OL98: Insertion Point Disappears When Using Word as E-mail Editor

When replying or forwarding messages using Microsoft Outlook 98 with the Microsoft Word 97 E-mail editor enabled, the insertion point may disappear and the message may not be editable.

This occurs when all of the following conditions are true:

• The message is opened before replying or forwarding.
• The option to close the original message on reply or forward is selected.
• Word 97 is the selected e-mail editor for Outlook.

There are three ways to work around this problem. You can clear the option to "Close original message on reply or forward", do not open the message before replying or forwarding (use the preview feature to view the message), or use the Outlook Rich Text or HTML editor as your default editor.

Disable "Close original message on reply or forward"

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Preferences tab, click E-mail Options.
3. Click to clear the option " Close original message on reply or forward". This will mean that the original message will still be open after sending the reply or forwarded message, so you will need to close it.
4. Click OK, and OK to apply the changes and close the dialog boxes.

Use the Preview Pane

1. On the Go menu, click Inbox. Skip this step if you are already viewing your default Inbox.
2. On the View menu, click Preview Pane.

The Preview Pane or the AutoPreview feature can be used to read all or part of the message before replying or forwarding.

Change the Default E-mail Editor

1. On the Tools menu, Click Options.
2. On the Mail Format tab, click to select HTML, Plain Text, or Microsoft Outlook Rich Text.
3. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog box.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Outlook 98.