Auto Reply Out of Office

[KarenL]

How do I set up up this feature. Is it available in
Outlook Express?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

No, it isn't available in OE, and even in Outlook it requires Exchange
server. Check with your ISP to see if they offer this feature - many do,
controlled through their webmail interface.

In the future, note:

This is a group to support Outlook from the Office group of programs.
Outlook Express is a part of Internet Explorer and is a quite different
program, despite its similar name..

You will probably get a faster and more expert answer if you post this to an
Outlook Express news group.

Try posting in one of these newsgroups:
microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie5.outlookexpress for OE 5.x
microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie55.outlookexpress for OE 5.5x
microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress for OE 6.x
microsoft.public.internet.outlookexpress.mac for OE for Macintosh

If those groups aren't carried on the news server that's carrying this group
try using msnews.microsoft.com (MS's public news server that's the source
for all the microsoft.public newsgroups).

A good website for information on OE is:
http://www.tomsterdam.com/

 

[Brian Tillman]

How do I set up up this feature. Is it available in
Outlook Express?

No.

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

In KarenL typed:

How do I set up up this feature. Is it available in
Outlook Express?

Yes, and you can also do it with Outlook *without* Exchange, so I don't
know why 2 others both said it can't be done. It just takes a little
effort because it's not a discreet feature by itself. You have to use
"Message Rules" under the Tools menu.

I would rather email you because it's off topic here -- there are groups
for Outlook Express -- but your message has no reply email address, so I
might as well tell you how with OE. The procedure is very similar with
Outlook.

First compose a message that you want to send as your automatic reply.
(With Outlook you must first uncheck 'use MS Word to edit email' because
it won't save files in the email format.) Create a new message with a
subject like "I'm out of the office", but with nobody in the 'To' field.
In the File menu use 'Save as' and save the message as an email or 'eml'
file. Put the file wherever you want. Then cancel the new message
without sending it.

click tools menu / message rules / mail

press 'new' button

In the first window pane check 'For all messages'

In the second pane check 'Reply with message'

In the third pane click the word 'message' and select the eml file you
saved.

That file will be sent now, as a reply to all messages. It will not be
an attachment. It will be a regular message as if you had hit 'send'
instead of saving it.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In KarenL typed:

Yes, and you can also do it with Outlook *without* Exchange, so I
don't know why 2 others both said it can't be done. It just takes a
little effort because it's not a discreet feature by itself. You
have to use "Message Rules" under the Tools menu.

I should have said, there is no native "Out of Office" feature unless you
use Exchange. Otherwise you have to spoof it with rules, which require that
you leave Outlook running and connected while you are away. This is not the
same as Out of Office.

I would rather email you because it's off topic here -- there are
groups for Outlook Express -- but your message has no reply email
address, so I might as well tell you how with OE. The procedure is
very similar with Outlook.

First compose a message that you want to send as your automatic reply.
(With Outlook you must first uncheck 'use MS Word to edit email'
because it won't save files in the email format.) Create a new
message with a subject like "I'm out of the office", but with nobody
in the 'To' field. In the File menu use 'Save as' and save the
message as an email or 'eml' file. Put the file wherever you want.
Then cancel the new message without sending it.

click tools menu / message rules / mail

press 'new' button

In the first window pane check 'For all messages'

In the second pane check 'Reply with message'

In the third pane click the word 'message' and select the eml file you
saved.

That file will be sent now, as a reply to all messages. It will not
be an attachment. It will be a regular message as if you had hit
'send' instead of saving it.

Duly noted for future reference. ;-)

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

In Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] typed:

I should have said, there is no native "Out of Office" feature unless
you use Exchange. Otherwise you have to spoof it with rules, which
require that you leave Outlook running and connected while you are
away. This is not the same as Out of Office.

Oh, that's true. And leaving it running would prevent your PST file
from getting backed up, but at least you could have a backup from before
you left.

 

[KimA]

I am trying to do the same thing in Outlook 2000 but I do not have Message Rules, I have Rules Wizard and the using ms word to edit? I don't understand that at all! Please help!! (e-mail address removed)