jeepxo
asked on
changing the "Reply To" address to match the Sent to
Specifically here is my problem.
I have 3 email users Mary, Joe, John. All three are on a committee. We have an email address set up (dorks@mycomp) that forwards to all 3.
Each person has a rule setup on their outlook to place emails addressed to dorks@mycomp in a separate folder in their in box.
What I am looking for is a way to change the "reply to" and "sent from" address when they reply to a message sent to dorks@mycomp.
ie. if Mary responds I don't want the message to come from Mary@mycomp I want it to come from Dorks@mycomp. If I can't then there is a good chance that the recipient will reply to Mary and not to Dorks. If Mary is away on vacation, sick, quits etc then Joe or John won't get the message and won't be able to respond to it.
I do not want to change it so that Mary's default "reply to" "sent from" is dorks@mycomp either.
Is there a way to add a button to the toolbar to toggle between dorks@mycomp and mary@mycomp?
I have 3 email users Mary, Joe, John. All three are on a committee. We have an email address set up (dorks@mycomp) that forwards to all 3.
Each person has a rule setup on their outlook to place emails addressed to dorks@mycomp in a separate folder in their in box.
What I am looking for is a way to change the "reply to" and "sent from" address when they reply to a message sent to dorks@mycomp.
ie. if Mary responds I don't want the message to come from Mary@mycomp I want it to come from Dorks@mycomp. If I can't then there is a good chance that the recipient will reply to Mary and not to Dorks. If Mary is away on vacation, sick, quits etc then Joe or John won't get the message and won't be able to respond to it.
I do not want to change it so that Mary's default "reply to" "sent from" is dorks@mycomp either.
Is there a way to add a button to the toolbar to toggle between dorks@mycomp and mary@mycomp?
You don't say which version and which program you are using. I use Outlook Express 6 and have a drop-down where I can choose where the email is from. You could set up each person with a new account entitled Dorks and then select that From address when replying or sending.
You also might want to post what type of accounts they are working with. (e.g. Do all three users connect to a Microsoft Exchange server or are we dealing with POP/IMAP accounts?)
ASKER
The users will be using Outlook 2000.
The mail server is a POP3 server but that really is irrelivant in this situation.
Don't really want a drop down.
The more I think about it the more idiot proof I want to make it. Sure it is fine to say " just click this box and choose X or Y" but when you are dealing with end users you have to assume that they will do one of a couple things:
ask why they need to do that, then ignore it;
ask why they can't choose Z even though Z isn't an option;
don't bother asking anything and ignore it;
get confused and choose the wrong "reply to" consistently.
The mail server is a POP3 server but that really is irrelivant in this situation.
Don't really want a drop down.
The more I think about it the more idiot proof I want to make it. Sure it is fine to say " just click this box and choose X or Y" but when you are dealing with end users you have to assume that they will do one of a couple things:
ask why they need to do that, then ignore it;
ask why they can't choose Z even though Z isn't an option;
don't bother asking anything and ignore it;
get confused and choose the wrong "reply to" consistently.
Okay. Tell them they are not qualified to use email if they can't do it properly. Either they can select from the dropdown or you can write something in VBA. That sounds like quite a bit of trouble to go through to console inflexible users. Give them training and expect it to be done right.
ASKER
The users will be using Outlook 2000.
The mail server is a POP3 server but that really is irrelivant in this situation.
Don't really want a drop down.
The more I think about it the more idiot proof I want to make it. Sure it is fine to say " just click this box and choose X or Y" but when you are dealing with end users you have to assume that they will do one of a couple things:
ask why they need to do that, then ignore it;
ask why they can't choose Z even though Z isn't an option;
don't bother asking anything and ignore it;
get confused and choose the wrong "reply to" consistently.
The mail server is a POP3 server but that really is irrelivant in this situation.
Don't really want a drop down.
The more I think about it the more idiot proof I want to make it. Sure it is fine to say " just click this box and choose X or Y" but when you are dealing with end users you have to assume that they will do one of a couple things:
ask why they need to do that, then ignore it;
ask why they can't choose Z even though Z isn't an option;
don't bother asking anything and ignore it;
get confused and choose the wrong "reply to" consistently.
ASKER
Obviously you are not a network admin then Slink9. Users will take the path of least resistance because they are lazy.
Doing something in VBA is fine. I can see this being used much more often in the office if it can be done properly.
Some of the people on staff are also professors at our local university. I can see them wanting to respond to University matters with their University email as the "Reply to", when they are responding to work things they will want their work address.
Doing something in VBA is fine. I can see this being used much more often in the office if it can be done properly.
Some of the people on staff are also professors at our local university. I can see them wanting to respond to University matters with their University email as the "Reply to", when they are responding to work things they will want their work address.
With POP and now the condition that you don't want to use a dropdown of any kind, the only suggestion one could possible give is to allow for IMAP access to the dorks@mycomp mailbox. This will force Outlook/Outlook Express to reply under the right account.
Outside that, this reminds me of a saying that someone keeps telling me -- 'There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems.'
Outside that, this reminds me of a saying that someone keeps telling me -- 'There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems.'
Obviously, Neo, you are not a network admin.
I was. I trained my people properly and generally things went as they were supposed to.
Now I am in business for myself. I will go in and train people. They can ignore what I tell them since I will have to go out again and will make more money because of it.
I was. I trained my people properly and generally things went as they were supposed to.
Now I am in business for myself. I will go in and train people. They can ignore what I tell them since I will have to go out again and will make more money because of it.
ASKER
Obviously you are not a network admin then Slink9. Users will take the path of least resistance because they are lazy.
Doing something in VBA is fine. I can see this being used much more often in the office if it can be done properly.
Some of the people on staff are also professors at our local university. I can see them wanting to respond to University matters with their University email as the "Reply to", when they are responding to work things they will want their work address.
Doing something in VBA is fine. I can see this being used much more often in the office if it can be done properly.
Some of the people on staff are also professors at our local university. I can see them wanting to respond to University matters with their University email as the "Reply to", when they are responding to work things they will want their work address.
Hey, jeep!! Lay off the refresh button. You should use the Reload button at the top of the question so that it does not repost your last comment.
ASKER
I'm not asking for a "Train your people properly" answer slink9. I'm asking for a solution that will make it near idiot proof.
You were a net admin, you know that most companies view IT as an expense and not even as a necessary evil. Most managers don't want complaints they want easy results that they don't have to think about, they want everything automated for them. If that wasn't the case then you wouldn't have your business training people because there would be no demand for you.
If your comments are going to consist of "Train your people better" then please don't waste my time by posting it.
You were a net admin, you know that most companies view IT as an expense and not even as a necessary evil. Most managers don't want complaints they want easy results that they don't have to think about, they want everything automated for them. If that wasn't the case then you wouldn't have your business training people because there would be no demand for you.
If your comments are going to consist of "Train your people better" then please don't waste my time by posting it.
You have basically the same suggestion from Neo. I don't believe you will have someone write this in VBA for you without paying them $$$$. I don't do VBA myself but am pretty sure that it can be written in VBA. You may want to post a 0-point link in the MS Office area and see if you can get some input from that arena.
ASKER
I'm not asking for someone to write a small VBA ap for me. I asking for potential solutions. I thought thats what EE was for.
A comment like "Hmmm...this knowledge base article might point you in the right direction"
or
"Don't think you can use the customize option in the tool menu to do that. You will probably have to write a VB ap to do this"
is far more useful then "Train your people better"
A comment like "Hmmm...this knowledge base article might point you in the right direction"
or
"Don't think you can use the customize option in the tool menu to do that. You will probably have to write a VB ap to do this"
is far more useful then "Train your people better"
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ASKER
You did present a viable option to go look at. I think I have found what I need in the April 2002 MSDN library though. Although I didn't like your tone and the majority of your comments that is irrelivant, you did post a viable answer and you are deserving of the points for actually taking the time to answer. It's not like you are getting paid for it, the points are the only reward we have.
for slink9: if you placed a bet that I am not a network admin, then you would lose. I oversee a network of 4500 users and 48 servers for the government.
That was a sarcastic response, just as it was to me.
My point was that I was accused of not being an admin because I suggested proper training for the users. You suggested the same, just more tactfully. I believe that changing the dropdown will be the final solution since it is so much trouble to do otherwise. Maybe so, maybe not.
My point was that I was accused of not being an admin because I suggested proper training for the users. You suggested the same, just more tactfully. I believe that changing the dropdown will be the final solution since it is so much trouble to do otherwise. Maybe so, maybe not.
if you thought the comment was directed at you -- i'm sorry that it was interpreted that way. I truly didn't mean you no disrespect and it was just something that popped into my head that a Compaq consultant uses when dealing with specific exchange/outlook related questions. This question just felt that it was going that way.