Reading and Replying to E-mail

You can receive e-mail anytime—even when your computer is turned off. You can retrieve your e-mail manually or set Windows Mail to do so automatically. When you start Windows Mail, the program checks for new e-mail. It continues to check periodically while the program is open. New messages appear in boldface in the Inbox along with any messages you haven’t moved or deleted. Message flags may appear next to a message, which indicate a certain priority, the need for follow up, or an attachment. Windows Mail blocks images and other potentially harmful content from automatically downloading in an e-mail message from unknown people. Blocked items are replaced with a red “x”. You can use the Information Bar or modify the e-mail to view the blocked content. You can respond to a message in two ways: reply to it, which creates a new message addressed to the sender(s) and other recipients; or forward it, which creates a new message you can send to someone else. In either case, the original message appears in the response.

Open and Read an E-mail

Click the Inbox icon in the folder list for the mail account you want.

Open an e-mail message.

• Click an e-mail message to read it in the Preview pane.

• Double-click an e-mail message or press Enter for a selected message to open it in its own window.

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To download blocked pictures and other content, click the Information Bar at the top of the message.

Click the Previous or Next button on the Message toolbar to read additional e-mail messages.

See Also See “Avoiding Viruses and Other Harmful Attacks” on page 330 for information on viruses. See “Protecting Against E-mail Attacks” on page 345 for information on how to protect your computer against viruses from an e-mail.

For Your Information: Reading E-mail in Plain Text To Avoid Viruses If you’re unsure of the source of an e-mail, yet still want to protect your computer from viruses, you can securely view the e-mail in plain text, instead of HTML which can contain potentially harmful content, such as viruses and worms. To read all e-mail in plain text, click the Tools menu, click Options, click the Read tab, select the Read All Messages In Plain Text check box, then click OK.

Reply to an E-mail

Open the e-mail message you want to reply to.

Click the Reply button to respond to the sender only, or click the Reply All button to respond to the sender and to all other recipients.

Timesaver:

Press Ctrl+R to reply to the message author.

Add or delete names from the To or the Cc box.

Type your message.

Attach any files to send.

Click the Send button on the toolbar.

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Forward an E-mail

Open the e-mail message you want to forward.

Click the Forward button on the toolbar.

Type the name(s) of the recipient(s), or click the To button, and then select the recipient(s).

Type your message.

Attach any files to send.

Click the Send button on the toolbar.

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Did You Know? Attachments aren’t sent on replies. When you reply to a message that had an attachment, the attachment isn’t returned to the original sender. You can forward the message to the original sender if you need to send the attachment back.