OWA Frequently Asked Questions

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Get Help!  IT Help Desk | Step Sheets | Call 816-3510

Getting Started

• OWA vs. Outlook Exchange
  
  • Outlook Web Access (OWA) is an online version of Outlook that provides easy and reliable access to email.
    
    It is important to know if you are using OWA not Outlook. If you aren't sure, there are a few ways to tell whether you are using Outlook, or Outlook Web Access. If you are using Outlook Web Access,
    you will be viewing it through a web browser (probably Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari).
    
    Still not sure? Look at the top of your window. If you are using Outlook Web Access, there will be an Outlook Web Access logo.
• Navigation Pane
  
  •  The Navigation Pane includes all of the standard mail items found in your email including:
    
    • the Inbox
    • Drafts
    • Sent Items
    • Deleted Items
    • Junk E-Mail
    • Folders you have created
    • Calendar
    • Contacts
    • Tasks
    • Public Folders
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      

• Supported Browsers
  
  • • Chrome 1 and later
    • Firefox 3 and later
    • Safari 3 and later,
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and later
      
      
• User Name | Password | Ch 5
  • USER NAME & PASSWORD for email is the same as your computer login user name and password.
• Public vs. Private view? | Ch 3
  • 
    
    Public Computer option
    If you are using a public computer, like at a computer lab, you should ensure that the Public Computer option is selected when logging on to OWA. 
  • Private Computer option
    Using the Private Computer option will allow a longer period of inactivity before logging you off.
• Email Account Delegation
  
  • If you need access to another person's email account or you would like to specify other users as delegates for you, please contact the IT Help Desk for assistance.

Message Basics

• Start a New Message | Ch 2
  
  • To write an an email, from your inbox, click the NEW button.
     
    
    
• Address a Message | Ch 3
  • To enter addresses in the TO and CC fields, type in the name or a partial name in field. Click  the Check Names icon (left).
    
    This will find the person and put their name in that field when you click on the name. If you start typing and the name appears in the TO or CC fields, press the ENTER key or click the name to add.
• Access the Address Book | Ch 3
  • Need to open the District Address Book to address an email? Click the Book Icon in the tool bar.
    
    Or click the TO button.
    
    
    Select Global Address List.
    
    Personal Address Book
    If you need to open your personal address book to address an email,
    click the TO button or the Book Icon.
    
    Select My Contacts.
• Search the Address Book Ch 3
  • You can scroll or search for the name in address book.
    
    Type the name or part of the name in the search field. Click the Find Icon–the spy glass to the right.
    
    Select the name. (Selections have a yellow background.)
    
  • 
    
    Click the To or Cc button at the bottom of the pane. The name will appear in the selected field.
    
  • Click OK to return to your message window. The recipient's address will appear in the address field.
• Blind Copy Bcc  | Ch 4
  • Turn on Bcc for this email only
    Click on Options in the tool bar.
    
    
    
    Check the box in front of Show Bcc
     
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  • To Turn on Bcc for all emails
    Click on Options- upper right of your home view
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Click on Settings in the next window.  Scroll down to Message Format.
    
    Check Always show Bcc.
• Attachments | Ch 7
  • Add an attachment
    Click on the Paperclip icon in the toolbar.
    
  • 
    
    Browse for the document and attach.
    
    
     
    
    
    
    
    

  • Delete an Attachment
    If you need to delete an attachment–before sending your email–click the X to the right of the file name, as shown below.
     
    
    
  • Note: OWA has an attachment file size limit of 15 MB.
    
• Add Pictures | Ch 8
  • Click on the Insert Picture icon in the toolbar.
    
    
    
  • Browse for your image and insert.
• Create Hyperlinks | Ch 6
  • Method 1: Type or paste the whole url into the message. (example: http://www.cnn.com), and it will become a hyperlink when the email is sent.
  • You can test your link before sending your email, by pressing the CTRL Key and clicking the link.
  • Method 2: Type a word or phrase. Highlight it. Click on the Link icon in the toolbar.
     
  • Type in the url or paste the url in the dialog box.
  • Note: Make sure to select HTML from the drop down menu as shown below. Plain Text does not support hypertext.
    
• Importance Indicators | Ch 10
  • To add an importance indicator to your email, click on the exclamation point icon on the toolbar.
    
    
    
  • The recipient will see this in their inbox.
  • The set of icons provide a shortcut to raise and lower the level of importance of your email from the toolbar.
• Save Drafts  | Ch 9
  • To save a draft, click on the SAVE icon in the toolbar as shown below.
    

  Note: Emails will automatically save in the draft folder every few minutes.

  • If you send the email, it will be gone from drafts.
  • If you simply close the email without sending, it will remain in drafts.
• Customize Formatting Toolbar | Ch 5
  • To customize the formatting toolbar, click the down arrow, (circled at right) to open the options pane. 
  • Put check marks in the boxes of the shortcuts you want to include on your toolbar.
  • These choices will "stick" until you change them.
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• Send
  
  • When you finish composing your message, click Send in the toolbar.
    
    
    
• Spell Checking
  
  • In Internet Explorer, click the spell check icon (shown left).
  • You can also set an option to have it spell check on send.
    
    • Click on Options in the upper right
    • See all Options
    • Click on Settings
    • Click on Spelling in the top tool bar. 
    
    A spell check box will NOT appear. You need to right click the misspelled word and pick the correct spelling, then click send again. 
    
    Note: You cannot add words to the spell check dictionary.
    
    Firefox & Chrome
    If you use the Firefox browser or Chrome, you will not see the spell check button or the Spelling option because both browsers have a built in spell checker.
    
    You need to correct the spelling before sending by right clicking on the underlined word and selecting the correct spelling.
• Stationery
  
  • Text Only Stationery Template
    There is no stationery creator in OWA, however, you can create an email and save it as a Draft. 
    
    When you need to use it, copy and paste the content into a new email.  The original will remain in your draft folder until you delete it.
    
    Text & Images Stationery Template
    Create your template and save it as a Draft.
    
    Right click and from the generated contextual menu, select Copy to Folder.
    
  • 
    
    
    
    Now select Drafts and press Copy.
      
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Click on the newly created Draft copy of your stationery template, located in your Drafts folder. Compose your email as you would normally.
    
    

Message Options

• Read Receipts  | Ch 11
  • Click on Options in the toolbar to open the Message Options pane.
    
  • 
    Under Tracking Options, check the box to select the option: Request a read receipt for this message.
    

  Note:

  A delivery receipt means the email arrived in the recipient’s inbox.  A read receipt means the recipient has opened the email.
• Delivery Receipts  | Ch 11
  • Click Options in the toolbar to open the Message Options pane.
    
  • 
    Under Tracking Options, check the box to Request a delivery receipt for this message.
    
  • Note: A delivery receipt means the email arrived in the recipient’s inbox.  A read receipt means the recipient has opened the email.
• Out of Office Message
  
  • Click Options in the toolbar and select Set Automatic Replies.
    
  • In the now open Organize E-mail tab, under Automatic Replies, select Send automatic replies and type in your message.
  • 
  • 
    
    
    Selecting to Send automatic replies, as shown above, sends this message internally–only in response to emails sent from a @buffaloschools.org address.
     
    To send an out of office message to external users outside the district email system, check Send automatic reply messages to senders outside my organization.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    You can write and send the same message to both groups or write and send separate messages for internal and external senders.
• Add an Email Signature  | Ch 9
  • Click on the insert signature icon in your toolbar for this email.
    
  • 
    To automatically add a signature to all emails, click on Options then See All Options from your inbox in the upper right corner. 
    
    Now click on Settings
  •  
    
  • Add your signature under E-Mail Signature.

• Create Signature
  
  • To create a signature, click on Options then See All Options from your inbox.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Click on Settings.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Under Mail tab, Email Signature, create your signature.
  • Note: You have a Formatting Toolbar.

Contacts

• Access Contacts
  
  • Click on Contacts in the lower left of your screen.
    
• Add New Contact
  
  • To create a new contact, click Contacts.
     
  • Click on New in the drop down menu in the top tool bar.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    In the pop-up window, fill in as much information as you need. Save and close.
• Add Attachment to Contact
  
  • To add an attachment to a contact record, a scan of a business card, for example, click on the paperclip in the top tool bar and browse to the attachment.
    
    
• Create Personal Groups
  
  • Click on Contacts in the Navigation Pane
    
    Click on New and select Group.
    
  • 
    In the pop-up window generated, name the group.
    
    To add members to your group:
    
    • Click Members.
    • Click to select an address book
    • Find the person or persons you wish to add and
    • Double click to add.
    • Click OK and close.
      
      
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    You can also type in the name and address.
    
    Click Add to Group to the right.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Save and Close.
• Remove Name from Personal Group
  
  • Open the group. select the name(s) to remove.
    
    Click Remove from Group.
    
    Save and Close.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
     
    When viewing All, groups will appear in Bold and have an icon before it.
    
    Tip – you can color code groups and individuals. Click on this pull down to see your categories. Remember that you can create your own.