# Viewing emails in Outlook using "message source"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-emails-in-outlook-using-message-source/278321>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 6, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-emails-in-outlook-using-message-source/278321 "2004-12-06T04:53:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-emails-in-outlook-using-message-source/278321/1 "2004-12-06T04:53:28Z")

</div>

I’ve set up my Outlook Express so that the preview pane is disabled. Somehow I got the idea that I could safely view potentially malicious emails to determine if they are legitimate emails by right-clicking, selecting ‘properties’ and then the ‘details’ tab and then ‘message source’ . Usually if there is a legitimate email I can read the text and decide to open the email normally, but if there is a string of bizarre characters or obvious spam content I’ll just delete the email. Is this a good tactic to use, or am I just fooling myself?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-emails-in-outlook-using-message-source/278321/2 "2004-12-06T11:56:30Z")

</div>

> [@Cuckoorex](#):
>
> I’ve set up my Outlook Express so that the preview pane is disabled. Somehow I got the idea that I could safely view potentially malicious emails to determine if they are legitimate emails by right-clicking, selecting ‘properties’ and then the ‘details’ tab and then ‘message source’ . Usually if there is a legitimate email I can read the text and decide to open the email normally, but if there is a string of bizarre characters or obvious spam content I’ll just delete the email. Is this a good tactic to use, or am I just fooling myself?

It is a good tactic. I do it all the time with suspicious e-mails (not in Outlook Express, but the principle’s the same). By viewing the source you are just looking at harmless ASCII text.