Main Content:
Vacation Instructions for Email users
You can use rules when you are planning to be gone for an extended leave or vacation. Rules are some options that can be utilized to keep everyone informed that you are away. First you will want to unsubscribe to list servers. There are usually instructions within the messages about how to do this. The second step is to setup the rule. A rule will produce a certain effect whenever you receive email or an appointment. Below are the instructions for setting up a rule within Outlook.
To Forward your email to a different address:
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Under the Tools menu, select the option Rules
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Select New from the rules menu.
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Type in the name of the rule (If this is going to be used when you leave for vacation you can call it Vacation Rule)
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Select ADD ACTION and choose Forward.
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A window will pop up where you can enter the email address that you wish the messages to be forwarded to.
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Once this is complete, select SAVE at the bottom of the window.
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When you want the rule to be in effect, make sure it is checked under the rules list. If you don't wish it to be in effect, then uncheck it until you wish to use it again.
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If you are going to be gone for an extended period of time, when you forward the item, you will also want to delete the original.
To Reply automatically when an email is received:
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Under the Tools menu, select the option Rules
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Select New from the rules menu.
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Type in the name of the rule
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Select ADD ACTION and choose Reply
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A window will appear asking if you would like to reply to sender, or reply to all. Select Reply to sender. (Reply to sender will reply only to the person who sent the email to you, reply to all will reply to the sender AND to everyone else that the email was sent to, including yourself, which sets up an endless loop where you reply, then you reply to the reply, and then reply to the reply of the reply.)
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Select SAVE at the bottom of the window.
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When you want the rule to be in effect, make sure it is checked under the rules list. If you don't wish it to be in effect, then uncheck it until you wish to use it again.
You can have as many rules in effect as you would like, you activate and de-activate them by checking the boxes in front of them in the rules menu.
