Productivity Cheat Sheet 25: Express Tricks

The popularity of Hotmail and Yahoo may wax and wane, and reputation of Gmail may grow or slow, the peneration levels of Outlook Express remain virtually untouched. According to unoffical--and therefore debatable--estimates OE is firmly ensconced on 8 out of 10 Windows PCs today. The reasons for this are obvious: It’s easy to use, totally free, usually reliable, and largely perceived as a natural, "in-sync" bedfellow of Microsoft Windows and Office.

So this week, let’s try and see how we can help you work smarter with Outlook Express.

Spelling Bound
Typos and spelling mistakes in an e-mail can create a very negative impression in the mind of the recipient. So it is best to ensure that all your business correspondence is as faultless as possible. Here’s what you need to do to get OE’s spell checker to kick in for every single mail that you beam out. Select Tools > Options and switch to the Spelling tab. Here, under Settings, tick the check box next to “Always check spelling before sending” and then click on OK. Now the next time you your type out a mail and hit the Send button, the spell checker will point out any and every typo you have made.

Address Book Addendum
Double-click on an e-mail you have received from someone to open it. Right click on the sender's mail address (the From field). Next, select Add to Address Book. To edit the person’s name you have just added, choose File > Address Book. Now select the name and click on File > Properties. Edit the name as per requirements and click on OK.

Reducing Drag
If you feel that your Outlook Express has started aping a tortoise of late—or even tends to be unstable—check the number of messages you have amassed. While there is no limit to the quantum of messages OE can hold, things can get lethargic once your Inbox hits 2,000 messages with loads of attachments. More the 5,000 and OE can get cantankerous and even unreliable. So trim the fat, kill the unnecessary, and exterminate the relics. And/or hive off the important one to separate folders.

Inheriting Properties, Fast!
Here’s a speed tip. To get to Properties, most people click on a name they’re interested in and then click the Properties button in the toolbar. Okay, nothing wrong there. But if you want to do this faster, all you need to do to open the Properties dialog box is double-click on the name.

Group Checkin’
Need to check the details about a group in your Address Book? Move your mouse pointer to the group's icon, hold your breath, and wait a few secs (okay, it works even if you don’t hold your breath). A tool tip will open up to show you the names of the people belonging to the group.

Bunching Fowards
If you want to forward several e-mail messages at the same time to someone, go to the folder containing the messages you'd wish to forward. Holding the Ctrl key down, click on each message you want to forward. Then, right-click on any message in your selection and pick Forward. A New Message window will appear with the messages attached (across the bottom of the window). Now simply complete your message and zap it off.