M
Matthew Hardy
Our exchange server is configured to allow Rich Text Format messages through
as we have found that HTML messages often trip up spam filters.
However a number of our recipients are making the perenial complaint about
winmail.dat
The problem I'm having is developing a definitive set of instructions to
allow our users to control the format of the messages they send.
I have found at least five ways of setting this in Outlook 2003 with
Exchange 2003
Fistly the default accessed through tools | options | mail format can be set
to Plain Text, RTF or HTML
This only affects new messages, replies and forward use the same format as
the original message. Again Plain Text, RTF or HTML
Then this can be overridden by using the drop down list in the options bar
at the top of the message you are composing. Once Again Plain Text, RTF or
HTML
As far as internal mail is concerned it rests there.
If the message is being sent accross the internet then you can allow
different contacts to recieve the same message in different formats
The contacts you hold in your mailbox each have a default internet format
for each e-mail address which overrides the apparent format set on the drop
down list. This can be set to "Let Outlook Decide the best sending format"
(the Default), "Send Plain Text Only" or "Send Using Outlook Rich Text
Format"
If the email address is added to the to, cc or bcc field of your message
using the contacts or by typing the display name then it picks up this
setting. Double clicking on the display name opens the contact and allows
you to double click on the e-mail address change this setting and save it
back into the contacts.
However if the e-mail address is typed in manually Outlook will not notice
that it relates to that contact information and will default to "Let Outlook
Decide the best sending format" rather than whatever is set in the contacts.
You can reset this Internet format without it affecting the settings stored
in your contacts.
Finally if we go back to the default format and click on the Internet Format
button we get the Rich Text format options. These can be set to "convert to
HTML format" "Convert to Plain Text" or "Send Using Outlook Rich text
Format"
Counter intuitively this appears to override any settings made in individual
contacts.
Example:
I sent an RTF message to my girlfriend whose contact details had been set to
send in plain text only but where outlook had been instructed to convert RTF
to HTML.
My intuitive assumption was that either Outlook would first look at the
instructions in the contact info and send the message as plan text such that
the Convert RTF to HTML would not come into effect OR Outlook would first
convert the RTF to HTML as per the global instruction but then look at the
specific contact info and reconvert it to plain text. Either way the result
should have been plain text but In actual fact it converted the RTF to HTML
and having done so it ignored the plain text instruction.
I have now performed the following experiment
MattRichText is configured with "Send Using Outlook Rich text Format"
MattPlainText is configured with "Send Plain Text only"
MattDefault is configured with "Let Outlook Decide the best Sending Format"
I then set the Internet Format under Tools | Options | Mail Format to send
RTF as RTF
I composed three messages, one RTF, one HTML and one Plain Text, each
message is sent to all three recipients with appropriate subject lines.
I then set the Internet Format under Tools | Options | Mail Format to
convert RTF to Plain text and sent the three similar messages.
Finally I set the Internet Format under Tools | Options | Mail Format to
convert RTF to HTML and sent the three messages.
If I could get POP3 though my firewall I could then pick these up and let
you know the results. As it is I shall pick them up when I get home and post
the results here tommorrow. In the mean time if anyone cares to hazard a
guess...
as we have found that HTML messages often trip up spam filters.
However a number of our recipients are making the perenial complaint about
winmail.dat
The problem I'm having is developing a definitive set of instructions to
allow our users to control the format of the messages they send.
I have found at least five ways of setting this in Outlook 2003 with
Exchange 2003
Fistly the default accessed through tools | options | mail format can be set
to Plain Text, RTF or HTML
This only affects new messages, replies and forward use the same format as
the original message. Again Plain Text, RTF or HTML
Then this can be overridden by using the drop down list in the options bar
at the top of the message you are composing. Once Again Plain Text, RTF or
HTML
As far as internal mail is concerned it rests there.
If the message is being sent accross the internet then you can allow
different contacts to recieve the same message in different formats
The contacts you hold in your mailbox each have a default internet format
for each e-mail address which overrides the apparent format set on the drop
down list. This can be set to "Let Outlook Decide the best sending format"
(the Default), "Send Plain Text Only" or "Send Using Outlook Rich Text
Format"
If the email address is added to the to, cc or bcc field of your message
using the contacts or by typing the display name then it picks up this
setting. Double clicking on the display name opens the contact and allows
you to double click on the e-mail address change this setting and save it
back into the contacts.
However if the e-mail address is typed in manually Outlook will not notice
that it relates to that contact information and will default to "Let Outlook
Decide the best sending format" rather than whatever is set in the contacts.
You can reset this Internet format without it affecting the settings stored
in your contacts.
Finally if we go back to the default format and click on the Internet Format
button we get the Rich Text format options. These can be set to "convert to
HTML format" "Convert to Plain Text" or "Send Using Outlook Rich text
Format"
Counter intuitively this appears to override any settings made in individual
contacts.
Example:
I sent an RTF message to my girlfriend whose contact details had been set to
send in plain text only but where outlook had been instructed to convert RTF
to HTML.
My intuitive assumption was that either Outlook would first look at the
instructions in the contact info and send the message as plan text such that
the Convert RTF to HTML would not come into effect OR Outlook would first
convert the RTF to HTML as per the global instruction but then look at the
specific contact info and reconvert it to plain text. Either way the result
should have been plain text but In actual fact it converted the RTF to HTML
and having done so it ignored the plain text instruction.
I have now performed the following experiment
MattRichText is configured with "Send Using Outlook Rich text Format"
MattPlainText is configured with "Send Plain Text only"
MattDefault is configured with "Let Outlook Decide the best Sending Format"
I then set the Internet Format under Tools | Options | Mail Format to send
RTF as RTF
I composed three messages, one RTF, one HTML and one Plain Text, each
message is sent to all three recipients with appropriate subject lines.
I then set the Internet Format under Tools | Options | Mail Format to
convert RTF to Plain text and sent the three similar messages.
Finally I set the Internet Format under Tools | Options | Mail Format to
convert RTF to HTML and sent the three messages.
If I could get POP3 though my firewall I could then pick these up and let
you know the results. As it is I shall pick them up when I get home and post
the results here tommorrow. In the mean time if anyone cares to hazard a
guess...