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Using the Address Book

Last Updated: June 17, 2003

The address book is one of the most convenient features of email software. Essentially, once you enter a name in the address book, you can enter the nickname or name in the "To" box and the program fills in the rest. These instructions cover the bare essentials for the address book. There are more features, explore them at your leisure.

Netscape

Creating Single Entries (Netscape)

  1. On the menu line click on Window>Address (Or click on the little icon on the bottom of the screen that looks like a page.).
  2. Click on "New Card."
  3. Enter the first and last name.
  4. Enter the email address.
  5. Click OK.
Groups

If you frequently send the same message to several people you may wish to create a group (page 60 in the text). To create a group:

  1. On the menu line click on Window>Address (Or click on the little icon on the bottom of the screen that looks like a page.).
  2. Click on "New List."
  3. Type in a Name for the list.
  4. If the names on this list are not in your address book, enter the email address.
  5. Click OK.
  6. On the left column, click on the address book from which you wish to select members.
  7. Click on any name you wish to be a member of this list and drag to the name of the group in the left column.

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Using the Address Book (Netscape)

You can either enter the name of the individual to whom you wish to send email in the "To" box, or open the address book and select a name from there.

Entering the name of the individual in the "To" box
    1. Click on the "Compose" icon.
    2. Type the first few letters of the name, the name and email address will fill in.
    3. If you have more than one individual with the same first name, a list of choices will drop down, click on the correct one.
From the Address Book
    1. Open the address book
    2. Find the name
    3. Select it
    4. Click on the "Compose" icon.

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Outlook Express

Creating New Entries

Unless you change the default, the address for anyone to whom you send email will be automatically entered into your address book.

To enter a name:

    1. Click on the Addresses icon.
    2. Click on "New."
    3. Select "New Contact."
    4. Enter at least the first and last name and email address of the individual, or a nickname and the email address.
    5. Click on "Add."
    6. Click on "OK."

The default sorting method is alphabetically by the name in the display field. If the default option to automatically enter an address for anyone to whom you send an email is not changed, and the address does not contain a name, you may find these individuals listed at the beginning of the list. You may wish to edit these by adding a name.

Groups

If you frequently send the same message to several people you may wish to create a group (page 60 in the text). To create a group:

    1. Click on the Addresses icon.
    2. Click on ?"New."
    3. Click on "New Group."
    4. Type a name for the group.
    5. Click on "Select Members."
    6. Click on the members that you wish to add to the group and click on the Select --> button.
    7. Click OK.

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Using the Address Book

There are two methods for using the address book. In the first one you enter the name of the individual in the "To" box of the message. In the second one, you open the address book and select from there.

Entering the name of the individual in the "To" box
    1. Click on the Create Mail icon.
    2. In the "To" box, enter the first name of the person to whom you are sending the email.
    3. The name of the first person in your address book whose name starts with that letter will appear in the "To" box. Just keep typing. When you reach a letter that differentiates the individual to whom you are addressing this email, the correct name will appear.
    4. For example, if you Barbara Jensen and Barb Greene are both in your address book, when you enter the letter B the name Barb Greene will appear. Just keep typing, when you reach the second "a" the name Barbara Jensen will appear.
From the Address Book
    1. Click on the address book icon.
    2. Click on the name to whom you wish to send a message
    3. Click on the "Action" icon
    4. Click on Send Mail

If you have two email addresses for the same individual, or two individuals with the same name, this is the only method that will assure that you are sending to the correct person.

For questions or broken links please email the author .

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Copyright 2003/2008 Linda Q. Thede
All rights reserved