Auto Reply Help in Outlook Express 5.x

For this configuration to properly work you must:

1. Have Outlook Express running in order to send an Automatic Reply. (see below)
2. Have Outlook Express setup to periodically retrieve email. (see below)

Create Your Auto Reply Message

1. Open a New Message formatted with only text.
2. Type the information that you would like to appear in your reply message.
3. In the File menu click Save As.
4. In the Save As box, give your reply a File Name noting where it is saved, and click Save. You can now close this window.

NOTE: save the message as filename.txt, not as filename.eml, .eml files are sent as attachments to your auto-reply, .txt files will be included in the message body of your auto-reply.

Make a Rule to Send Your Auto Reply

1. In the Tools menu choose Message Rules.
2. In the Message Rules dialog box, choose Mail.
3. In Box #1 select the last choice For All Messages.
4. In Box #2 select the choice Reply with Message.
5. In Box #3 click the underlined message.
6. This will open an Open menu. You will then select the document containing your saved auto reply message from the first set of instructions.
7. Select the file and click Open.
8. In Box #4, name your rule as Auto Reply, then click OK.
9. Another screen will open to verify your selected rule. Choose Apply Now.
10. A second screen opens with info on where to apply the rule. Be sure that the Inbox is listed as the folder, then click Apply Now, then click on Close. This will return you to the previous screen where you will finally click OK.

Additional Notes

The Message Rule selection 'Reply using a specific template' is designed to send the reply message only once to each sender, during each session of receiving messages. This feature prevents Outlook from sending multiple replies for those who send mulitple messages. Outlook must be running for the Rules Wizard to use Auto Reply. It must be configured to periodically check for new messages and set to hang up after "Sending and Receiving." Follow the settings below to use these options.

How to Check Periodically for Messages:

• Click on Tools, then Options, under the General tab. Enter an appropriate time frame in the field for Check for New Messages every (?) minutes. Choose Apply, then OK.

How to Set the Hang Up Configuration:

• Click on Tools, then Options. Choose the Connections tab, and check Hangup after sending/receiving. Choose Apply, then OK.

How to turn the Auto Reply off when no longer needed:

• Click on Tools, then on Message Rules, then on Mail.
• If you may be using this auto reply again in the future, simply uncheck the rule you created for the autoreply.
  NOTE: Remember to change your outgoing message the next time you use this rule.
• If you want to remove the auto reply permanently, click the auto reply rule, then click the Remove button.
  It will ask if you are sure you want to remove that rule, click Yes.
• You may also want to uncheck "Hangup after sending and recieving", and/or "check messages every (?) minutes".