# Outlook 2003 Multiple accounts and replies



## brucedl (Feb 12, 2001)

I have multiple pop3 accounts that I use. When a email comes in that I want to reply to, Outlook selects my default account to send the reply, so I have to remember to manually change the send from account to my selection, if it isn't the default. One would think that the reply should, by default, come from the account that received the message. Does anyone know of a way to force Outlook to perfom that behavior?


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## sle (Nov 2, 2004)

Nope, but I'd sure like to know if you do. 

The only thing I can think of is to use Google to search for Outlook add-ons and plug-ins - ie, software by other companies that will work with Outlook to allow you to do more stuff w.it. Good luck!


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## Bluemoon62 (Mar 22, 2005)

I am searching for the same solution (or similar). I always want it to use my regular address (unless I specify otherwise) but it keeps alternating between my different POP addresses when I reply to or forward emails. 

Outlook is so powerful that you'd think it would be easier to customize this.

If you find a solution, please let me know and I'll do the same for you.


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## brucedl (Feb 12, 2001)

I haven't found anything yet. Yours is alternating between different addresses, and not just using your default account? That would be -really- aggravating. At least I know which one it uses when I don't specify.


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## lyoung (Apr 8, 2005)

Microshaft strikes again! I have a desktop and laptop, both running Outlook 2003 sp1 with multiple pop3 accounts. All replies went out on the account that the incoming message was received on. While generating the message, a bar appeared at the top to indicate the account that was being used. In the drop down box next to Account, there was an "X" by the account being used. When operating in default mode, there was an "X" adjacent to the default account. Everything was working great.

I recently installed a new hard drive in my laptop and reinstalled Outlook sp1. Now, on my notebook, all replies go out with the default account unless I go to account and change it, and there is no "X" by any of the accounts at any time. I checked the settings against my desktop and they all appear to be the same. I have tried to find an answer in the MS Knowledgebase and on slipstick, but can find nothing. I am anxiously awaiting something from this forum. Will post an answer if I find one.


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## brucedl (Feb 12, 2001)

I think I have the solution for this:

Make sure all your accounts have a "reply address" in the account setup on the general tab of the internet email settings dialog. If the reply addy is blank, it will send from your default account.


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## lyoung (Apr 8, 2005)

That isn't it. All my accounts have a unique "reply address" that matches the account. I find it odd that there is not an "x" to the left of the account in the drop down to indicate the account that is being used. I think there is a link between the two issues.


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## brucedl (Feb 12, 2001)

Have you gone into the Tools/Send Receive Settings dialog to make sure sending was turned on for the accounts in question? Can you post a screen shot to where this "x" is supposed to appear?


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## lyoung (Apr 8, 2005)

Check and all accounts send and receive everytime I send and receive. 

See screen shots. I included the one from my notebook (w/o "X") and from the desktop (w/ "X"). See attached .doc file


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## lyoung (Apr 8, 2005)

Eureka !!!! I solved the check mark issue by deleting and reinstalling my accounts. However, that did not take care of the issue of sending the emails on the default account when replying. So I went back and checked my desktop and found that I was using plain text and not HTML and that I was including the old message and indenting it. Made those changes and that fixed the problem. Now to work backwords and get it to work in HTML.


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## brucedl (Feb 12, 2001)

It looks like you are using MS Word to send your emails (Tools/Options/Mail Format). I wonder if switching and using Outlook as your email editor would solve the last piece of the puzzle. I've never used Word for my email editor...it's just more system overhead.


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## lyoung (Apr 8, 2005)

I went back and reset to Word and HTML and everything still works. Must be a sequencing thing about the set up. Hope this fixes everyone's problems with Outlook and multiple accounts/replies. Once again, Bill and Microshaft took hours out of our lives.


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## ColinB (Apr 22, 2005)

I have a similar problem, so thought this was the best place to post it.

I have three POP3 acounts in Outlook; one specified as my default. For some strange reason the default account is not always used when replying to an e-mail. For example, this morning I received five e-mails and only three used the default account for the reply. The others used one of the other accounts (same one).

From the previous postings, I decided to delete all the accounts and recreate them. No success. This only started this morning and I am not aware of any other changes on my PC (XP Home).

Any other ideas anybody? Many thanks in advance. Colin


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## Bluemoon62 (Mar 22, 2005)

Hi ColinB,

I never figured out the solution to that problem. So, I decided to use Outlook only for my default account. And I use Outlook Express for my other two POP3 accounts for the rare times that I want to send or receive messages using those accounts. 

It works, and I'm not beating my head against the wall.


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## lyoung (Apr 8, 2005)

Are you using Word as your text editor? My solution was erroratic unil I changed back to plain text. Then, Outlook reset itself and I was able to reset to Word. Hope this helps.


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## Bluemoon62 (Mar 22, 2005)

No, I use HTML, not Word as my editor. So, that wasn't the problem.


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## lyoung (Apr 8, 2005)

I had to change HTML to plain text. I was using Word and HTML. I had to change both settings.


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## Bluemoon62 (Mar 22, 2005)

Plain text isn't acceptable to me. You shouldn't "have" to use that setting to get it to work. (Are you listening, Microsoft?)

For me, it's better to use Outlook for my default POP3 account and Outlook Express for my other two POP3 accounts that I don't use too often.


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