GUIDES

How to Set Up a Vacation Auto-Response in Outlook Express and Windows Mail

To create an automatic out of office message in Windows Mail or Outlook Express:

• Open Notepad.
• Type the message you want to appear in the body of your autoresponse.
• Select File | Save from the menu.
• Type "Vacation Auto-Reply" under File name:.
• Make sure Text Documents (*.txt) is selected under Save as type:.
• Click Save.
• Close Notepad.
• Open Windows Mail or Outlook Express.
• Select Tools | Message Rules | Mail... from the menu.
• Go to the Mail Rules tab.
• Click New....
• Make sure Where the To or CC line contains people is checked under Select the Conditions for your rule:.
  • Alternatively, you can check For all messages. It usually makes sense to reply automatically only to messages sent directly to your email address, however.
• Under Select the Actions for your rule:, check Reply with message.
• Click on the contains people link under Rule Description.
• Type your email address.
• Click Add.
  • If you have more than one address, repeat the previous two steps.
• Click OK.
• Now click the message link, also under Rule Description.
• Select Text (*.txt) from the Files of type: drop-down menu.
• Highlight the "Vacation Auto-Reply" file.
• Click Open.
• Under Name of the rule:, type something like "Vacation Auto-Reply" as well.
• Click OK.
• Click OK again.

To turn off the out-of-office auto-responder without deleting the rule:

• Select Tools | Message Rules | Mail... from the menu in Windows Mail or Outlook Express.
• Make sure your "Vacation Auto-Reply" filter is not checked on the Mail Rules tab.
• Click OK.