Microsoft Outlook Express

Outlook Express is the e-mail client that comes with the MicrosoftInternetExplorer browser. Outlook Express does not have as many features as MicrosoftOutlook.

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The Outlook Express address book is stored on a MicrosoftWindows machine as a WAB (Windows Address Book) or *.wab file. (I have yet to discern the format in which the MacOs version of Outlook Express stores its address book.)

The entire address book can be exported in various formats, such as comma separated values, tab separated values, formats suitable for MicrosoftOutlook, and special formats peculiar to other e-mail clients. Individual address entries can be exported as vCards. WAB is understood by NetscapeCommunicator?.

The Windows Address Book (WAB) and its API are documented by Microsoft

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There are a few options to extend Outlook Express. Some tools:

• http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2Fsupport%2Fmessagingsdk%2Ffaq%2Fsmapifaq.asp
• http://www.codeproject.com/com/Outlook_Express_Messages.asp
• http://www.nektra.com/products/oeapi/
• http://www.nektra.com/products/wab/

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To properly annoy Microsoft Outlook Express users, add these custom headers in your e-mail client:

 X-Message-Flag: This message violates the USA PATRIOT Act (HR 3162), section 811(c). Intercepted by CARNIVORE/3.0
 Reply-By: Wed,  1 Apr 2000 12:00:00 -0500
 X-WebTV-Stationery: Standard; BGColor=black; TextColor?=black

The WebTV Stationery header hides the message in WebTV clients. The Reply-By header sets an angry "OVERDUE MESSAGE!!" flag. The Message Flag header puts another flag by your message, and also displays your custom notice.

 X-Message-Flag: Get yourself a real email client. http://www.mutt.org/
 X-Message-Flag: WARNING: Wikis may be dangerous to intellectual property!
 X-Message-Flag: Outlook Express is insecure! Upgrade at mozilla.org

You can set these in your .muttrc with the my_hdr command.

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How to send those headers using Thunderbird:

• http://email.about.com/cs/mozillatips/qt/et030604.htm

Summary: user_pref("mail.compose.other.header", "X-Message-Flag,Reply-By,X-WebTV-Stationery" ); Makes them appear alongside To, Cc, etc. in the Compose picker.

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I don't use either MicrosoftInternetExplorer or MicrosoftOutlookExpress. On my laptop from time to time I get a message asking me to compress my MicrosoftOutlookExpress data. If I cancel it, it comes back. So I accept it to tidy up nothing. -- JohnFletcher

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CategoryMicrosoft