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When the user replies to or forwards a message, the envelope icon in the message list does not change to reflect that it has been replied to or forwarded.

  1. What causes this?
  2. How can I fix it?

More information:

  • I'm using Outlook Express 6 on Windows XP
  • I connect to two different servers; one uses POP3, and the other uses IMAP4
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Is it connected to the mail server via IMAP or POP? –  kobaltz Jul 14 '11 at 23:32
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1 Answer

It's most likely a bug in the product. Unfortunately, Microsoft discontinued support for Microsoft OutLook Express many years ago and there have been no updates since, so if your Windows Update check doesn't bring in any remaining updates for OutLook Express then the chances of this bug ever getting fixed are likely zero. =(

Good news: There's a free and open-source alternative to OutLook Express...

For folks who like the MS-OutLook Express interface, switching to Mozilla Thunderbird is generally a very helpful progression because it defaults to the same layout of folders and whatnot, but also with some additional security features. During installation, Thunderbird will also provide an option to import from OutLook Express.

Many folks even regard Thunderbird as a natural upgrade step for OutLook Express users. It's important to note that OutLook Express has some serious bugs that could result in data loss (e.g., mailboxes with 16,383 messages act like they store additional messages but in reality lose them immediately), so switching to an alternative is strongly recommended.

  Mozilla Thunderbird (free and open source)

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Just curious, do you use a Mac? I know OE 6 is no longer supported. I just thought someone might know an answer. –  Mike Jul 17 '11 at 1:02
@Mike: I'm not sure why this would be relevant, but currently I don't use a Mac (the last time I used one regularly was a few years before MacOS X came onto the scene). –  Randolf Richardson Jul 17 '11 at 22:03
@Mike: My answer was aimed at providing a solution. In this case, since the product you're asking about has been discontinued for a long time and is known for having a lot of bugs, the best solution I could suggest was for an alternative product that works very similarly to the discontinued product you were asking about. Unfortunately some problems for past products can't be solved and an alternative is needed, and OutLook Express is one such product for which [at least] some of its problems have no known solutions. I do hope that Mozilla Thunderbird will be a useful option for you. –  Randolf Richardson Jul 17 '11 at 22:07
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