OWA 2003 FAQ and Tips

Q: There seems to be more for me to do on the new Online Web Access logon page. What should I do before I click 'Log On'?

A: There is more to do, but these options make your e-mail account access more efficient and secure.

1. Go to Go to https://mail.ad.uab.edu as usual.
2. Type in your BlazerID and password as you normally would.
   
   
   
3. The type of browser you have will determine your Client options. The Premium client is not available to those with non-Internet Explorer browsers. If you are an IE user, under Client , choose Basic if you have a slower Internet connection or if you're just doing a simple task (checking your e-mail, for example). Choose Premium if you will be doing more complicated tasks and/or need the additional features Premium provides. For an explanation of the Basic and Premium clients, see the third question of this FAQ.
4. Under Security , choose Public if you're on a campus computer or if someone else may have quick access to the computer. Choose Private if you're the only person with access to the computer. If you have additional questions about the Client or Security sections before you log on, click the ' what's this?' link.
5. Click Log On .

Entourage Users:

You may have trouble getting to this login screen. Follow the instructions below.

1. Open Entourage.
2. Go to the Entourage menu selections and click Account Settings.
3. You should see “This DAV required a secure connection (SSL)” at the bottom of the dialogue box; click this checkbox.
4. Restart Entourage; you should now be able to log into your UAB account.

Q: Is this a new account? Will I lose anything?

A: This is an upgrade from OWA 2000 to 2003, not a brand new account for you. Your page will look different, but you shouldn't lose any e-mails or other files that were there before. However, if you think something has been lost, contact the AskIT Help Desk at (205) 996-5555 or askit@uab.edu for further assistance.

Q: What's the difference between the Premium and Basic Client options?

A: Outlook Web Access Basic is for those who will be using Outlook Web Access for more straightforward tasks, such as checking e-mail and looking up contacts. It is similar to the old OWA, but it also includes some new features. This version is best for those with slower Internet connections. OWA Basic supports most browsers. However, Internet Explorer 5.01 or Netscape Navigator 4.7 (or later versions) are recommended.

The Outlook Web Access Premium client offers additional features, similar to the advanced features you might use if you have Outlook 2003. This version will be useful for more advanced tasks (creating task lists, setting up reminders, etc.). Some of the Premium features require Internet Explorer 6. Therefore, only those with Internet Explorer will have an option between the Basic and Premium clients .

Q: Why does the login page want to know if I'm on a public or private computer?

A: The network wants to know if someone could access your e-mail account (and any personal information located there) and the security measures it needs to take to protect it. In OWA 2003, your information will be stored in a cookie, not in the browser as it was in the previous version. This means that your login information will be cleared when you log out of OWA - there is no "Remember my password" option.

Secondly, your session will expire (and your will have to login again) if the account is inactive for a period of time. If you are on a public or shared computer, timeout occurs after fifteen minutes of inactivity. You will have more time on your private computer. When timeout does occur, the page will remain the same until you try to perform another action. At this point, you will be prompted to log in again.

These measures help to protect your privacy, but they aren't a replacement for the personal security measures you should already be taking:

1. Never walk away from a public computer without logging off completely.
2. Always log off of OWA and close the browser before you move on to a website that might not be secure. In OWA 2003, the Log Off button is located in Navigation pane, on the right-hand side. You will be prompted to close the browser window.
3. Never disclose your password to anyone. With your BlazerID and password, they will have access more than just your e-mail!
4. The Internet Privacy setting ( Tools>Internet Options>Privacy ) should be at Medium or higher.
5. Even if you are on your personal computer, think of everyone who could have access to it (colleagues and roommates included).

Q: There are features I thought Outlook Web Access 2003 had, but I'm not seeing them here.

A: Not all browser support OWA Premium, where you will find most of these features. For OWA Premium, you must have Internet Explorer ; otherwise, you will be directed to Basic. Basic is a less elaborate version of Outlook with fewer new features. If you have IE, you may have just selected the Basic client instead of Premium on the OWA login page when you signed in. To switch to Premium, log out of OWA and select Premium under Client when you log back in. For a list of OWA 2003's features, see our OWA 2003 Features section, or visit Microsoft's website ( www.microsoft.com ).

Q: What is a Reading Pane? I don't see it on my page. How do I view it?

A: A Reading Pane (also call a Preview Pane) is the area within the Outlook window that displays a selected e-mail message. Click on an e-mail to view it in the Reading Pane, or double-click to view it in a separate window. The Reading Pane option is only available in the Premium client of Online Web Access, not in Basic. If you are in OWA Premium and still do not see the Reading Pane, or if the Reading Pane is there and you want to remove it:

1. In the Toolbar, click the Show/Hide Reading Pane button.
2. Choose one of the three options: Right, Bottom or Off .
3. You may adjust the size of the any pane by moving the lines between the panes.

Q: Is it possible to recover items recently emptied from my Deleted Items Folder?

A: Yes! With the new version of OWA, it's much easier to view and recover these files.

1. In the Navigation Pane , click Options .
2. Scroll down to Recover Deleted Items (at the very bottom) and click View Items .
3. A list of deleted messages from the past several days will appear. Make your selection (use the Shift key to select more than one) and click the Recover button above the list, or click Permanently Delete to clear these files from your account completely. If the file isn't there, the recovery time has probably already passed.
4. The file will be sent back to your Deleted Items folder - not your Inbox.

Q: What options do I have with the Spell Checker?

A: If you are in OWA Premium, you will now have the Spell Checker button in all new message windows. In addition, one major advantage of the OWA Spell Checker is having the option of automatically checking your messages when you click Send. Furthermore, you now have a choice of 20 languages and language variations. To set your Spell Checker options:

1. In the Navigation Pane , click Options .
2. Find the Spelling Options section. You have several choices, from ignoring certain words to selecting a language.
3. Don't forget to click Save and Close to save your changes!

Q: I opened an e-mail that contained images, but the images are blocked. What happened? How can I view them?

A: Sometimes, images, music, and other external content can contain "beacons", which are used by spammers to verify your e-mail address so that they may send you more (and more) spam. With its 2003 version, Outlook Web Access attempts to prevent this by blocking anything that could contain a beacon. You will probably see a warning with a Click here to unblock content option. If you trust the sender, go ahead and unblock the content. If you don't, the images will be blocked when you view the e-mail and the beacon (if one is there) will not be activated.

It may be a bit of an inconvenience, but the blocker helps to protect the computer and, most importantly, your privacy from people who want to inconvenience you even more. Though it is not recommended, you may turn off the blocker ( Options>Privacy and Junk E-mail Prevention ).

Q: I saw an announcement that I had new mail, but I don't see it in my Inbox. Where is it?

A: Your mailbox does not always refresh itself automatically (this is done to cut down on how much the site slows down your internet connection speed). Clicking on the announcement window, the Inbox folder, or on any Refresh button (the browser or on the OWA page ) will refresh the page and allow you to see the new message.

Q: What are Search Folders? How can I access them?

A: Search folders are folders of your saved search results. For example, you may want to have all e-mails from a particular person in one folder, so you would search Outlook for these e-mails and save the search as a Search Folder. You cannot create search folders in Outlook Web Access, but you can create them in Outlook 2003 if it is in online mode with an OWA 2003 server. Then, you may view them in your OWA Premium account in the Folders pane. This feature is not available in Basic view. If you would like to do this and have Outlook 2003, but it is not linked to your OWA account, visit the following website for a step-by step configuration guide: http://www.uab.edu/it/email/clients/xp/xp.html

Q: Where are my Public Folders?

A: Public folders may be viewed in both Outlook Web Access Basic (with Firefox) and Premium. They will be located in their own window. In the Navigation Pane , click Public Folders . A new window will appear with all available public folders.