Windows XP Professional: The Missing Manual

Configuring Outlook Express

Outlook Express has enough features and configuration options to fill a very thick book. You can see them for yourself by choosing Tools→Options from the Outlook Express window (see Figure 12-7). Here’s an overview of some of the features you’ll find.

Figure 12-7.  The Options dialog box has ten tabs, each loaded with options. Most tabs have buttons that open additional dialog boxes. Coming in 2006: Outlook Express Options: The Missing Manual.

General tab

Most of the controls on the General tab govern what Outlook Express does when you first launch it. Take note of the options for configuring automatic connection to your ISP. You can select the option to check for messages every few minutes, and then use the drop-down list to tell Outlook Express how, and whether, to connect at that time—if you’re not already online.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONCanning Spam

Help! I’m awash in junk email! How do I get out of this mess?

Spam is a much hated form of advertising that involves sending unsolicited emails to thousands of people. While there’s no instant cure for spam, you can take certain steps to protect yourself from it.

1. If you have more than one email account, consider using one each for online shopping, Web site and software registration, and newsgroup posting. Spammers have automated software robots that scour every public Internet message and Web page, automatically ...