Outlook Web App (OWA) - Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

This article answers frequently asked questions about the Outlook Web app used by students and employees at the University of Idaho.

Body

Overview:

Request email assistance

Outlook Email Questions:

How do I open an email attachment?

  1. Right-click on the attachment and select either Save Target As (for Internet Explorer users) or Save Link As (for Firefox users).
  2. Save the file to your computer where you can easily find it (usually in your downloads folder).
  3. Locate your file and double-click it to open the file in the correct program.

How do I get the full email headers of a message?

Follow the steps in this tutorial.

How do I set up a vacation message?

Microsoft Exchange calls Vacation messages Automatic Replies or an Out of Office Response. To setup an Out of Office Response in OWA, go to Settings tab, or gear icon. The Automatic Replies will be the first Option. You will need to check the bullet that reads Send Automatic Replies, fill in the text box and other option fields and then click OK.

See Microsoft's tutorial on how to do this in Outlook.

Why do I get error messages when I try to send a message to multiple recipients?

If you are typing more than one address in the To:, Cc:, or Bcc: fields, you must separate each address with a semicolon (;) and not a comma (,). If you use a comma to separate addresses, you will receive an error message.

Back to Overview

Calendar, Appointments, and Meetings Questions:

Why do all my appointments display in the new time zone, when I travel to another time zone, instead of my Pacific Time?

The OWA Premium client is location-sensitive and will automatically convert times to reflect the local time zone where the client was accessed in. To see meeting times based on a different time zone, change the current time zone setting under the OWA ‘Options’ page.

How do I access the Outlook Calendar?

You can access your calendar from the main Navigation window by clicking on the app menu icon and selecting Calendar.

How do I set up a new calendar?

In OWA's Calendar tab, simply click the plus sign next to "My Calendar" and give the calendar a name. Or click "Add calendar" to see more options in a drop-down menu. See more about this on Microsoft's website.

How do I schedule a meeting?

  1. Begin by going to New -> Calendar Event.
  2. Under the People column, click the Add people box and add those you'd like to invite. You can use the scheduling assistant to set the time of the meeting around each attendee's personal schedule.
  3. Fill in the details (title, location, time, etc.)
  4. When you are finished, click Send.

How do I reschedule a meeting?

To reschedule a meeting request, you can locate your meeting in the calendar. You can then drag the item to a new time slot or adjust its duration by extending either side of the calendar item.

You can also double-click the item and input the new date or times into the dialog box. Click Send Update to notify your attendees.

How do I cancel a meeting?

  1. To cancel a meeting request, first locate your meeting in the calendar.
  2. Click on the meeting and click Delete.
  3. A dialog box will come up. Select Yes to send a notification to your invitees.

How do I reply to a meeting request?

Meeting requests will come as regular mail messages. To view them, go to Mail, and then your Inbox. Double-click on the meeting request.

You can select Calendar to check your availability. Close the calendar to return to the message. Click Accept, Tentative, Decline or Propose New Time. Once you have chosen, select the option to send your response now, later, or not at all.

Do I have to accept a meeting for it to appear on my calendar?

You need to select either “Accept” or “Tentative” in the notification in order for the meeting to appear on your calendar.

How do I schedule an all-day event?

  1. Under the Calendar you would go to New->Calendar Event.
  2. Fill in the Subject and the Location. Under the time section check the box for All Day Event.
  3. You can enter a description in the body if desired.
  4. Click Save Close to record the event.

How do I see someone's shared calendar?

Select Add calendar, then From directory. In the new window, either type the username or email of the person or group account you would like to see, select the group when it appears, and click Open. Depending on their permissions settings, their calendar will appear as its own color under the My calendars tab. 

How do I share my calendar with others so they can see and respond to it?

See our tutorial.

How do I set up a group calendar, equipment calendar or room calendar?

Resource calendars are Functional Accounts used only for the calendar. Request a resource calendar by contacting your TSP or System Administrator. Users can create shared calendars on their own account, but the calendar will be deleted upon expiration of the owner's account.

Back to Overview

Other OWA Questions:

Does OWA use the same Contacts list as the Desktop client?

Yes. OWA uses the same global contact lists as the desktop version of Outlook. This means you can search for any contact that is in the global list for the University of Idaho.

Custom contacts and contact lists you make on your desktop, however, will not be visible in OWA.

What is the default timeout for inactivity in OWA?

The default timeout for the “Public or Shared Computer” security setting is 15 minutes. The default timeout for the “Private Computer” setting is 8 hours. The timeout can be changed by clicking either public or private radio buttons before logging in to OWA.

How do I set up delegate or more advanced sharing permissions?

For delegation you can follow the instructions to add delegates to your calendar by logging into https://outlook.office.com/ with your U of I credentials and the following Microsoft Instructions:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/share-your-calendar-in-outlook-on-the-web-7ecef8ae-139c-40d9-bae2-a23977ee58d5
For more advanced sharing options please contact your TSP or Sysad to talk with you about which options would work best for your situation.

What are Tasks?

Tasks allow you to keep track of every day job duties, major projects and much more. You can create them for yourself as well as assign them to others.

How do I access my Tasks?

You can access your tasks from the main Navigation window in the upper left corner by clicking on the Tasks button.

How do I create tasks?

  1. To create a new task, open the task app in OWA from the app menu.
  2. Click the New button, and fill in the fields of the window that appears to the right.
  3. Click Save & Close to finish your Task. The new task will show in your Task list on the Tasks Menu.

How do I assign a task to other co-workers?

Tasks can only be assigned to others if you are using Microsoft Outlook. You cannot assign tasks using OWA.

How do I respond to an assigned task?

  • Tasks will come into your inbox. You cannot Accept or Decline tasks using OWA. You will need to use Microsoft Outlook to Accept or Decline tasks.
  • You can still reply to or forward the message like an email.

How do I delegate tasks I have received?

You will need to use Microsoft Outlook to delegate tasks. You cannot delegate tasks using OWA.

How do I send status reports on tasks I was assigned?

You will need to use Microsoft Outlook to send status reports on tasks you have received. You cannot send status reports on tasks you have received using OWA.

How do I mark a task as complete?

Under Tasks, you can click the check box next to a task to mark it complete.

For your own tasks, you can also double-click on the task and select the Mark Complete button.

How do I check my shared/departmental account using OWA?

In the top right corner of OWA, click the user icon (avatar) and then select Open another mailbox. Type in the username of the functional account, select the correct "contact" and click Open.

Back to Overview

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