How to view all e-mail messages in plain text format

Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 provide a new option named the Read all standard mail in plain text option. This option lets you view all e-mail messages in plain text format. If you are concerned that a virus or some other type of malicious script could execute through HTML or through Microsoft Outlook Rich Text Format (RTF), you can use the Read all standard mail in plain text option to display all standard e-mail messages in plain text format. The Read all standard mail in plain text option is for display purposes only. The original e-mail message is not converted to plain text format.

To turn on the Read all standard mail in plain text option in Outlook 2003, follow these steps:

1. Start Outlook 2003.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
3. On the Preferences tab, in the E-mail area, click E-mail Options.
4. In the Message handling area, click to select the Read all standard mail in plain text check box.
   
   Note By default, the Read all standard mail in plain text option is turned off.

To turn on the Read all standard mail in plain text option in Outlook 2007, follow these steps:

1. Start Outlook 2007.
2. On the Tools menu, click Trust Center, and then click E-mail Security.
3. Under Read as Plain Text, click to select the Read all standard mail in plain text check box.
4. To include messages that are signed with a digital signature, click to select the Read all digitally signed mail in plain text check box.

When the Read all standard mail in plain text option is turned on, you receive the following notification on the InfoBar at the top of the e-mail message:Note If you decide to view the plain text message in its original format, click the InfoBar, and then select Display as HTML or Display as Rich Text.

How Outlook Prints, Replies to and Forwards E-Mail Messages When You Use the Read All Standard Mail in Plain Text Option

If the Read all standard mail in plain text option is turned on, Outlook uses the display format that you are currently using to initiate any print, reply to or forward functions for the e-mail message.

How to Use the Read All Standard Mail in Plain Text Option for Digitally Signed Mail

Depending on your configuration, Outlook may not be able to view all e-mail messages in plain text format. If you receive an e-mail message and all the following conditions are true

• You have the Read all standard mail in plain text option turned on.
• The e-mail message is not in plain text format.
• The e-mail message was digitally signed with a Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (S/MIME) signature.

you may receive the following message when you try to view the e-mail message: In the case where digital signatures are used, Outlook must display the e-mail message in the original format that is specified by the sender, or you must turn on the Read all digitally signed mail in plain text option. To turn on the Read all digitally signed mail in plain text option, click to select the Read all digitally signed mail in plain text check box under the Read all standard mail in plain text option.