Understanding Outlook Web Access Client

New features in Outlook Web Access (OWA) 2003

Outlook Web Access (OWA) is used to send and receive e-mail through the Web. Outlook Web Access 2003 includes different levels of feature availability or user modes. Some OWA 2003 features are only available in premium mode.

The different OWA 2003 user modes are:

Premium mode – Premium Client Version: All OWA 2003 features and enhancements are accessible when using premium mode. The downside to using premium mode is that it uses more bandwidth resources than basic mode.
Basic mode – Basic Client Version: Not all OWA features and enhancements are available in basic mode. The mode does though enable a user to access OWA through a internet application.

The following OWA features are available in premium mode:

User interface specific features include:
- A new user interface
- Deferred View Update
- Last window size retained
- Logoff on toolbar
- Public folders open in its own window
- Resize panes
- Split screen view
Mail specific features include:
- Auto signature
- Font in Email Editor can be customized
- Find names from messages
- Mail icons
- Mark message read or unread
- Message sensitivity in Infobar
- Reply/forward in Infobar
- New message notification
- Preview pane
- Quick flags
- Send and receive email
- Two-line view
Calendar specific features include:
- Reply to and forward meeting requests
- Preferred reminder time modifications
- Open an invitation in its own window
Receive Reminder features include:
- Define a default reminder time
- View calendar from meeting request
Contact specific features include:
- Create contacts
- Add recipients to contacts
- Send mail from find names
Task specific features include:
- Create tasks
- Define default reminder time
Security specific features include:
- S/MIME support
- Attachment blocking
- Block external content -spam beacon blocking
- Timed logoff
- Clearing credentials at logoff
- Cookie authentication time-out
General functionality and enhancements include:
- Context menus
- Items per page
- GAL property sheets
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Notifications of new email
- Reminder in Navigation pane
- Saved searches
- Search folders displayed in the folder tree
- Server-end rules
- Spell Checker

The following OWA features are available in basic mode:

A new user interface (User interface specific feature)
Send and receive email (Mail specific feature)
Auto signature (Mail specific feature)
Message sensitivity Infobar (Mail specific feature)
Mail icons (Mail specific feature)
Reply/forward in Infobar (Mail specific feature)
Reply to and forward meeting requests (Calendar specific feature)
Receive Reminder features include:
- Define a default reminder time
- View calendar from meeting request
Create contacts (Contact specific feature)
Create tasks (Task specific feature)
Security specific features include:
- Attachment blocking
- Block external content -spam beacon blocking
- Timed logoff
Items per page (General functionality feature)
- GAL property sheets (General functionality feature)

Using the New User Interface of OWA client

The Outlook 2003 client and the user interface of the latest OWA client are very similar. A few similarities include:

Basic pane structure
Full folder tree
Blue color scheme
Change the column widths

After opening OWA, the following basic panes are displayed:

The upper left pane contains the folder list. The folder list contains all folders accessible to the user mailbox. This includes the following folders:
- Calendar
- Contacts
- Deleted Items
- Drafts
- Inbox
- Journal
- Junk Email
- Notes
- Outbox
- Sent Items
- Sync Issues
- Folders
The shortcut bar beneath the folder list lists shortcuts to the following:
- Calendar
- Contacts
- Inbox
- Tasks
- Public Folders
- Rules
- Options
When a new message is received a new vertical button is displayed, indicating that new mail has arrived. And
When an item is selected in the folder list or the shortcut bar, its contents are listed in the middle pane.
The toolbar located on the top is the Infobar. The Infobar lists the options that become available when the information in the middle pane is viewed. The options displayed are determined by which items are being viewed.
The far-right pane is the reading pane, and is activated by default. The reading pane displays the content of the email message selected in the middle pane.

The reading pane of the OWA user interface is the far-right pane. While the reading pane is activated by default, you can disable the feature. The reading pane displays the content of email message selected in the middle pane of the OWA user interface.

You can customize the reading pane as follows:

Remove the reading pane completely.
Place the reading pane on the right vertical pane.
Place the reading pane as a horizontal pane at the bottom of the user interface

With OWA, you can also create a number of different folders. These folders are then displayed in the folders view.

You can navigate through the various features of OWA by simply clicking the button associated with the different OWA features. When you click the button of an OWA feature, the specific feature is opened in the center pane.

You can also change the default viewing order of email messages in the email folders. The default viewing order displays all recent messages at the top.

The Two-Line View feature of OWA displays the title of the email and the first line of a message to the user. This feature is enabled by default. You can change the two-line view to a different view.

How to change the size of the OWA user interface panes

Open Outlook Web Access.
Place the mouse between the panes that you want to change the size of.
Wait until the double arrow is displayed.
While still holding the mouse down, move the pane border to the appropriate size and then let go of the mouse.

How to customize the reading pane of the OWA user interface

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click the reading pane icon to display its associated drop-down menu.
If you want to place the reading pane on the right vertical pane, select the Right option.
If you want to place the reading pane as a horizontal pane at the bottom of the user interface, select the Bottom option.
If you want to remove the reading pane completely, select the Off option.

How to create new folders

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click in the folders view in the left pane of the OWA user interface.
Right-click on a folder in the folders pane and then select New Folder from the shortcut menu.
Provide a name for the new folder.
Specify the location for the new folder. To do this, simply click the folder that should contain the new folder.
Select the type of folder that should be created. The options are:
- To create a calendar folder, choose the Appointment Items folder type.
- To create a new contact folder, select the Contact Items option.
- o create a journal folder, choose the Journal Items folder type.
- To create a folder to contain email messages, select the Mail Items folder type.
- To create a note folder, select the Note Items option.
- To create a task folder, select the Task Items option.
Click OK to create the new folder.

How to change the two-line view

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click on the drop-down menu for Inbox, above Infobar.
The options that you can choose between are:
- Messages; selecting this option removes the two-line view and displays the subject bars of the messages according to date received and time received.
- Unread Messages; selecting the Unread Messages option displays only those messages which are unread.
- By Sender; the option sorts messages based on the name of the sender. Each identified sender has a header with an associated plus sign. You can view messages of a specific sender by clicking the associated plus sign of the sender, or by simply double-clicking the name of the sender.
- By Subject; the messages are displayed and sorted by subject line of the message. Each message that has a common heading is then grouped and shown in a hierarchy beneath the subject heading.
- By Conversation Topic; similar to the By subject option. The main difference being that messages are grouped based on emails which have been replied, and as a conversation.
- Unread By Conversation Topic; selecting the Unread By Conversation Topic option displays only those messages which are unread and also sorts the messages based on topic.
- Sent To; messages are grouped according to recipient.

Using the Mail Features of OWA

A number of new mail features and enhancements are included in OWA 2003. This section of the Article explores these features.

You can use any of the methods listed below to create an email:

Click the drop-down arrow alongside New and then select the Message option. The New Message will be displayed.
In any mail folder in the folder list, click the envelope alongside New. The New Message will be displayed.

You can use any of the methods listed below to address an email message. When creating a new message, the following boxes are displayed:

To: The names of the main message recipients should be inserted in the To box.
CC: The names of those recipients that the message is not primarily intended for should be placed in the CC (carbon copy) box.
BCC: Enter the names of recipients that should receive this message, but who should not be displayed to the other recipients in the BCC (blind carbon copy) box. Recipients entered in the BCC box do not receive Reply to all messages.

An email is addressed by specifying either of the following information in one of the above mentioned boxes:

Name of the recipient.
Email address of the recipient.

If you enter the name of the recipient, and not the email address, the name that you enter has to be verified by Exchange to the Global Address List (GAL) or a contact list. Names that have not been verified by Exchange appear as a single line of text – not underlined. Once a name has been checked and verified by Exchange, it is underlined. The box that contains the name changes, to a double-lined box. As new names are added, the names that are not checked are placed in the bottom of the box. Once a name is verified, it is placed in the upper box.

You can send the email by simply clicking the Send button. OWA at this stage informs you of any problems with regard to the names that you have specified in the To, CC, or BCC boxes.

You can sort out these issues by selecting between the following options:

Use the Change to option to specify another user.
Delete the problematic recipient using the Delete option.
Manually remove the user by selecting the Cancel option.

You can read a message by simply double-clicking the message. The message then opens in its own message window.

After opening message, the following options become available on the message toolbar:

Reply to sender; use this option to reply to the sender of the message.
Reply to all; use this option to reply to each recipient in the address list. Recipients in the BBC box will not receive the reply.
Forward; use this option to send the message to a recipient that is not specified in the To box.

You can also access these options by simply right-clicking a specific message in the message list and then selecting the appropriate option.

When sending messages through OWA, you can add an attachment to the email and send it.

When an attachment is received in a message, you can use either of these processes to read the included attachment:

Double-click the attachment to open it.

Right-click the attachment and then select Open from the shortcut menu.
Right-click the attachment, select Save target as, and then specify the location that the file must be saved to. You can then open the file from that location.

You can assign message options to an email message that you are creating. The message options are categorised as follows:

Importance: You can choose between the following options to indicate the importance of a message item:
- Low
- Medium
- High
The default setting for messages is the Medium option.
Sensitivity: You can choose between the following options to indicate how sensitive the content of the email is.
- Normal; no message is displayed
- Personal; a message reading Please treat this as Personal, is displayed
- Private; a message reading Please treat this as Private, is displayed
- Confidential; a message reading Please treat this as Confidential, is displayed
The default setting for messages is the Normal option.
Tracking Options: The different Tracking options that you can select are listed here:
- Request a delivery receipt for this message.
- Request a read receipt for this message.
The various receipts are returned when the message is received at the recipient and when the recipient has read the message.

How to use the Find Names feature

Open Outlook Web Access.
Create a new message.
Click the To button located at the left end of the box area.
The Find Names dialog box opens.
Type the name of the recipient. You can also enter a partial name.
Specify where the search should be performed:
- Global Address List (GAL)
- Contacts List
Click OK.
All names that match the search criteria are listed.
Select the name of the recipient.
Next, click either To, CC, or BCC.
Click OK.
Click Close.

How to remove a recipient from the To, CC, or BCC boxes of a message

In the message, right-click the name or email address of the recipient that you want to remove, and click Remove from the shortcut menu.
The recipient is immediately removed from the box.

How to add an attachment to an email

Open Outlook Web Access.
Create the email that you want to send.
Click the Attachments button. The button is located beneath the Subject line.
The Attachment dialog box opens.
Browse to the file which you want to attach to the email.
Click the file.
Click Attach to attach the file.
If you want to add additional attachments, simply click the Attachments button and repeat the process.

How to assign message options to an email message

Open Outlook Web Access.
Create the new message.
Click the Options button n the message toolbar.
The Options dialog box opens.
Select the appropriate Importance, Sensitivity, and Tracking Options.
Click Close.

How to delete a message

To delete a single message (closed):

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click the item that you want to delete.
Press the Delete key or click the X button in the toolbar.

To delete an open message:

Open Outlook Web Access.
Press the Delete key or click the X button.

To delete multiple messages:

Open Outlook Web Access.
Press the Ctrl key down.
Use the mouse to select each message that you want to delete.
Once all messages have been selected, proceed to press the Delete key or click the X button in the toolbar

To delete multiple messages (in a row):

Open Outlook Web Access.
Press the Shift key down.
Click the message at the top of the row.
Click the message at the bottom of the row.
Press the Delete key or click the X button in the toolbar.

Using the Calendar Feature of OWA

The calendar feature of Outlook Web Access 2003 provides the same functionality as that provided in Outlook client:

Appointment views
Creation of appointments
Changing appointments

With OWA 2003, a calendar object is referred to as an Appointment.

You can choose between different views to view the calendar:

Today View: The current date is displayed using a single day view.
Day View: Each day is displayed, one by one. To select a specific day, click the day in the right pane.
Week View: Each week is displayed, one by one, in seven split panes in the center pane. Each day's appointments are displayed in the panes.
Month View: A calendar month is displayed. Summary titles are included for the events in the calendar.

How to create a new appointment

Open Outlook Web Access.
In the toolbar, click New and then click Appointment.
The Appointments dialog box is displayed
If you want to use this appointment as an appointment and not as a new meeting request, then you have to use the default Appointments dialog box.
In the Subject box, enter the subject.
In the Location box, provide the location.
Use either of these methods to set the start time:
- Enter the start time in the Start Time box, and enter the end time in the End Time box.
- Click the drop-down menu boxes alongside the Start Time box and End Time box, and then use the OWA calendar to set the appropriate time.
If you want to flag the appointment as being important, click the ! icon within the toolbar
Click Save.
Click Close.

How to create a new meeting request

Open Outlook Web Access.
In the toolbar, click New and then click Appointment.
The Appointments dialog box is displayed
In the Subject box, enter the subject.
In the Location box, provide the location.
Click the Invite Attendees button.
The Appointments dialog box changes to include the following additional boxes and buttons:
- Required
- Optional
- Resources
In the Required and Optional boxes, enter the usernames of the attendees for the new meeting request.
If you want to find the attendees, click the Required button or the Optional button. When the Find Names dialog box, locate the attendees that you want to invite.
To check the availability of your attendees, click the Availability tab.
Click the drop-down menu boxes alongside the Start Time box and End Time box and set the appropriate time.
Click the Appointment tab.
Click Save.
Click Close.

How to define recurring appointments/meetings

Open Outlook Web Access.
In the toolbar, click New and then click Appointment.
The Appointments dialog box is displayed
In the Subject box, enter the subject.
In the Location box, provide the location.
Click the Invite Attendees button and invite the desired attendees.
Click the Recurrence button.
The Recurrence Pattern dialog box opens.
Choose between the following options:
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- Yearly
The options displayed to the right are determined by which of the above options you have selected. Select the appropriate options.
In the Range of recurrence area, specify whether the recurrence continues or set when the recurrence ends.
Click OK.
Click Save in the Appointments dialog box.
Click Close.

Using the Advanced Features of OWA

The search Address Book feature is an OWA 2003 feature. To access the Address Book, click the open book icon on the Infobar. The Find Names dialog box opens.

You can search the Address Book, using any of the criteria listed below:

Display Name
Last Name
First name
Title
Alias
Company
Department
Office
City

To start a search, click the Find button.

If you want to move an email message from one folder to a different folder;

Click the message.
Drag the message to the other folder.

If you want to mark messages as read or unread;

Select the message.
Right-click the message and select either of these options:
- Mark as Read
- Mark as Unread

If you want to view information on the user entries in the Global Address List (GAL), you can use the user property sheets.

Locate the user in the Address Book.
Select the name of the user and then select Properties. For users in email messages simply double-click the username.
The Properties page of the user opens, displaying information on the user:
- First name
- Last name
- Initials
- Alias
- Display name
- Address
- Title
- Company
- Phone numbers
- Office

Another new feature in OWA 2003 is the Spell Check feature. To use the Spell Check feature, follow the steps below:

In the message that you are creating, click the Spell Check icon in the toolbar.
If this is the first time that the Spell Check feature is initiated, specify the language that should be used.
Click Check Document for Spell Check to check the message.
When Spell Check finds errors, the errors are highlighted in the main box.
Any suggestions are listed in the Suggestions box. If you want to choose a word here, click the word and then click Change.
If you want to manually change a highlighted word, enter the new word in the Change To box and then click Change.
If you want to ignore the reported word, click the Ignore button.
The Spelling dialog box is no longer displayed when the entire message has been checked.

In OWA 2003, another new feature is message context menus. The message context menus become available when you right-click a message in the message list. The options that become available are listed here:

Open
Reply
Reply to All
Forward
Follow Up
Flag Complete
Clear Flag
Mark as Unread
Create Rule
Delete
Move/Copy to folder

In OWA 2003, folder context menus are also included. The folder context menus become available when you right-click a folder in the folder list. The options that become available are listed here:

Update Folder
Open
Open in New
Move/Copy
Delete
Rename
New Folder

With OWA 2003, you can configure server-based rules. This basically means that any rules created in Outlook 2003 are automatically displayed in OWA 2003. Rules created in Outlook 2003 are also displayed in OWA 2003.

To create a rule using the Rules Editor:

Open Outlook Web Access.
On the shortcut bar, click the Rules button.
The Rules Pane is displayed in the right pane. All currently configured rules are listed here, and the order in which the rules are listed indicates the order in which the rules are applied.
If you want to change the order of rules listed in the Rules pane, use the Move Up button and the Move Down button.
If you want to create a new rule, click the New button.
In the Rule Name box, enter a name for the new rule.
In the When a message arrives area of the Edit Rule dialog box, use the available options to define the criteria which will determine when the rule is implemented.
Use the options in under Where The, to define a specific sender of the email message. When an email message arrives from the specified sender, the rule is implemented.
Use the options in under Subject Contains, to define a text that should be matched. The rule is then implemented when an exact match occurs.
Use the options in under Sent To if you want the rule to match according to names or lists in the recipients list.
In the Then area of the Edit Rule dialog box, use the available options to define what action should occur when a match is found.
If you want to move the message to a specific folder, select the Move it to the specified folder option.
If you want to copy the message to a specific folder, then select the Copy it to the specified folder option.
If you want to delete the message, select the Delete it option.
If you want to forward the message to a specific user or to a specific a distribution group, select the Forward it to option.
Specify who should receive the email.
Enable the Keep a copy in my inbox checkbox if you want to keep a copy in the inbox.
Click Save.
Click Close.

With Outlook 2003, you can save regularly used searches in the Search Folder folder list. For searches and search folders created in Outlook 2003, any users of OWA can use these searches.

To use the search feature:

Open Outlook Web Access Client.
Select the folder that you want to search.
Click the Search icon in the Infobar.
The Search dialog box opens.
If you want to search any subfolders of the selected folder, click the checkbox next to Search Subfolders.
In the Look in the Subject for these words box, enter the search criteria for the Subject line.
If you want the search also performed on the message body, select the checkbox next to Also search message body.
If you want the search performed based on the sender of the email, enter the information in the From box.
If you want the search performed based on whom the email was sent to, enter the information in the Sent To box.
Click the Find Now button to start the search.
The search results are displayed in the Search Results box.
To view the results, simply double-click the result.

You can choose between six flag colors of the Quick flags feature to set importance levels for email messages and to set reminders.

To use the Quick flags feature:

Open Outlook Web Access.
The flag icon appears to the right of the message in the middle-pane.
Double-click the flag icon.
To set a flag color, right-click the flag.
Select the flag color by simply clicking it.

There are now a number of keyboard shortcuts available in OWA client:

In the Inbox view, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl+N; opens a new message.
- Ctl+Q; marks a message as read.
- Ctrl+R; to reply to a message.
- Ctrl+Shift+R; to reply to each selected message.
- Ctrl+Shift+F; to forward the selected message.
- Ctrl+U; marks a message as unread.
In the Message view, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl+>; to view the following message in the message list.
- Ctrl+>; to view the previous message in the message list.
In the Contacts view, you can use the Ctrl+Shift+L keyboard shortcut to create a new contact distribution list.
In an open message, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl+Enter or Alt+S; to send a message.
- Ctrl+S; to save the message.
- Ctrl+K; to check names in the address boxes
- Alt+T or Alt+C or Alt+B; to find names in the Address Book.
- [F7]; to start the Spell Checker feature.
In the Public Folders view, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl+N; to create a new posting in public folders.
- Ctrl+R; to reply to a posting.
In the Task view, you can use the Ctrl+N keyboard shortcut to create a task.

Customizing OWA Features

There are a number of OWA features that can be customized. You can access the features that can be customized by clicking the Options button in the shortcut bar. After changing an option, click the Save button to save the change, and then click Close. After the change is saved, the change is immediately effected.

How to configure the Out of Office Assistant feature

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click I am currently out of the office. The Out of Office assistant feature is enabled.
Specify the text that should be returned to the sender.
If you want to disable the Out of Office assistant feature, click I am currently in the office. Any text previously specified when you enabled the Out of Office assistant feature is maintained until you enter a new text or manually delete it.
Click Save.
Click Close.

How to configure the Automatic Signatures feature

You can configure an Automatic Signature that will be displayed at the bottom of new email messages. An Automatic Signature provides information on the sender of the message.

When configuring an Automatic Signature, you can use either of these methods:

Specify that the signature be included for each message that is sent.
Include the signature on a per message basis.

To configure the Automatic Signatures feature:

Open Outlook Web Access.
Under Messaging Options, click Edit Signature.
Specify the text that should be added to a message.
1. Set the following configuration options:
  - Font and font size
  - Color
  - Whether bullets and styles should be used.
2. Select the Automatically include my signature on outgoing messages checkbox to automatically include the signature in each message.
3. Click Save.
4. Click Close.

How to configure Reading Pane options

Reading Pane options pertain to the message list when you have enabled Auto Preview. Through configuration of the Reading Pane options, you can define when a message being previewed can be marked as read.

The different options that you can configure are:

Mark item displayed in reading pane as read; once a predefined time has passed, the message being viewed is marked as read.
Mark item as read when the selection changes; once a user selects a new message, the message is set as being read.
Do not automatically mark items as read; only when a message is physically opened is it marked as being read.

How to recover deleted items

With OWA 2003, you can recover deleted Outlook items that have been removed from the Deleted Items folder. You can only though recover these items if the purge dae configured on the Exchange server has not passed.

To recover deleted items:

Open Outlook Web Access.
Navigate to the Outlook Options area.
Navigate to the Recover Deleted Items area.
Click View Items.
The Recover Deleted Items dialog box opens.
Select each item that you want to recover.
Click the Recover button.
Click Close.
All items specified to be recovered will be displayed in the locations from where they were previously deleted.
If you want to purge items completely, then you have to select the Permanently Delete option. After this option is selected, you will be unable to recover those items in the Recover Deleted Items dialog box.
Click OK.
Click Close.

Using the Contact Features of OWA

Contacts make it possible for you to create your own list of users so that you can send email messages to these users. You can also create distribution lists for users in the Global Address Lists (GAL) and for users in a contact list.

There are a number of different contact views that you can choose between:

Address Cards View: This is the default view and displays limited information on each contact.
Detailed Address Cards View: The same format utilized in the Address Cards View is used in the Detailed Address Cards view. The difference being that the Detailed Address Cards View displays more information on each contact.
Phone List View: This view shows the information on a contact in a single line
By Company View: Displays contact information according to company name headings. Each contact that falls within the same company is shown under the same company name heading.
By Location View: Displays contact information according to locations or regions.
By Follow-up Flag View: Shows contacts that need to be isolated from the other contacts.

How to create a new contact

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click New and then Contact in the Infobar.
The New Contact dialog box opens.
Provide the necessary information for the new contact.
Click Save to save the new contact in the contact list.
Click Close.

How to find names in contacts

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click the Address Book icon.
The Find Names dialog box opens.
In the Look In box, select Contacts.
The search will now be performed in Contacts and not the GAL.

How to create a distribution list

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click New and then Distribution List in the Infobar.
The New Distribution List box opens.
Provide a name for the new distribution list.
Enter the name of each user that you want to add to the new distribution list in Add to Distribution List and click Add. You have to add users one by one.
Click Save
Click Close.

How to modify the information on a contact

Open Outlook Web Access.
Double-click the contact whose information should be modified.
Click Save to save the contact information in the contact list.
Click Close.

How to delete a contact

Open Outlook Web Access.
Select the contact that you want to delete.
Press the Delete key, or click Delete on the Infobar.

Using the Task Features of OWA

Tasks in OWA can be created and viewed. You can define due dates and reminders. The different Task Views that you can choose between are listed here:

Simple List view: Displays a single line list sorted by subject and due date. Information on whether the task is completed is provided.
Detailed List view: Similar to the above view. The difference being that additional information is provided.
Active Tasks view: Similar to the Detailed List view. The difference being that tasks which ar not fully completed are not shown.
Next 7 Days view: Tasks that are due within the next seven days are displayed.
Overdue Tasks view: Tasks that are overdue are displayed.
Taskpad view: Displays the subject and due data for all tasks.

When you receive a task reminder, you can open the task by clicking Open Item. You can then choose between the following options:

If you want to dismiss items one by one, select each item and then select Dismiss.
If you want to snooze the reminder, specify for how long the reminder should be snoozed and then click Snooze.
Click Dismiss All to dismiss all reminders.

How to create a new task

Open Outlook Web Access.
Click New and then Task in the Infobar.
The New Task dialog box opens.
Provide the necessary information for the new task.
Click Save.
Click Close.

Outlook Web Access Best Practices

A few best practices for using Outlook Web Access are listed here:

If client bandwidth access is limited, then you should use OWA 2003 Basic mode – Basic Client Version.
If you want to use the full feature set and functionality of OWA 2003, you should the Premium mode – Premium Client Version.
You should customize the default pane sizes of the new user interface to meet your requirements.
You should also customize the task views to meet your requirements.
Use the Quick Flags feature to create and set reminders, and to define importance for email messages.
When available, use the keyboard shortcuts over using menu button tasks.
When you define Contact Distribution lists, include recipients from the GAL and not from the user's contact list.
You can speed up the process of deleting emails by using either of these options:
- Press the Ctrl key down, use the mouse to select each message that you want to delete, and then press the Delete key.
- Press the Shift key down, click the message at the top of the row and at the bottom of the row and then press the Delete key.
For users that access OWA through a slow dial-up connection, consider using the options listed below to enhance user performance:
- Use Basic mode when logging on to OWA.
- Disable the Two-line viewing feature.
- Disable the Reading Pane feature.
- Configure a lower number of messages to be shown.