# MS Outlook question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605 "2004-05-29T00:09:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/1 "2004-05-29T00:09:35Z")
Is there a way I can convert HTML emails to plain text format when they are sent to me? I use MS Outlook 2000 SP-3 I have people sending me emails with embedded HTML backgrounds that I’d like to discard. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/2 "2004-05-29T03:43:20Z")
Not sure about Outlook 2000, but this MS Knowledge Base article describes how to do it in 2002: [307594](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307594) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/3 "2004-05-29T04:23:36Z")
Or if you don’t want to do that, just select the message, hit Forward, and then from the menu select Format\Plain text, and you’ll be able to see it as plain text. (You don’t have to send it anywhere.) ---
**Author:** ![cogitator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9c0ed/32.png) [@cogitator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cogitator)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/4 "2004-05-29T16:59:35Z")
These directions are for Outlook 2002- YMMV using Outlook 2000. To change the default message format for all new messages: On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab. In the Compose in this message format list, click the format you want. To change the format of a message you received or already created: With the message open, on the Format menu, click the format you want to use (Plain Text, HTML, or Rich Text). Hope that helps. Cog ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/5 "2004-05-29T17:08:59Z")
Sorry, **cogitator** , your advice for received messages doesn’t work in OL2000. With received messages, all options on the Format menu are grayed out. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/6 "2004-05-29T17:19:31Z")
I use the ‘Preview Pane’. When I receive incoming messages that have HTML, it automatically appears in the pane. My goal is to eliminate that completely. Therefore, **commasense** , your suggestion wouldn’t help that issue. Thanks though, I do do that when replying to messages with HTML. I’m uncomfortable doing registry edits, as I would be modifying a work computer. I can’t seem to find any solution that doesn’t involve changing the registry. Any other suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/7 "2004-05-29T17:30:30Z")
And since the registry edit was for 2002, it might not have worked anyway. I wonder if there is something you can do with the Rules wizard that would direct incoming HTML messages to a different directory, or process them somehow. I don’t have time to check at the moment, so I’ll just throw that out. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-question/247605/8 "2004-05-29T20:13:53Z")
It is possible in OL2000, but the procedure is somewhat technical; you’ll find deatils [here](http://www.outlookcode.com/d/code/zaphtml.htm).