The following articles were included in our Exchange Messaging Outlook (EMO) newsletter published on July 25, 2024.
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Today's Highlights »
- Outlook.com and Modern Authentication Questions
- Filter Unflagged Messages
- Correcting Your Spelling Mistakes
- Categorize @Mentioned Messages
- Fix Kaspersky Password Export
Outlook.com and Modern Authentication Questions
I’m seeing a lot of questions in the Microsoft forums about the switch over to modern auth.
Any app that brings up the Microsoft log in dialog you see when you sign in using a browser will work after September 16. That screen means it uses modern auth (also known as oAuth2.) If you have a normal password dialog when you sign in, the app does not support modern auth.
If you have 2-step verification enabled and are using an app password, that app is using basic auth. App passwords will be disabled / removed when basic auth is turned off.
Microsoft has stated that users signing into Outlook.com using apps that use basic auth may have repeated password prompts in their email apps. Consider it a warning that the app is using basic auth. After September 16th, these apps will not connect to Outlook.com.
Q: Is my Gmail or other non-Microsoft account affected by this change?
A: No. Only Outlook.com accounts, including Hotmail, live.com and MSN addresses. Users with custom domains from one of the defunct custom domain programs are also affected.
If you have the account added to Outlook as a Microsoft Exchange account and are using a version of Outlook currently in support, you are all set.
If the account is added to any version of Outlook Classic as a POP or IMAP account, it will stop working in September. If you have a supported version of Outlook, you’ll either need to remove the account and add it back using auto account setup so it’s added as an Exchange account or you will need to use another mail app. Both eM Client and Thunderbird support modern authentication using POP or IMAP.
If you are not using a supported version of Outlook Classic – this includes Outlook 2013 and all older versions, volume license, some single purchase retail licenses – you need a new mail app, either a modern version of Outlook or a different client.
If you are using Windows Live Mail, it’s past time to ditch it. eM client is a good replacement and can import the mail from WLM.
Other older email clients, such as Apple mail on older macOS or iOS are not supported. If you get repeated password prompts, it is using basic auth. If you have a newer iPhone or iPad, it supports modern auth but if the account was added to the app years ago, you'll need to remove the account and add it back. Apple will not automatically switch the account to use modern auth.
Q: I have my Gmail account configured to download my Outlook.com mail. Will this affect me?
A: If you have the outlook.com account added to Gmail as a POP account, it will quit working. If you added it as a gmailify account, it will continue to work as gmailify uses modern auth. However, you can only use gmailify with one account.
Filter Unflagged Messages
A user asked how to filter by unflagged messages. Outlook has a filter that displays flagged messages but not one for unflagged messages. Outlook Classic can group by flag status, but this is not available in Outlook on the web or new Outlook for Windows.
The easiest way to view unflagged messages is using search. Type isflagged:no in the search field. This works in all versions of Outlook, although in Outlook Classic, it includes flagged messages marked Completed.
If you use Outlook Classic, you can create a custom view that only shows unflagged messages. In View Settings > Filter button, select the More Choices tab and select Only Items which: have no flag.
Correcting Your Spelling Mistakes
Not everyone likes the Microsoft Editor spellchecker in Outlook for Windows (aka new Outlook) and Outlook on the web. For starters, the spelling correction menu is enabled on a left click, not right click, like we're used to. Once you relearn to left click, if you click in the word with the intention of fixing the mistake, the spelling correction menu prevents you from typing.
You have a couple of options:
1. Press ESC to close the dialog. This works well if you clicked at the position where you need to make the correction but not if you want to retype the word.
2. Click the Ignore button on the lower left of the spelling menu. This gets rid of the dialog and you can easily correct the word. But, if you make the same spelling mistake later in the message, it will not be marked as misspelled.
You can also turn off Spell check. Click Editor on the lower right of the menu, then Customize your Editor at the bottom of the panel that opens to open Microsoft Editor Settings.
Categorize @Mentioned Messages
A user wanted to know how to create a rule to add a category to messages he was @mentioned on. Although I’m not sure this is all that useful as Outlook has a filter for showing only messages where you were @mentioned, it is possible to use a run a script rule or an ItemAdd macro to set a category on a message you were @mentioned on if you are using classic Outlook.
While my sample shows how to add a category, it could move the message or flag it and set a reminder.
Get the code samples from Categorize @Mentioned Messages
Fix Kaspersky Password Export
Although not an Outlook question, some readers might find this tip handy for fixing records that are in a single column when the records should be in rows and columns.
A client wanted to know if there was an easy way to fix the exported password records so he could import into another password app. While he could use Excel’s Transpose to fix it, it’s a lot of cut and pasting when you have hundreds of records.
I receive a couple of reports that are improperly formatted and this is the method I use to fix them:
1. Open Excel. Row 1 is used for field names.
2. Paste the data in Column A
3. In B2, I enter the formula =A2. In C2, enter =A3, in D2 enter =A4. Continue for each row that belongs to the first record.
4. When each row in the first record is in a column in row 2, select those cells and drag to fill.
5. Select all, Copy and Paste Special as Text to remove the formulas and keep the data.
6. Sort by a column. For example, if all the records have a web address, sort by the web address column so those records are all together. Delete the other records.
7. Save the file.
It's fast and fairly easy and harder to explain than it is to do. :)
For screenshots, see this article:
New & Updated Microsoft 365 & Exchange Server Support Articles
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Other Resources
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Outlook.com Connected Accounts: Gone
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Classic Outlook missing from new computers
After purchasing a new computer, users discovered the Office installation is missing Outlook.
Display Teams Calendars in Outlook
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