.

In the next window that appears, select the Connect using my local area network (LAN) option and click on the Next button.

9.

Another window should appear, stating that you have successfully entered all of the required information to set up your mail account. Click on the Finish button to save your mail settings.

Formatting Outlook to Send Mail as Plain Text

It's often a good idea to compose and send your mail messages in plain text because some users' mail programs cannot read such files as Word documents, HTML files, and so on. To format Outlook to send your mail as plain text:

1.

Start Microsoft Outlook if you have not already done so.

2.

Pull down the Tools menu and select the Options... option. A separate Options window will appear.

3.

Click on the Mail Format tab. Another Options window will appear.

4.

In the Send in this message format: field, click on the small drop-down arrow that appears to the right of this field, and select the Plain Text option.

Working with Outlook's Basic Functions

Retrieving New Mail

To retrieve new mail from the server, left-click on the Inbox icon. Outlook will retrieve all of your new mail from the mail server and move it to your PC; a list of your new mail messages will appear in the large message field on the screen.

Reading Mail

To read any mail message, double-click on the small envelope icon that appears to the left of the message you wish to read. The contents of that mail message will appear in a separate message window. To close the current mail message, you may either pull down the File menu and select the Close option, or click on the "X" icon in the upper right corner of the window.

Creating and Posting New Mail Messages

To create a new mail message, left-click on the New icon in the upper left corner of the Outlook window. This will activate the composition window. Enter the e-mail address of the desired recipient in the To: field. (Please note that if you are sending mail in the RPI domain (rpi.edu), you do not need to enter the domain as part of the e-mail address. However, if you are sending mail outside of the RPI domain, you must enter the complete address, including the domain - e.g., doej@aol.com.) Click the Send icon to send the message. Outlook will save your outgoing mail in your Outbox mailbox, which you can view by pulling down the View menu and selecting the Folder List option, then clicking on the Outbox icon.

Replying to Mail

To reply to a message while reading it, left-click on the Reply icon. Outlook will give you an option to reply only to the original sender, or to everyone who received a copy of the message (via the Reply to All option). Once you make a selection, the message composition window will appear. Outlook will complete the reply e-mail address for you, as well as append the text of the original message that was sent to you. Outlook will also automatically save your replies in the Outbox mailbox.

Forwarding Mail

After you read a message, you may forward it to other users by clicking on the Forward icon. A message composition window will open, and Outlook will automatically append the text of the original message that you you wish to forward. Enter the e-mail address of the message's intended recipient. If you want to send a carbon copy (cc) of the message to another e-mail address, you can enter the e-mail address of the intended recipient in the Cc: field. If you wish to add your own personal message to the mail you're forwarding, you may do so in the text field.

About this document ...

Published by Academic Computing Services, RPI, Troy, NY 12180