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10 Minute Guide to Microsoft Exchange 5.0
- Lesson 2 -
Exchange Basics
In this lesson, you learn how to start and end a session in Exchange, and how
to navigate through your mailbox folders.
Starting Exchange
To launch the Exchange client software, use one of the following methods:
- If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, double-click the Inbox icon on
your desktop.
- If you are using Windows NT 3.51 or Windows 3.x, open the Microsoft Exchange
program group and double-click the Microsoft Exchange program icon (see Figure 2.1).

Figure 2.1 In Windows NT 3.51 or Windows 3.x, the Microsoft Exchange
icon is inside the Microsoft Exchange program group.
The Viewer
The window that opens when you start Exchange is called the Viewer. It
contains the elements found in most Windows software applications, such as a title
bar, a menu bar, a toolbar, and a status bar. However, a few additional elements
make the Viewer a bit different from other software windows (see Figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2 The Exchange Viewer is divided into panes and contains objects.
The Viewer is an object-based window, and it displays objects in a hierarchical
view. The Viewer is divided into two panes:
- The pane on the left (the Folder pane) displays the folders you have access to.
- The pane on the right (the Contents pane) shows the contents of the folder that
is selected in the left pane. The right pane also contains column headings to indicate
the information available for the displayed contents. The column headings change
according to the types of objects that are displayed.
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Hierarchical View A hierarchy is a group of objects organized into classes.
Each class is subordinate to the class it belongs to. This grouping can be displayed
by showing the top class with each subordinate class below it. Then the subclasses
of the subordinate classes can be displayed under their parents, and so on. The resulting
hierarchical view shows each class and its subclasses.
The Mailbox
The Mailbox object displayed in the left pane represents your server-based mailbox
into which messages are placed. Normally, your mailbox has four folders: Deleted
Items, Inbox, Outbox, and Sent Items. However, you can add more folders (see Lesson
13 for details).
The Inbox Folder
The Inbox folder receives the mail that's sent to you. When you highlight the
Inbox in the Folder pane, the Contents pane displays all the messages in your Inbox
(see Figure 2.3). Incidentally, the number in parentheses next to the Inbox indicates
the number of unopened (unread) messages. It does not necessarily represent the total
number of messages in your Inbox because you may not have disposed of previously
opened messages. Notice that the status bar indicates the number of unread messages
and the total number of messages in the Inbox.
The Columns in the Contents Pane
The columns in the Contents pane break down information about the displayed objects.
By default, the columns for received messages are (from left to right):
- Importance This shows the priority (high, low, or normal) the sender placed
on each message.

Figure 2.3 Click the Inbox object to see the messages that are waiting
for you.
- Item Type This indicates the type of message. (Message types are discussed
later in this lesson.)
- Attachment This contains an icon if a file or other object is attached
to a message.
- From This contains the name of the sender.
- Subject This displays the subject of the message, which is provided by
the sender.
- Receiver This shows the date and time the message was placed in your mailbox.
- Size This gives the size of the message (in kilobytes).
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Configure the Columns You can add or remove column headings, change the order
in which columns appear, and change the width of the columns by choosing View, Columns
and following the instructions for changing the column display.
Re-Sort the Message List If you click a column title, the messages are sorted
according to the selected column title. By default, the messages are sorted by the
date they were received (the list is in descending order starting with the most recent
date and time). A small arrow indicating ascending or descending order appears in
the column header that is currently being used for sorting the list.
The List of Messages
The Contents pane is designed to give you some information about each message
through the use of the following icons:
- A plain envelope in the Item Type column represents a standard message. In addition,
you may see icons representing faxes or special forms that have been designed for
use in your company.
- An envelope with a padlock on it represents an encrypted message (called a "sealed"
message) that requires a password to open.
- An envelope with a pen on it represents a message containing a digital signature
(called a "signed" message) and requires a password to open.
- A paper clip in the Attachment column means there is an attachment to the message.
- A red exclamation point in the Importance column indicates the sender has marked
the message for high priority.
- A blue down arrow in the Importance column indicates the sender has marked the
message for low priority.
- Messages that are bold are new and have not been opened.
Understanding Signed and Sealed Messages
"Signed" and "sealed" are Microsoft Exchange terms for special
security measures that can be applied to messages:
- A signed message is one to which the sender has added an attribute that requires
a recipient password. This ensures that only the recipient can open the message.
- A sealed message is one in which the contents are encrypted. A password is required
to open it and read it.
These functions are part of the Advanced Security features of Microsoft Exchange
Server and are not automatically available. If Advanced Security has been enabled
on your Microsoft Exchange system, your system administrator will give you the information
you need to apply security measures to your messages.
The Deleted Items Folder
Deleting a message in Exchange is a bit different from deleting files from other
Windows applications, such as File Manager or Explorer. When you highlight a file
and press Delete (or choose Delete from the File menu), you will not see a confirmation
message such as Are you sure? or Do you really want to delete this file?
Instead, the message just disappears from the list in the Contents pane.
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It's Not Really Gone! When you delete a message, it is merely moved to the
Deleted Items folder. If necessary, you can rescue your deleted messages before they
disappear permanently (see Lesson 11 for details). While this is similar to the Recycle
Bin of Windows 95 and Windows NT 4, it is in no way associated with the Recycle Bin.
The Outbox Folder
The Outbox is the container that holds messages you've sent until those messages
are delivered to the server. The system checks the Outbox for mail and sends messages
either immediately upon your command or at a specified time, depending on the choices
you make. (See Lesson 7, "Composing and Sending Messages," for more information
on your choices for when to send mail.) You can delete a message from the Outbox
if you change your mind about sending it.
The Sent Items Folder
After you send a message, a copy is placed in the container called the Sent Items
Folder. This is useful if you need to refer to the message after it's sent or if
you need to be reminded about the original message when you receive a reply from
the recipient. For example, if you receive a message in response to your own e-mail,
and the text of the message you receive consists of a single word like "Yes"
or "Thursday," you have to remember the question you asked that engendered
that answer. Looking in the Sent Items folder saves you the embarrassment of having
to ask your correspondent what the original question was in order to make sense of
the answer.
Quitting Exchange
There are two methods you can use to quit Exchange. Regardless of which method
you use, your Microsoft Exchange Client software closes, and you don't have access
to its features. However, the method you use to quit has an effect on any other messaging
applications that may be running on your computer.
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Messaging Application Software that uses the messaging features provided by
the operating system is called Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI).
MAPI provides addressing, sending, receiving, and storing functions for messages.
Software programmers use these functions to add messaging features to software. For
example, there are word processors that provide some levels of messaging, enabling
you to send documents to other network users while you are using the word processor
(without opening Microsoft Exchange Client).
To quit Exchange, use one of the following methods:
- Choose File, Exit or click the Close (X) button to quit Exchange. This closes
the Microsoft Exchange Client but leaves any other messaging applications running.
- Choose File, Exit and Log Off to close Microsoft Exchange Client and all other
messaging applications.
In this lesson, you learned about opening and closing Exchange, and you gained
some understanding about Exchange's appearance. You also learned about the components
of your mailbox. In the next lesson, you will learn how to use the Help files in
Exchange.
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