The blocked images being grey means that you do not have the option set to
Block External Images under Tools/Accounts/Security tab.
The "Messages in HTML" means that you do not have the option set to Read all
in Plain Text under Tools/Options/Read.
Text size should not be greyed out unless you have some setting in Control
Panel/Accessibilty Applet that is overiding text size.
Encoding is greyed out if you have set to read all messages in default
encoding under Tools/Options/Read - International Setting button.
Expand and Collapse mean you have set to Automatically Expand Grouped
Messages under Tools/Options/Read.
Stop is grey if you aren't doing anything.

It's all the result of your settings and nothing is wrong with Outlook
Express. Since you post with Forte, I have to guess that your exposure to
Outlook Express has been quite limited, no?
--
Jim Pickering, MVP, Outlook Express
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=F9F51EF1-4AE3-4D23-B2D8-1171988A62D6
Please deliver feedback to the newsgroup, so that others can be helped.
Thanks.

"brody" <joe_brody@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cv7v81954g8unk0lecoj1iv63amshkhjad@4ax.com...
> Under the "Views" tab the following options are grayed-out:
> "Blocked Images"
> "Messages in HTML"
> "Text Size"
> "Encoding"
> "Previous Message"
> "Expand"
> "Collapse"
> "Stop"
>
> My text size is frozen at Maximum.
>
> Win XP, OE 6.00.2900.2180
>
> Thanks to anyone who can help.
>
> brody
>

brody

07-09-2005, 11:22 PM

On Sat, 21 May 2005 14:24:45 -0700, "Jim Pickering"
<jim.pickering@gmail.com> wrote:

>The blocked images being grey means that you do not have the option set to
>Block External Images under Tools/Accounts/Security tab.
>The "Messages in HTML" means that you do not have the option set to Read all
>in Plain Text under Tools/Options/Read.
>Text size should not be greyed out unless you have some setting in Control
>Panel/Accessibilty Applet that is overiding text size.
>Encoding is greyed out if you have set to read all messages in default
>encoding under Tools/Options/Read - International Setting button.
>Expand and Collapse mean you have set to Automatically Expand Grouped
>Messages under Tools/Options/Read.
>Stop is grey if you aren't doing anything.
>
>It's all the result of your settings and nothing is wrong with Outlook
>Express. Since you post with Forte, I have to guess that your exposure to
>Outlook Express has been quite limited, no?

Hi Jim Pickering.

You wrote:

>>The blocked images being grey means that you do not have the option set to
>>Block External Images under Tools/Accounts/Security tab.

There is no "Security tab" under "Accounts", but there is one under
"Options", and I have that set to "Block images and external content
in HTML e-mail".

>>The "Messages in HTML" means that you do not have the option set to Read all
>>in Plain Text under Tools/Options/Read.

I do have that set as you wrote.

>Text size should not be greyed out unless you have some setting in Control
>Panel/Accessibilty Applet that is overiding text size.

I found no such option in above control panel.

>Encoding is greyed out if you have set to read all messages in default
>encoding under Tools/Options/Read - International Setting button.

I set it to "default", no help.

>Expand and Collapse mean you have set to Automatically Expand Grouped
>Messages under Tools/Options/Read.

I tried unchecking that--no help.

>>It's all the result of your settings and nothing is wrong with Outlook
>>Express. Since you post with Forte, I have to guess that your exposure to
>>Outlook Express has been quite limited, no?

With all due respect I've been using OE since 1997 first with Win 95
and then Win 98 with none of the above problems. I just got my first
damn Win XP machine and that's when I started having these problems.
Do you think I should re-install OE on this thingy?

Cheers,

brody

Jim Pickering

07-09-2005, 11:22 PM

I really doubt that uninstalling and reinstalling would be of much help,
with one caveat. If you had allowed an antivirus program to remain running
in the background during the install of any upgrade to IE/OE, then it's very
possible that your install may be corrupted, causing unusual behaviour. If
you have installed SP2 for XP, that must be first uninstalled before doing
an uninstall/reinstall of IE/OE. You should review the following for help
with that, if that's the route you want to try.

875350 - How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;875350

How to Reinstall or Repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows
XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q318378

To review the long list of changes that SP2 provides, you should also review
this article:

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2: Part 4:
E-mail Handling Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2email.mspx

And I mis-typed one item. The Security tab I had reference to is under OE
menu, Tools/Options/Security tab. Good luck.

That's a lot of stuff to review, but I hope you'll find it helpful. If not,
please post back and we'll try to help further.
--
Jim Pickering, MVP, Outlook Express
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=F9F51EF1-4AE3-4D23-B2D8-1171988A62D6
Please deliver feedback to the newsgroup, so that others can be helped.
Thanks.

"brody" <joe_brody@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9iev81tvceisehpu5ace2e84tes1rjc1gu@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 21 May 2005 14:24:45 -0700, "Jim Pickering"
> <jim.pickering@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>The blocked images being grey means that you do not have the option set to
>>Block External Images under Tools/Accounts/Security tab.
>>The "Messages in HTML" means that you do not have the option set to Read
>>all
>>in Plain Text under Tools/Options/Read.
>>Text size should not be greyed out unless you have some setting in Control
>>Panel/Accessibilty Applet that is overiding text size.
>>Encoding is greyed out if you have set to read all messages in default
>>encoding under Tools/Options/Read - International Setting button.
>>Expand and Collapse mean you have set to Automatically Expand Grouped
>>Messages under Tools/Options/Read.
>>Stop is grey if you aren't doing anything.
>>
>>It's all the result of your settings and nothing is wrong with Outlook
>>Express. Since you post with Forte, I have to guess that your exposure to
>>Outlook Express has been quite limited, no?
>
> Hi Jim Pickering.
>
> You wrote:
>
>>>The blocked images being grey means that you do not have the option set
>>>to
>>>Block External Images under Tools/Accounts/Security tab.
>
> There is no "Security tab" under "Accounts", but there is one under
> "Options", and I have that set to "Block images and external content
> in HTML e-mail".
>
>>>The "Messages in HTML" means that you do not have the option set to Read
>>>all
>>>in Plain Text under Tools/Options/Read.
>
> I do have that set as you wrote.
>
>>Text size should not be greyed out unless you have some setting in Control
>>Panel/Accessibilty Applet that is overiding text size.
>
> I found no such option in above control panel.
>
>>Encoding is greyed out if you have set to read all messages in default
>>encoding under Tools/Options/Read - International Setting button.
>
> I set it to "default", no help.
>
>>Expand and Collapse mean you have set to Automatically Expand Grouped
>>Messages under Tools/Options/Read.
>
> I tried unchecking that--no help.
>
>>>It's all the result of your settings and nothing is wrong with Outlook
>>>Express. Since you post with Forte, I have to guess that your exposure
>>>to
>>>Outlook Express has been quite limited, no?
>
> With all due respect I've been using OE since 1997 first with Win 95
> and then Win 98 with none of the above problems. I just got my first
> damn Win XP machine and that's when I started having these problems.
> Do you think I should re-install OE on this thingy?
>
> Cheers,
>
> brody

mac

07-09-2005, 11:22 PM

"brody" <joe_brody@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cv7v81954g8unk0lecoj1iv63amshkhjad@4ax.com...
> Under the "Views" tab the following options are grayed-out:
> "Blocked Images"
> "Messages in HTML"
> "Text Size"
> "Encoding"
> "Previous Message"
> "Expand"
> "Collapse"
> "Stop"
>
> My text size is frozen at Maximum.
>
> Win XP, OE 6.00.2900.2180
>
> Thanks to anyone who can help.
>
> brody

The way it looks to me Brody? You are seeing the default behaviour in OE for
when you do not have a 'message selected' to read it either in the Preview
Pane, or open in its own window?

Inline on each option

> "Blocked Images"
Is only available when you are reading an HTML message *with* Blocked
Images.
> "Messages in HTML"
Is only available when you are reading in Plain text.
> "Text Size"
This can be changed by Tools>options>read>fonts.
> "Previous Message"
> "Expand"
> "Collapse"

Only apply to grouped messages.

--
Regards Steve.
MS-MVP. IE/OE.