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** The instructions included here are for Microsoft Outlook Express
5, which is a free e-mail program available to you when you download
Microsoft Internet Explorer. Microsoft Outlook (not Express) is part of
the Microsft Office package that you can purchase, and will have
slightly different instructions for performing the same functions. We
have included a note where the instructions may differ slightly.
Once you become comfortable using e-mail and begin communicating
frequently with co-workers and colleagues, you may find that the amount
of messages piling up in your Inbox is unmanageable. Now you have a new
problem: setting priorities for how you handle e-mail. One solution is
using filters to sort your messages into different mailboxes. For
example, messages from your supervisor are probably pretty important.
You can filter them as they arrive into a special mailbox in Micrsoft
Outlook Express. This article will show you how. Creating a Filter
- Open Outlook Express. In the top menu bar click on Tools and select Message Rules>Mail as shown below. (In Microsoft Outlook, you will select Rules Wizard in the Tools menu, and select New.)
- If a Message Rules dialogue box opens, click on the New button. If this is your first time making a mail rule, the New Mail Rule box should open directly as shown below in Step 3.
- Now you need to set conditions for your new rule. In the first window check the box labeled Where the from line contains people. In the second window check Move it to the specified folder
. (In Microsoft Outlook choose "Move new messages from someone" in the first window) So far the dialogue box should look like this:
- In the third text box, Rule Description, you will now specify the person and folder. Click on the underlined link Contains People. The Select People
dialogue box now appears. If your supervisor (or whoever you are
creating this filter for) is in your address book, click on the Address Book button and double click on the listing. Otherwise, simply type in the person's e-mail address in the top line and click on Add. In the example shown below, we have used a fake address boss@myorganization.org.
Be sure to enter your supervisor's actual address exactly as it appears
in messages. There should not be any spaces. Then click on the OK button.
- Now, back in the New Mail Rule dialogue box, click on the second underlined link specified that appears in the third text box. The Move
dialogue box will open up. You will probably want to create a new
folder for the filtered messages from your supervisor so click on the
button labeled New Folder. As you can see in the picture below, we have created one called Supervisor
but you may want to choose something more descriptive, such as the
person's name. If you want the new folder to be a sub folder of the
Inbox as we have done, select the Inbox by clicking on it once (not twice or you will make the Inbox your folder for this rule) and then click on the New Folder button. Then make sure your new folder is selected and click on OK. Now back in the New Mail Rule dialogue box you will see the e-mail address and the folder specified for your new rule.
- Finally, in the fourth text box you should give this rule a name
more descriptive than "New Mail Rule #1" that will clue you in to the
purpose of the rule in case you ever want to go back and edit it. After
all, your supervisor's e-mail or even your supervisor may change some
day. Delete "New Mail Rule #1" and then type in a new name for this
rule, such as "supervisor". Then click on OK. (In Microsoft
Outlook, you can name the rule when you
set it up.)
- There is one final step you may want
to take. You can now apply your rule to
all the messages in your Inbox that you
have already received. This will sort
out all the existing messages from the
address you specified into your new folder.
The Message Rules dialogue box
should be open on your screen, but if
not use the Tools menu to get to
it as in Step 1 above. Click on the Apply
Now button. In the new dialogue box
make sure the rule is selected and Inbox is selected next to "Apply to Folder:"
If not, click on the Browse button
to select it. Then click on the Close button and click on OK in the Message Rules box.
One Final Note
If you cannot see your
new mail box on your Outlook Express screen,
click on the word Inbox or whatever
word appears in the upper left hand corner
of the mail box window circled in the diagram
below. Then you will see all of your mail
folders. You can click on the push pin icon
to keep this window open all of the time.
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