Using Word as Your E-Mail Editor

When you create an e-mail message in Outlook, the default e-mail editor is Microsoft Word unless you change it to the Outlook editor. With Word as the default editor, you can take advantage of Word's powerful editing and formatting tools, which include AutoCorrect, automatic spelling and grammar checking, automatic bullets and numbering, tables, conversion of e-mail names and Internet addresses, themes, and AutoFormat. If you often receive the message "This message contains formatting that is best viewed with Microsoft Word. Click here to display in Word," you need to set the option to view Rich Text formatted messages.

Set Word as Your E-Mail Editor

Click the Tools menu, and then click Options.

Click the Mail Format tab.

Select the Use Microsoft Word 2003 To Edit E-Mail Messages check box.

Click OK.

Did You Know?

You can set Word as your e-mail editor for one new message . Click the Actions menu, point to New Mail Message Using, and then click Microsoft Word (message format).

Set Word for Viewing Rich Text Formatting Messages

Click the Tools menu, and then click Options.

Click the Mail Format tab.

Select the Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 To Read Rich Text E-Mail Messages check box.

Click OK.