Reply to HTML email using Plain Text format

[Guest]

I want to use Plain Text format to reply to emails that I receive, and I want to put a prefix string at the beginning of each line of the original sender's message.

However, even though I have set the "Compose in this message format" to Plain Text in the Tools/Options/Mail Format tab, Outlook automatically formats the reply to an incoming HTML mail in HTML, and it ignores the Prefix string that has been set up in E-mail options.
Once my Reply screen is open, I can change the format of the reply to Plain Text, but by then it's too late to get the Prefix string applied.

Bottom line question 1: How do you force Outlook to use Plain Text for the reply to an HTML incoming mail, and therefore apply the Prefix string to the text of the original message?

Bottom line question 2: If Outlook is too brain-dead to accomplish this, what is the best mailer to use instead?

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----

I want to use Plain Text format to reply to emails that I

receive, and I want to put a prefix string at the
beginning of each line of the original sender's message.

However, even though I have set the "Compose in this

message format" to Plain Text in the Tools/Options/Mail
Format tab, Outlook automatically formats the reply to an
incoming HTML mail in HTML, and it ignores the Prefix
string that has been set up in E-mail options.

Once my Reply screen is open, I can change the format of

the reply to Plain Text, but by then it's too late to get
the Prefix string applied.

Bottom line question 1: How do you force Outlook to use

Plain Text for the reply to an HTML incoming mail, and
therefore apply the Prefix string to the text of the
original message?

Bottom line question 2: If Outlook is too brain-dead to

accomplish this, what is the best mailer to use instead?The Compose settings are for new messages only, not for
replying to messages received. When you reply to a
message, it automatically defaults to the settings in the
message received. This is normal. Normal for every email
client I have seeen and that is quite a few.

Brain dead? Why are you using Outlook to begin with if
you look at it as a brain dead program for not covering
your uncommon request? Inserting a subject prefix in a
replied messages is an uncommon request. I guess you
could go pay someone to write your own email client
program that does exactly what you need. Then you might
have more respect for your email client.