This is a list of questions that I've heard about in newsgroups, chats and other places. Many of them are concerning Outlook Express 5 because this is the last version from Microsoft and I think Outlook Express 4 has been the center of atention for so long that users are pretty familiar with it.
Q: Where can I find the option to place the toolbar in a different position in Outlook Express 5?
A: There is no longer an option for toolbar placement. Microsoft has decided to remove this customization from OE5 final.
Q: Did Microsoft removed the Junk Mail filter from Outlook Express 5?
A: Yes, it has been removed and unfortunately, there is no replacement filter. If you want to block junk mail, you will have to use Message Rules, which gives you a lot of options (Tools | Message Rules).
You can read all Microsoft documents about the case that lead to the removal of the junk mail filter at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/bluemt/.
Q: How can I use my old Hotmail account in Outlook Express 5 (without creating a new one)?
A: Open the Accounts window (Tools | Accounts) and when you're asked to enter your e-mail address, enter the one from Hotmail (for example [email protected]). The wizard will automatically know it's about a Hotmail account and it will enter the Hotmail server address (which should be http://services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp).
Q: I have problems with sending large messages. After completion reaches 90-95%, Windows displays a MSINM error. What can I do about it?
A: This problem is related (almost always) with the Happy99 virus. To get rid of it, search your hard disk for SKA.DLL and SKA.EXE in the System folder, then delete them. You should also delete the WSOCK32.DLL files and replace it with the WSOCK32.SKA original file. The original file HAPPY99.EXE should also be located and deleted. This should fix the error. If it doesn't, then you will probably need to reinstall OE. You can also check the MS Knowledge Base article about Happy99 at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q221/4/86.asp for detailed reference.
Q: Is there a way to disable the OE5 splash screen?
A: Yes. Open Regedit (regedit.exe, in your Windows folder) and go to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identites\{<Identity number>}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0. In the right pane, click on an empty spot, select New | DWORD value and name it NoSplash. Double click on NoSplash and enter a zero (0) to show the splash screen and a one (1) to hide it.
Warning: Using the Registry Editor incorrectly may cause considerable damage to your computer. It's always recomended to create a backup of the registry before editing settings.
Q: Why do some newsgroup folders appear in red (or other color), while the others are still black?
A: When a newsgroup is displayed in red (actually the color you selected watched messages to be showed), that means that at least one of the threads you are "watching" has a new post in it.
Q: Are there any Easter Eggs in Outlook Express 5?
A: So far, only one Easter Egg has been discovered in OE5. To see it, open Internet Explorer and in the Address box type: "res://c:\program files\outlook express\msoeres.dll/example.eml" (without the quotes). You may need to modify the path for MSOERES.DLL, depending on where was OE5 installed on your computer.
Q: How can I select letters from messages without having OE5 to expand the selection while moving the mouse?
A: If you don't want Outlook Express to use the "smart" selection mode (it selects an entire word if you have selected the first letter from it), which can sometimes be annoying, use the normal selection mode (with the mouse), but while you are moving the mouse and changing the selection, hold the Shift key. You will notice that now Outlook Express is moving the selection letter by letter.
Q: How can I backup all Outlook Express messages and Address Book entries?
A: You can create a backup of your e-mail messages by copying your entire message store folder (you can find its location by opening OE and the opening Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder). For backing up your address book, search your hard disk for .WAB files. Once you've found your WAB file, double click it to make sure it's the right one.
To save your accounts, open Tools | Acounts and then, for each account, click Export to save it to a file. Then, you can import it later with the Import option. To save your message rules, see this section.
Last updated: May 23, 1999