# MS Outlook -- quoted parts of messages -- blue bar **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-quoted-parts-of-messages-blue-bar/679245 "2014-01-20T02:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-quoted-parts-of-messages-blue-bar/679245/1 "2014-01-20T02:54:19Z")
I use Outlook (I know, that’s the real problem right there…) I get a nice message from a friend, and reply to it. It puts a bright blue bar along the side of his message. I want to “break” the bar, so I can put in my own responses in between his paragraphs. And I’m just plain Jack Damned if I can figure out how! No matter what I do, if I enter text between his paragraphs, it keeps the blue bar alongside it, making it look like it’s part of his message. I’ve been forced (years now!) to convert the whole message to text, and then insert my own “quote carets” \> quoted text \> quoted text – manually. Bloody damn! (Outlook _sometimes_ formats the original message with leading carets…but not always. I don’t know how to make it do so all the time. But I’d really rather use the blue bar – if I could just make breaks in it!) ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-quoted-parts-of-messages-blue-bar/679245/2 "2014-01-20T10:50:29Z")
Looks like it isn’t possible to break the line any more - from Outlook 2007 onwards, at any rate. Suggested workarounds are here: [http://www.msoutlook.info/question/400](http://www.msoutlook.info/question/400) (how to remove the blue bar for a particular email - unfortunately no way to put breaks into it) [Blue line in replies and forwards - MSOutlook.info](http://www.msoutlook.info/question/399) (how to set options so the bar never appears) I can’t believe something as obvious as this got missed in the upgrade to the new versions of Office (and I don’t buy all that bunk about it being because Word is now the default email editor; if that’s the problem, then fix Word). This is such a simple thing. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-quoted-parts-of-messages-blue-bar/679245/3 "2014-01-20T16:38:00Z")
This really frosts me about Outlook. If I was in charge of the product, I’d have sent it back to the developers with a very nasty note saying “Product doesn’t do something we’ve been doing since email was first invented. Either fix promptly or tender your resignation. An explanation of how the current behavior is an improvement will be grounds for termination without compensation.” It’s truly, truly idiotic. No excuse whatsoever. Really dumb. I wish I could use an alternative, but unfortunately we’re forced to use it at work for the calendar. I’d be interested to hear what MS has to say about this ridiculously foolish flaw. But I’d really like to simply fire the program manager for gross incompetence. Did I mention that this annoys me? ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-quoted-parts-of-messages-blue-bar/679245/4 "2014-01-20T16:42:09Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I’ve been forced (years now!) to convert the whole message to text, and then insert my own “quote carets” \> quoted text \> quoted text – manually. Bloody damn! > > (Outlook _sometimes_ formats the original message with leading carets…but not always. I don’t know how to make it do so all the time. But I’d really rather use the blue bar – if I could just make breaks in it!) I do this too. What a bloody waste of time. Coding recipients by color doesn’t convey enough in a complicated exchange. For example, one can’t tell the order of comments, after the fact. It’s a great program in so many ways, and a terrible one in just a few, but ugh, those few! I think I need to find a substitute plugin editor. I believe this is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-quoted-parts-of-messages-blue-bar/679245/5 "2014-01-20T19:46:45Z")
Well, at least now I don’t feel so stupid for not being able to figure it out! Definitely agree with **Learjeff** : MS should be bloody ashamed of themselves for removing/reducing functionality, especially something that is so very bone basic! Most of us reply to our email with quotes from the original message. It’s the best part of this communication form! Thank you for giving me the skinny, the Straight Dope. I now make rude faces in the general direction of Redmond, WA. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-quoted-parts-of-messages-blue-bar/679245/6 "2014-01-20T19:55:51Z")
**Dervorin** : I’ll try those workarounds. Thanks!