The last thing we remember to back up is our e-mail. Here's how to avoid that sinking feeling you get when you've just finished putting your hard disk back together and you remember all the e-mail you had that's now gone forever.
Open Windows Explorer and go to
\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Mail.
In the Mail folder you'll find a group of *.mbx files (if that path doesn't lead to these files, run Find from the Start menu to search for *.mbx files). If you're only interested in what's in the Inbox, copy Inbox.mbx to a floppy disk. If you want to be really safe, copy all the files in the Mail folder to a floppy. You'll probably want to retain your Address Book, too. You'll find that in \Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book. Copy the file(s) to a floppy.
How do you like your Outlook Express? You can set it up almost any way you like. Would you like the display in two panes or three? Choose View, Layout. Select Folder Bar and click on Apply and then on OK. Look at Outlook Express now. You should have two panes with the folder bar at the top of the window.
If you'd rather use three panes with the folders listed in one pane, choose View, Layout. Now deselect Folder Bar and select Folder List. Click on Apply and then on OK. Now your Outlook Express will display the folder list in the left pane. You'll still have the message pane and the preview pane.
There are all kinds of possible variations. If you don't need the preview pane, you can choose View, Layout again and this time deselect Use Preview Pane. Click on Apply and then on OK. Now all you have is the message pane. To read a message, double-click on it.
This is one you can experiment with to get exactly the kind of layout that suits you best. Go ahead and try some other combinations.
There are times when you might like to send some graphics along with a message. You know--birthdays, holidays, etc. Outlook Express offers some graphics forms that you can choose from to save time. The graphics are already there, so you don't have to worry about importing something. Just click on the arrow next to Compose Messages. This opens a list from which you can choose the item that you need. Make a selection from the list, add the recipient's address, and type in the text.
The only real caveat here is that some of your recipients may not be able to display the graphics. If the recipients are using Outlook Express, Outlook, Microsoft Mail, or one of many other programs, they'll have no problem displaying your graphical message.
In a previous tip we showed you how to send messages that include graphics supplied by Outlook Express (click the arrow next to Compose Message and make a choice). This time we'll describe how to place a graphic of your own into an e-mail message.
First, keep in mind that you can't insert pictures into a message if Outlook Express set to send text only (but you can override the default setting--read on). There are two ways to do enter graphics in e-mail messages.
If you're sure that all your recipients use e-mail programs that can handle HTML, choose Tools, Options and click the Send tab. Select the HTML radio button in the Mail Sending Format section. Click Apply and then OK. Now click Compose Message. Click in the message body and choose Insert, Picture. When the dialog box opens, type in the path and file name, or click Browse and locate the picture you want to place in your new message. Click OK. Go ahead and enter your message now. Remember, only people whose e-mail programs can interpret HTML will see the images.
If you prefer to leave your default Text setting alone (because you may have recipients who can read text files only), forget about choosing Tools, Options. Instead, just click Compose Message. Click in the message area and choose Format, Rich Text (HTML). Next, choose Insert, Picture and locate and select the picture as previously described.