Hi Lilliabeth,
Here are the steps for the whole process:
Create a reply message template
1. Make sure you are not using Microsoft Office Word as the default e-mail editor.
How?
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Mail Format tab, under Message format, make sure that the Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit e-mail messages check box is not selected. The built-in Outlook e-mail editor should be used as your default e-mail editor.
Note If you are using Outlook 2002, make sure that the Use Word to edit e-mail messages check box is not selected.
2. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Mail Message.
3. In the message window, on the Format menu, click Plain Text.
Note Using HTML or Rich Text format messages might cause problems when sending to recipients whom you have specified in your contacts as plain-text recipients.
When the warning prompt appears, alerting you that you are removing all current formatting, click Yes.
4. In the message body, type what you want to be sent as your automated reply.
5. In the message window, on the File menu, click Save As.
6. In the Save As dialog box, in the Save As Type list, click Outlook Template.
7. In the File Name box, type a name for your reply template, and then click Save.
Create a rule to automatically reply to new e-mail messages
Do one of the following:
Outlook 2003
1. On the Tools menu, click Rules and Alerts.
2. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click New Rule.
3. Click Start from a blank rule, click Check messages when they arrive, and then click Next.
4. Under Which condition(s) do you want to check?, select the Sent Only To Me check box and any other criteria that you want, and then click Next.
5. Under What do you want to do with the message?, select the Have server reply using a specific message check box.
6. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description (click an underlined value), click a specific template.
7. In the Select a Reply Template dialog box, in the Look In box, click User Templates in File System. Select the template that you created in the previous section, and then click Open.
8. Click Next.
9. Optionally, select the check boxes for any exceptions to the auto-reply rule.
10. Click Next.
11. Under Step 1: Specify a name for this rule, type a name for the auto-reply rule, and then click Finish.
These are the steps. Everything seemed to work according to plan but the reply never makes it to the sending email address (my Hotmail account).
Thanks,
Joe B
