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OWA - Users Guide
Remote Mail - Users Guide
COWI A/S
Parallelvej 2
DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark
Tel+45 56 40 00 00
Fax +45 5640 22 12
Table of Contents
1Introduction to OWA
1.1Web-Based E-Mail basics
1.2How to get Help
2Opening OWA
2.1Logging on to OWA
3Navigating OWA
3.1Options in the cogwheel menu
3.2Refresh
4Reading mail and inbox navigation
5Composing and sending messages
5.1New Messages
5.2Replying to and Forwarding Existing Messages
6Deleted items
7Calendar and appointments
7.1Viewing the Calendar
7.2Making New Appointments
8Contacts
9Tasks
10Options
11Signing out
1Introduction to OWA
OWA stands for “Outlook Web App” (formerly “Outlook Web Access”). It is a browser-based version of Microsoft Outlook which we use in COWI. This document will introduce you to OWA and help you feel more comfortable using it and its many features. The guide assumes that you are somehow familiar with classical Outlook.
1.1E-mail basics
OWA is a browser-based (web-based) e-mail program. This means that you can access it from any computer that has a network connection: your client computer, home computer, and even a computer at a public place such as a coffee shop, library, or airport.
Logging on is described in detail in the next section.
1.2How to get Help
If you have trouble accessing OWA or have other technical difficulties you should call the COWI Service Desk.
If you have questions about the use of a particular feature within OWA the application has an excellent on-line help feature. To access it simply click on the Help button on the toolbar at top of any screen within the application:
2Opening OWA
The only thing you need to get up and running with OWA is a computer with a connection to the Internet. To start, make sure you are connected to the Internet, then open up a web browser window. Internet Explorer is highly recommended for OWA, as the application may not display correctly in Chrome, Firefox or other browsers.
To access COWI’s OWA, type the following address into the browser’s address bar:
This will take you to the COWI Remote Access Portal. This portal lets you choose between access from a PC or a mobile device.
Choose Web Mail.
2.1Logging on to OWA
Enter domain, username and password as follows:
Username: COWI\Your initials, i.e.cowi\nnn
Password: Use the same as when you log on to the COWI network
3Navigating OWA
The first screen you see once you logon to OWA will be your Inbox. You will notice how similar it is to the familiar Outlook 2013 client. The navigation bar – to choose between Mail, Calendar and so on – is at the top instead of the bottom.
3.1Options in the cogwheel menu
You have quiote a few options to play with in the cogwheel menu in the upper right corner: .
3.2Refresh
Refresh can be quite useful, as it force OWA to refresh and check for new mail:
OWA does check automatically, but if you want to check manually as well, this is the way to do it,
3.2.1Set automatic replies
Set automatic replies is identical to the Out of Office (OoO) we know from Outlook and can be very convenient, as you can change your OoO settings from any PC.
Selecting it leads to:
You may need to scroll to all of it.
3.2.2Change password
If you want to change your password after logging in, click the cogwheel in the upper right corner and select Change password:
This leads to:
Enter your old password and then the new one twice. Click Save.
4Reading mail and inbox navigation
When you use OWA for the first time, it will open in Inbox and show this message:
Click the blue link to customise your view:
Click OK when you’ve made your choices.
The OWA Inbox is similar to the Outlook Inbox. By default mail messages are displayed in order by date, with the most recent messages at the top of the list.
Important Note. For security reasons, COWI recommends that the preview pane is turned off in the inbox. It can be on as you like in any other folder
You will notice the Search option:
As mentioned previously OWA will periodically check the E-Mail server to see if you have any new messages and notify you depending on your settings – see Chapter 10.
To read a message that is in your Inbox, double-click on it. The message will open in a new window with its own toolbar. You can click on one of the toolbar buttons to reply, forward, or delete it:
Messages with attachments will display with a paperclip icon in the Inbox:
In the open mail, it will appear as a clickable icon:
Important Note: If you do this on a public or borrowed PC, make sure you don’t save any copies on it. It will otherwise be accessible to anyone using the PC after you.
5Composing and sending messages
5.1New Messages
To create a new E-Mail message, simply click on the New button while viewing your Inbox.
A blank message window will appear and you can type your message and subject line.
To address the E-Mail you can either type in the E-Mail address in the proper format () or if to a COWI employee, just write their initials. You can also click on the To: field to display a copy of the COWI Address Book/your Contacts. This is again similar to Outlook. Click the <-button to select which address book or address list you want to look in. Configuring this is done in the Options section of OWA, briefly described in Chapter 10.
When the E-Mail is complete and properly addressed, click on the Send button to send the message. If you are not ready to send the message, click on the … button and select Save. This will save the E-Mail to your OWA Drafts folder. You can retrieve and send this message later by clicking on the Drafts folder, which is accessible from the Folders view of the OWA menu bar.
You can find more options, including Importance, in the …-menu:
5.1.1Inserting elements
Clicking the Insert icon gives you the options of adding an attachment, inserting a picture or inserting your signature:
Both Attachments and Pictures inline gives you the normal browse and select options you know from Windows. The signature is not defined when you log in the first time and must be defined from the OWA Options section – see Chapter 10.
5.1.2Writing the mail
You have the usual formatting options in the form of editor buttons at the top of the mail:
How many icons you see depends on the width of the window. Click the double downwards arrow to see more options.
Importance and other overall options are set using the … menu as mentioned in chapter 5.1.
5.2Replying to and Forwarding Existing Messages
Replying to and forwarding existing messages are done using the toolbar that appears when you select the message in question:
6Deleted items
When you delete items from your Inbox they are moved into the Deleted Items folder. Deleted items from your Calendar, Tasks, and Contacts also end up in the Deleted Items folder.
This behaviour is identical to Outlook, and it is indeed the same Deleted Items folder in both applications.
7Calendar and appointments
7.1Viewing the Calendar
Clicking the Calendar option in the uppermost toolbar leads you to your calendar.
Again, it’s very similar to Outlook. You can select how to view the calendar by using this menu:
7.2Making New Appointments
There are two ways to create new appointments on your calendar. While viewing the calendar you can click on the Newevent button on the calendar toolbar:
or you can simply click on the calendar on the space corresponding to the desired start time of the meeting. Either option - a blank appointment window will appear.
Fill in the Event (subject), the location (if needed) and the appropriate start and end times and dates.
The default reminder setting is 15 minutes before the meeting occurs.
Remember also to set the Show as-options.
Again, in reality this is identical to Outlook. The layout may be a bit different, but the procedures and methods are the same.
Click on the +-button to add attendees to your meeting.
If you are scheduling a meeting that will happen on a regular schedule, or a yearly event such as a birthday, click on the Repeat button on the Appointment toolbar to setup recurrence information. Again this is similar to Outlook.
8Contacts (People)
Contacts in OWA are very easy to create and manage.
To work with Contacts, click the People option in the uppermost toolbar.
To create a new contact, click on the +-button.
You will have to choose between contacts or groups (formerly Personal Distribution Lists). Select Create contact:
Fill out the fields you want to. Click the +-signs in the various categories to expand them for more options. Click Save, when you’re done.
9Tasks
Tasks in OWA is – not surprisingly – similar to Outlook:
Click the New Task button to create a new task:
Click the Show more details to get more options, and click Save when you’re finished:
10Options
OWA provides several options for customizing the way you view the application.
Go to the cogwheel in the upper right corner and select Options
You will now see a screen with a lot of options to the left:
The most interesting option here is probably settings:
For instance, here you can (scroll down if required):
- design your signature
you may want to copy one from Outlook; note that OWA can only use one signature - modify the message format,
- set up how OWA should inform you about new message (sound, pop-up or nothing)
You can also click click calendar, regional or password for more options.
Remember to click Save before you leave a page where you’ve made any changes.
Again, these options are quite similar to Outlook, though OWA doesn’t present you with as many options as Outlook does.
11Signing out
When you have finished using OWA it is important that you properly exit out of the application. This will ensure that your E-Mails cannot be read by other people who may use the computer after you. This is especially important if you use a computer in a public location such as a library or airport.
To log off properly, click on your name in the upper right corner and select Sign out:
You will then be referred back to the sign in page:
.