Configuring Email Accounts in Outlook

     

Email account configuration is the fundamental reason for setting up Outlook on a user's system. It is that user 's communication tool to fellow employees and the outside world. You are required to support users when configuring and customizing Outlook.

Make sure you are familiar with how to configure email accounts in Outlook.

Adding a New Email Account

Follow these steps to create a new email account using the Email Accounts Wizard:

1. From the Tools menu, select the Email Accounts option.
   
   
2. Choose the View or Change Existing Email Accounts option, as shown in Figure 5.1. Click Next.
   
   

   Figure 5.1. The Email Accounts dialog box.

   

   
   
3. Click Add and choose the type of mail server for the new account. The options available are Microsoft Exchange Server, POP3, IMAP, HTTP, and Additional Server Types. The server descriptions are included below the options, as shown in Figure 5.2. Click Next.
   
   

   Figure 5.2. The Server Type dialog box.

   

   
   
4. Enter the User Information, Server Information, and Logon Information in the Internet Email Settings dialog box. Figure 5.3 displays sample settings for a new POP3 mail account. Click Next.
   
   

   Figure 5.3. The Internet Email Settings page of the Accounts dialog box.

   

   
   

   

   To increase security on a shared system, you may want to deselect the Remember Password option. It requires users to enter their passwords each time the server checks for new messages or tries to send messages.

   
   
5. In the Email Accounts dialog box, examine all the email accounts configured with Outlook. Click Finish to close the dialog box.
   
   

Modifying an Existing Email Account

Some properties can be changed after an account has been created. To make the changes, you must access the properties of the email account. The properties window includes these tabs: General, Outgoing Server, Connection, and Advanced. To modify the settings, follow these general steps:

1. From the Tools menu, select the Email Accounts option.
   
   
2. Select the View or Change Existing Email Accounts option. Click Next.
   
   
3. Select the account you want to modify and click the Change button. The same window that you use to create the email account is displayed. You can modify the standard settings from this window.
   
   
4. Click the More Settings button to modify additional settings. The Internet Email Settings dialog box includes the General, Outgoing Server, Connection, and Advanced tabs, as shown in Figure 5.4.
   
   

   Figure 5.4. The Internet Email Settings dialog box where you can modify more settings.

   

   
   
5. Modify the required settings and click OK to apply the changes.
   
   
6. Click Next to return to the Email Accounts dialog box and then click Finish.
   
   

You should know where to find each of the email account property settings.

The Internet Email Settings dialog box (accessed in step 4 of the preceding steps) includes several advanced features that you can access only from this dialog box. Tables 5.1 through 5.4 summarize the options available on each tab.

Table 5.1. The General Tab Options

Option	Description
Mail Account	The descriptive name that you want to refer to the account
Organization	The company name that uses the account
Reply Email	The email address used to reply to incoming messages

Table 5.2. The Outgoing Server Tab Options

Option	Description
My Outgoing Server (SMTP) Requires Authentication	This check box should be selected when the SMTP server requires authentication.
Use Same Settings as the Incoming Mail Server	This is the default setting when you check the My Outgoing Server (SMTP) Requires Authentication option. You use this option when the SMTP server uses the same settings as the incoming mail server. This option is available only when authentication is required.
Log On Using	This option enables you to enter an alternative username and password to receive incoming messages. Select the Remember Password option if you do not want to enter the password when sending and receiving messages. This option is available only when authentication is required.
Log On to Incoming Mail Server Before Sending Mail	This feature should be selected if you usually work with Outlook offline and need to connect to the mail server to send and receive messages. This option is available only when authentication is required.

Table 5.3. The Connection Tab Options

Option	Description
Connect Using My Local Area Network(LAN)	This option allows you to set Outlook to receive messages using the LAN connection. You can also check the Connect Via Modem When Outlook Is Offline option when the LAN connection is unavailable.
Connect Using My Phone Line	This option allows you to send and receive email using your dial-up connection if you do not have access to a LAN.
Connect Using Internet Explorer's or 3 rd Party Dialer	This option enables you to specify the Internet Explorer connection settings.
Use the Following Dial-Up Networking Connection	This option enables you to specify the dial-up connection to use if multiple dial-up connections are configured on your system. This option is available if the Connect Via Modem When Outlook Is Offline or the Connect Using My Phone Line option is selected.
Properties	This option displays the dial-up connection properties window.This option is available if the Connect Via Modem When Outlook Is Offline or the Connect Using My Phone Line option is selected.
Add	This option starts the New Connection Wizard if the appropriate dial-up connection is not available. This option is available if the Connect Via Modem When Outlook Is Offline or the Connect Using My Phone Line option is selected.

Table 5.4. The Advanced Tab Options

Option	Description
Server Port Numbers	This option enables you to configure the port numbers for the incoming and outgoing servers.
Server Timeouts	This option enables you to configure the length of time before the server will time out when sending or receiving messages.
Delivery	This option enables you to determine whether messages are stored on the server after their delivery, as well as the length of time they are stored on the server.

Removing an Email Account

When an email account is no longer necessary, you can remove the account from your list of email accounts by using the following guidelines:

1. From the Tools menu, select the Email Accounts option.
   
   
2. Select the View or Change Existing Email Accounts option. Click Next.
   
   
3. Select the account you want to delete and click the Remove button.
   
   
4. Click Yes in the Account Manager dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.5, to verify that you want to remove the account.
   
   

   Figure 5.5. The Account Manager dialog box.

   

   
   
5. Click Finish to close the Email Accounts dialog box.