Outlook - How to Prepare for a Mail Merge, Send From an Alternate Email Address and maintaining the account password

Overview

When sending mass emails using a mail merge in Outlook, the emails typically come from the sender's primary account. However, there are situations where emails need to be sent from a more generic, shared account (e.g., awards@saultcollege.ca) rather than the individual user's account. This process allows you to set the alternate email address as the default for sending mail merges, ensuring that the emails are sent from the correct account. By following these steps, you can set up your Outlook to send mass emails from the desired account, while keeping your personal or primary account separate from the communications.

This article discusses:

1. Step 1: Add the New Account to Outlook
2. Step 2: Change the Default Account to (e.g awards@saultcollege.ca)
3. Step 3: Enable "Always Use the Default Account for New Messages"Step 4: Now Complete Your Mail Merge and It Will Use This Account
4. Step 5: Change the Default Back to Your User Account
5. Maintaining Shared Account - How to update a Shared Account's password, in Outlook

Target Audience

Staff

Instructions

Before you can send mail merge emails from a generic account, you’ll need to add that account to Outlook. This process allows Outlook to recognize and use the alternate email address for sending. It’s important to note that this added account should only be used for sending mail merges — any regular mailbox activity like checking incoming messages or replying should continue to be done from the shared mailbox visible in the Folder Pane.

Step 1: Add the New Account to Outlook

• Open Outlook.
• Go to File in the top left corner.
• Click Account Settings, then choose Account Settings again.
• In the Email tab, click New.
• It will take a bit of time as it "Searches for accounts..."
• Select Email Account and enter the following details:
  • Email Address: awards@saultcollege.onmicrosoft.com
  • Password: { Provided by ITS }
• Click Connect button at the bottom
• You will then be prompted to Restart Outlook
  NOTE: Outlook is designed to reopen emails that were open before doing an orderly restart, as long as that setting has been enabled.  
• Click Done > Close > File > Exit
• Reopen Outlook
  NOTE: If Outlook fails to start on the first attempt, say "NO" when promted to use Safe Mode

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Step 2: Change the Default Account to awards@saultcollege.ca

To make sure your mail merge messages are sent from the correct account, you need to set the alternate email address (e.g., awards@saultcollege.ca) as the default account in Outlook. This tells Outlook to use that account for sending new messages and mail merges by default, without having to manually select it each time.

1. After adding the account, go back to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.

2. In the Email tab, you’ll see a list of your accounts.
3. Select awards@saultcollege.ca from the list.
4. Click Set as Default.
   
5. Click Close to exit the settings.

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Step 3: Enable "Always Use the Default Account for New Messages"

To ensure that your mail merge emails are sent from the alternate account (e.g., awards@saultcollege.ca), you need to enable a setting that forces Outlook to always use the default account for composing new messages. This ensures that, even when you create a new email or initiate a mail merge, it will automatically send from the specified account without needing to manually select it each time.

1. Go to File > Options.
2. In the Mail tab, scroll down to the Send Messages section.
3. Check the box beside Always use the default account when composing new messages.
4. Click OK to save your settings.

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Step 4: Now Complete Your Mail Merge and It Will Use This Account

Complete your mail merge process here. By setting the default account to awards@saultcollege.ca, your mail merge will now use this account to send emails.

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Step 5: Change the Default Back to Your User Account

After completing the mail merge and sending emails from the alternate account, you may want to revert to using your original account for everyday emails. This step will guide you through changing the default account back to your user account, ensuring that future emails are sent from your primary address, unless you choose otherwise.

1. Follow Step 2 to go back to the Account Settings.
2. Select your user account from the list.
3. Click Set as Default.
4. Click Close to exit the settings.

 

Maintaining Shared Account - How to update a Shared Account's password, in Outlook

Steps to Change the Password:

Once Service Desk has changed the password, please follow these instructions to update the account in your Outlook Client

1. Open Microsoft Outlook:

   • Launch the Microsoft Outlook application on your computer.

2. Access the File Menu:

   • Click on File in the top left corner of the Outlook window.

3. Open Account Settings:

   • Select Account Settings from the dropdown menu, then click on Account Settings again in the submenu.

4. Select the Email Account:

   • In the Account Settings window, under the Email tab, find and select the entry for awards@saultcollege.onmicrosoft.com.

5. Change Password:

   • Click on Change located above the list of email accounts.
   • In the Change Account window, you will see fields for your account settings.
   • If the password field is not visible, you may not be able to change it directly here.

6. Close and Reopen Outlook:

   • Close Outlook completely.
   • When you reopen Outlook, it will attempt to connect to the email server using the cached password. Since the password has changed, you should see a prompt asking for the new password.

7. Enter the New Password:

   • Enter the new password you set for the account when prompted.

8. Communicate the New Password:

   • Share the new password securely with all users who require access to the account. Use Microsoft Teams for sharing, and delete the message after it has been entered. Avoid sharing via email.

Important Security Note:
Always ensure that passwords are kept secure and are not shared through insecure methods. Regularly updating passwords helps maintain the security of the account.

Conclusion:
Following these steps will ensure that the password for the shared account is updated successfully in Microsoft Outlook. If you encounter any issues during the process, please contact IT support for assistance.

Additional Notes:

• If you do not see a prompt for the new password when you reopen Outlook, you may need to check the Credential Manager again or restart your computer to ensure that any cached credentials are cleared.
• If you are still having trouble, please consult your IT department for further assistance, as they may have specific procedures in place for managing shared accounts.

If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to ask!