Change the way Windows Mail looks

You can change the way Windows Mail displays messages to make it easier to find specific types of messages. Windows Mail includes a number of built-in view options, and you can create custom views as well.

How can I change which messages are displayed in the message list?

Windows Mail has a number of built-in views that you can use to change which messages are displayed.

1. Open Windows Mail.

2. Click the View menu, point to Current View, and then click one of the following options to change which messages are displayed:

Show All Messages. This view displays all the messages in the current folder, including new, old, read, and unread messages.
Hide Read Messages. This view hides all the messages you've read.
Hide Read or Ignored Messages. This view hides messages that you've read, or that you have applied the Ignore Conversation command to.
Show Downloaded Messages. This view - applicable only to IMAP and newsgroup folders - displays messages whose contents have been downloaded to your computer.
Group Messages by Conversation. This view displays messages grouped by subject. It works in conjunction with other view commands, so you can, for instance, both group messages by conversation and hide messages you've read.

There are also a number of view commands that appear on the menu when you're reading newsgroups:

Hide Answered Messages. This view hides all newsgroup messages that already have replies.
Show Only Useful Threads. This view only shows discussions that other readers have rated as useful.
Show Replies to My Messages. This view only displays messages that are replies to a newsgroup message that you posted.

Can I create custom views showing only certain messages?

Yes. Custom views give you great flexibility in choosing which messages are displayed. You can, for example, choose only to show unread messages from a particular sender, or that contain a specific word.

1. Open Windows Mail.

2. Click the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Define Views.

3. Click New.

4. Select one or more conditions for the view you are creating. As you add conditions, the View Description box will show the current list of conditions for your new view.

5. Click an underlined word or phrase in the View Description box to choose an option or enter a value. For example, if you've selected the check box for the Where the From line contains people condition, click contains people in the list to specify which people you want to include in the view.

6. Click Show/Hide in the View Description box to choose whether to show or hide the messages that meet the view conditions.

7. Type a name for the view, and then click OK.

Can I group related messages together?

Yes. Grouping related messages together can help you keep track of replies to a given message in both e‑mail and newsgroup conversations. You can choose whether to view only the original message, or the message and all of its replies.

1. Click the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Group Messages by Conversation.

2. To display expanded conversations for all messages, click the Tools menu, click Options, click the Read tab, and then select the Automatically expand grouped messages check box.

Notes

To display the original message and all replies to it, double-click the plus sign (+) to the left of the original message. To display only the original message, double-click the minus sign (-) next to the message.

Can I change the information shown in the message list?

Yes. You can remove columns of information in the message list that you don't care about, and display additional optional information as well. For example, you might choose to remove the column that shows a message's priority and add a column to show the size of the message.

1. Open Windows Mail.

2. Click the View menu, and then click Columns.

3. To add a column, select the check box next to the column name.

4. To remove a column, clear the check box next to the column name.

5. To change the order in which columns appear, click a column name, and then click Move Up or Move Down.