Configure Microsoft® Outlook® as your E-mail Client in ACT!

Question

You would like to know how to setup Microsoft Outlook as your E-mail system in ACT! 2009.

ACT! 2009 E-Mail will work through Microsoft Outlook versions 2002 (XP), 2003, or 2007.

Important: In order for ACT! and Outlook to properly integrate, ACT! must have been installed after Outlook was installed. If you installed or upgraded Outlook after you installed ACT!, you will need to uninstall and reinstall ACT! prior to setting up Outlook as your email client for ACT!

To configure Microsoft Outlook as your e-mail client in ACT!, please use the following steps:

1. Click the Tools menu, and then click Preferences. The Preferences dialog box appears.
2. Select the E-mail tab and click the E-mail System Setup button.
   
   
   
   
3. The following E-mail Setup Wizard appears. Click Next at the Welcome to the E-mail setup Wizard dialog box (if necessary).
   
   
   
   
4. The following E-mail dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   
5. Click to enable the Microsoft Outlook e-mail system check box, and then click Next. The following E-mail - Outlook Address Books dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   This page of the wizard allows you to add up to three ACT! databases as address books to Outlook.
   
   
6. After clicking next, the E-mail Editor dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   
7. For the Select an e-mail editor option, two options are available to choose from: ACT! Email Editor or Microsoft Outlook (recommended).
   • Select an e-mail editor: 
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       If you choose:
     • The ACT! Email Editor: When you click on the E-mail option from the side toolbar the ACT! E-mail program will launch with your Outlook folders displayed. If you click either the Write menu, and then click E-mail message, or click the contacts e-mail address hyperlink from the E-mail field, the ACT! E-mail program will launch with your Outlook folders displayed (if not already open) and the default ACT! e-mail template will appear properly addressed.
     • Microsoft Outlook: When you click on the E-mail option from the side toolbar, click the Write menu, and then click E-mail message, or click the contacts e-mail address hyperlink from the E-mail field the default Outlook e-mail template appears properly addressed. You must open Outlook to view your folder when using this option.
       
       Note: If you choose the Microsoft Outlook option, you must setup an ACT! address book to enable history and attachments controls. You must also disable Microsoft Office Word as the editor for Outlook e-mail messages. For help on how to do this, please use the following steps:
       1. In Outlook, click the Tools menu, and then click Options. The Options dialog box appears.
       2. Under the Mail Format tab, clear the Use Microsoft Office Word <version> to edit e-mail messages check box.
       3. Click Apply and OK.

       Note: If you choose the Microsoft Outlook option you will not be allowed to add any other e-mail programs to the ACT! E-mail client such as Outlook Express or Lotus Notes. It is recommended that you select the ACT! Email Editor option if you would like to setup more then one E-mail client in ACT!.

     
     
   • Edit Signatures: This option is available only when using the ACT! e-mail program option. You may select your default signature that will appear in a new message from the drop-down. For detailed information on how to create an e-mail signature in ACT!, please refer to the following Knowledge Base Answer: 
     
     
     Title: How to Create a E-mail Signature in ACT!
     Answer ID: 22073
8. Click Next to advance the E-mail Setup Wizard. The E-mail - Record History dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   On this screen, you are able to select the type of history recording option when you send e-mail to ACT! contacts. Selecting Make History Private will create private Histories when using the selected recording option. The Record History options available are:
   
   • None
   • E-mail Subject Only
   • E-mail Subject and Message (Recommended)
   • E-mail Subject, Message and all Attachments
     
9. Click Next to advance to the next page in the wizard. The Email - Attach to ACT! Contacts dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   From this page of the wizard, you are able to select how ACT! should attach messages as history records. The same options from the previous page in the wizard for history recording are available from list. In addition, you can choose the options for the Quick Attach function.
10. Click Next to proceed and the Finishing E-mail Setup dialog box appears:
    
    
11. Select Finish to close the Finishing E-mail Setup dialog box.